# Insurance for dog groomers, grooming salons and mobile groomers in Germany

> A dog on the grooming table does not keep still just because you ask. One jerk and the scissors catch an ear; one moment at an open door and a client's dog is out on the street. This page is for English speaking groomers working in Germany and explains which insurance covers this, where standard policies fall short and what it costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-dog-groomer.php  
Updated: 2026-10-14

## Will my business liability pay if I nick a client's dog while clipping?

Not automatically. Damage to animals you have in your care and are working on is excluded in many business liability policies. It has to be included expressly, with a limit per animal that matches vet bills. A stitched cut on an ear quickly costs a few hundred euros, surgery after a fall from the table far more.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No statutory insurance duty for grooming salons. § 11 of the German Animal Welfare Act requires a permit for, among other things, training dogs for others; grooming alone is not expressly listed
- **Biggest risk:** Injuring a client's dog with scissors, clippers or dryer, and dogs that escape
- **Liability:** Anyone who takes over supervision of an animal by contract is liable under § 834 BGB (German Civil Code) for harm it causes, unless they show they took proper care
- **Basic cover from:** about €120 a year of business liability for a small salon, a guide figure from our quoting work
- **Often forgotten:** Damage to the dog in your care: many basic policies leave it out or cap it at a small amount

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **A cut while clipping:** The dog flinches and the scissors catch the ear or skin. Vet, stitches, follow up and an unhappy owner.
- **Fall from the table:** A moment without the loop and the dog jumps, injuring a leg. X rays and surgery get expensive.
- **Escapes:** A client's dog slips through the door at pick up and runs in front of a car or bike.
- **Bites in the salon:** A waiting dog snaps at another customer or their dog while you are supervising.
- **Your own injuries:** Bites to the hand, back strain from lifting big dogs, skin problems from shampoos. No hands, no income.
- **Water and equipment:** Bath, high velocity dryer, clippers: a burst hose or a fire closes the salon.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 4, Fire and water 3, Theft 2, Cyber 2, Downtime 3, Health 3

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Covers harm to customers and third parties and, if included, damage to the dogs you groom, including the supervisor's liability. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): Replaces hydraulic table, bath, dryers, clippers and stock after fire, water damage or burglary. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Accident insurance** (Strongly advised): Pays out if a bite to the hand or a fall leaves lasting damage. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-accident-insurance.php
- **Occupational disability** (Depends on the business): Protects your income if your hands, back or skin no longer allow you to work. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-occupational-disability.php
- **Business interruption** (Depends on the business): Pays running costs and lost profit if the salon has to close after property damage. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **Car insurance** (Depends on the business): For a mobile grooming van: the conversion and commercial use must be in the policy. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-car-insurance.php
- **Dog and horse liability** (Depends on the business): For your own dog in the salon, which business liability does not automatically cover. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-pet-liability.php

## What it costs: example prices

Premiums are modest. What matters most is whether damage to client dogs is included and at what limit, how many dogs you groom a day and whether you work in a shop or a van.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Owner run salon, €3 million limit, damage to client dogs up to €2,500 | about €120 to €280 a year |
| Business liability | Salon with two employees and higher limit for damage to animals | about €250 to €500 a year |
| Business contents | Fittings and equipment worth €25,000 | about €100 to €250 a year |
| Accident insurance | Owner aged 35, €100,000 base sum | about €120 to €300 a year |
| Car insurance | Converted van as mobile grooming salon, liability and comprehensive | about €700 to €1,600 a year |

For comparison: Liability cover for a small grooming salon costs about as much per year as two or three full grooms of a large doodle.

_All values are guide figures from our quoting work, excluding German insurance premium tax, as of October 2026. The linked sources support the legal statements on this page, not the prices._

- [Gesetze im Internet: § 834 BGB, liability of an animal supervisor](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__834.html)
- [Gesetze im Internet: § 11 Tierschutzgesetz, permits](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/tierschg/__11.html)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Solo salon** (Groomer with a small salon of her own, no staff): Business liability, Business contents, Accident insurance. Together: about €350 to €800 a year
- **Mobile** (Mobile grooming in a converted van): Business liability, Car insurance, Accident insurance. Together: about €950 to €2,200 a year
- **Grooming studio** (Salon with staff, shop and several grooming stations): Business liability, Business contents, Business interruption, Accident insurance, Occupational disability. Together: about €900 to €2,000 a year, excluding disability cover

## The worst day in the grooming salon

Six things that really happen to dog groomers, here all on one Saturday. Tap through and see who pays.

- 08:30: A nervous poodle flinches and the scissors cut the edge of the ear. Vet visit with stitches and a check up. (€650, Paid by: Business liability)
- 10:15: A Labrador jumps off the table and tears a cruciate ligament. Surgery at the animal hospital. (€3,200, Paid by: Business liability)
- 12:00: At pick up a terrier slips through the door and a cyclist falls trying to avoid it. (€7,500, Paid by: Business liability)
- 14:20: A Chow Chow bites your hand. Tendon injury, six weeks without scissors. (€9,000, Paid by: Accident insurance)
- 16:45: The hose on the dog bath bursts and water runs under the table and counter. (€5,500, Paid by: Business contents)
- 17:30: Drying out keeps the salon closed for four days while the rent keeps running. (€2,400, Paid by: Business interruption)

**Damage so far:** €28,250

## Practical tips from your broker

- Have damage to animals in your care expressly included and check the limit per animal; surgery after a fall soon costs several thousand euros.
- Make sure supervisor's liability is named for every species you groom, cats included.
- Fit a second gate at the entrance. Escaped dogs cause the most expensive claims.
- Note skin conditions, matting and existing injuries when a dog arrives, ideally with a photo.
- Ask clients about their dog liability insurance and keep a copy on file.
- Declare a mobile salon correctly to your motor insurer. A conversion the policy does not know about is not covered.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We compare the animal clauses:** Damage to animals in care, limits per animal, supervisor's liability: this is where offers differ. As brokers we lay them side by side.
- **Salon, van and private together:** Liability, fittings, van and your own provision handled together, with one contact person, in English or German.
- **Plain words, not small print:** We tell you upfront what is covered and what is not, so there are no surprises after the first nick.
- **Family business since 1989:** Norman Nammert acts as an insurance broker. Free for you; the insurer pays our commission.

## FAQ

### Do I need a permit under the Animal Welfare Act as a dog groomer?

Grooming alone is not expressly named in § 11 of the German Animal Welfare Act. A permit is required for, among other things, keeping vertebrates commercially and training dogs for others. If you offer day care or training, talk to your local veterinary office.

### Who is liable if a client's dog bites someone in my salon?

Often both the owner and the salon. Anyone who takes over supervision of an animal by contract is liable under § 834 BGB unless they show they took proper care.

### Is the client's dog covered if I injure it?

Only if your business liability includes damage to animals in your care. Without this, you pay the vet bill yourself.

### What does insurance for a grooming salon cost?

Business liability starts at about €120 a year. With contents and accident cover, small salons usually pay between €350 and €800.

### What about mobile grooming?

The van needs motor insurance that knows about the conversion and commercial use, and your business liability must cover work at the customer's door.

### Are cats covered?

Only if they are named in the policy. If you groom cats too, declare it.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-dog-groomer.php#anfrage

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Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT. Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act. Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company. It does not arrange your contract.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.