# Insurance for kitchen studios and kitchen fitters in Germany

> Kitchen studios in Germany sell in the showroom and then work in the client's home: old kitchen out, new kitchen in, water and appliances connected. The costliest losses rarely hit the kitchen itself but everything around it: a leaking connection under the sink, a scratched floor, a pipe drilled into. Kitchen fitters face the same. Here is what a business should insure and what it costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-kitchen-studio-and-fitter.php  
Updated: 2026-10-15

## Who pays if the dishwasher hose leaks after we fitted the kitchen?

The consequential damage to floors, walls and the flat below is paid by your public liability if you made the connection and no exclusion applies. Redoing the connection is your warranty work. Check that water damage from installation work is covered without low sub limits.

## At a glance

- **Trade:** If you make furniture yourself, you work in the joinery craft, listed in Annex A of the German Crafts Code as a regulated craft
- **Biggest risk:** Water damage from connections to sink, dishwasher and fridge that only show after days
- **Basic cover from:** about €350 a year for public liability for a small studio with fitting, a guide value from our quoting work
- **Accident insurance:** Employees are insured by law in the statutory accident insurance under section 2 of SGB VII
- **Often forgotten:** Damage to floors, walls and pipes in the client's home as damage to worked on property

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Water under the sink:** A loose connection drips for days into the cabinet, the screed and the flat below.
- **Drilled pipe:** Fixing wall units, the drill hits a cable or a water pipe.
- **Floors and walls:** Parquet scratched while carrying, tiles cracked, door frames knocked.
- **Worktop does not fit:** A stone worktop is cut wrong or breaks while being fitted.
- **Fire or break in at the showroom:** Display kitchens and appliances are worth a lot.
- **Deposits and disputes:** Clients hold back final payments, suppliers deliver late or faulty.

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

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Covers damage in the client's home, with damage to worked on property, water damage from fitting and consequential damage from defects. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): Display kitchens, appliances, stock and fittings against fire, burglary and water damage. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Fleet insurance** (Strongly advised): Fitting vans under one policy. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-fleet-insurance.php
- **Cargo insurance** (Strongly advised): Covers kitchens, worktops and appliances on your own vans. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cargo-insurance.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Depends on the business): For disputes over defects, final payments and with suppliers. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php
- **Business interruption** (Depends on the business): Pays fixed costs and profit if the showroom stays closed after a fire. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Depends on the business): For planning software, customer data and payments. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php

## What it costs: example prices

Few insurers publish tariffs for kitchen studios. The premium depends on turnover, share of fitting work, value of the showroom and whether you connect water and electrics yourself.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Studio with two fitters, €5 million limit, with damage to worked on property | about €350 to €900 a year |
| Business liability | Self employed kitchen fitter, €3 million limit | about €200 to €450 a year |
| Business contents | Showroom with kitchens and appliances worth €250,000 | about €700 to €1,800 a year |
| Cargo insurance | Own goods in transit up to €30,000 per trip | about €200 to €500 a year |
| Fleet insurance | Two panel vans, third party and comprehensive | about €1,600 to €3,200 a year |

For comparison: Public liability for a kitchen studio costs about as much a year as a good dishwasher.

_All premiums are guide values from our quoting work, excluding German insurance premium tax, as of October 2026._

- [Handwerksordnung, Annex A](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/hwo/anlage_a.html)
- [SGB VII, section 2](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_7/__2.html)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Fitter** (Self employed kitchen fitter working for studios and furniture stores): Business liability, Fleet insurance, Cargo insurance. Together: about €1,200 to €2,800 a year
- **Studio** (Kitchen studio with showroom, planning and own fitting team): Business liability, Business contents, Fleet insurance, Cargo insurance, Business legal expenses. Together: about €3,500 to €7,500 a year
- **Full cover** (Studio with its own workshop for worktops and bespoke units): Business liability, Business contents, Fleet insurance, Cargo insurance, Business legal expenses, Business interruption, Cyber insurance. Together: individual, usually from about €6,500 a year

## The worst day in the kitchen studio

Six things kitchen studios and fitters really go through, all on one Thursday. Tap through and see who pays.

- 07:45: Carrying tall units, the team scratches the oak parquet in the hallway. (€3,200, Paid by: Business liability)
- 10:15: Drilling for wall units hits a water pipe in the wall. (€6,500, Paid by: Business liability)
- 12:30: A stone worktop slides in the van and breaks. (€2,800, Paid by: Cargo insurance)
- 14:50: Last week's client calls: the dishwasher hose leaked and the flat below is wet. (€18,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 17:00: A client refuses the final payment over a gap at a panel. (€4,000, Paid by: Business legal expenses)
- 23:20: A short circuit in a display kitchen starts a fire. (€85,000, Paid by: Business contents)

**Damage so far:** €119,500

## Practical tips from your broker

- Make sure water damage from fitting work and damage to worked on property are expressly included in your liability policy.
- Lay floor protection before carrying and photograph floors and walls first.
- Pressure test water connections and record the test in the handover report.
- Use a pipe and cable detector before drilling.
- Leave work on the electrical installation to a qualified electrician.
- Agree deposit, handover and final payment in writing.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We know water damage:** In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves, and water always finds a way. We know how cause and consequential damage are proven.
- **We compare the small print:** As an insurance broker, Norman Nammert compares how several insurers handle damage to worked on property and water damage from fitting.
- **Studio, vans and personal:** Showroom, vans and your personal cover with one contact.
- **Broker since 1989:** A family business, not tied to any insurer. Our service is free for you; the insurer pays our commission. We advise in English.

## FAQ

### Which insurance does a kitchen studio need?

Above all public liability with damage to worked on property and water damage from fitting, plus contents cover for the showroom and cover for your vans.

### Who pays if the dishwasher connection leaks?

Consequential damage is paid by your public liability if you made the connection and no exclusion applies. Redoing it is your warranty work.

### Is a scratched floor at the client's home insured?

Only if damage to worked on property is included, because the damage happens while you work in the home.

### What does insurance cost for a kitchen studio?

In our quoting work a studio with showroom and fitting pays about €3,500 to €7,500 a year, a self employed fitter about €1,200 to €2,800.

### Is the worktop insured in transit?

Not under liability. You need own goods in transit cover, often as an add on to your van policy.

### Is business interruption cover worth it?

With a large showroom often yes: after a fire rent and wages keep running while clients hardly order.

## 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-kitchen-studio-and-fitter.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.