# Insurance for landscape architects and landscape design practices in Germany

> A climbing frame with too little safety surfacing, a green roof build-up that damages the waterproofing, a square that sends rainwater into the neighbours' cellars: landscape design errors affect people and buildings. In Germany, self-employed landscape architects who are chamber members must carry professional indemnity. This page explains the sums and what a landscape design practice should insure.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-landscape-architect.php  
Updated: 2026-10-15

## Are the chamber minimum sums enough for a landscape architect?

They are a floor. On playgrounds, school yards and public paths, bodily injury is the biggest risk, and roof gardens and podiums over underground car parks carry expensive waterproofing risks. Many practices therefore choose 3 million euros for bodily injury and at least 500,000 euros for property and financial loss.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** Self-employed landscape architects must insure against liability claims as chamber members, in North Rhine-Westphalia under section 33 (2) no. 5 BauKaG NRW
- **Minimum sums:** In North Rhine-Westphalia 1.5 million euros for bodily injury and 250,000 euros for property and financial loss, available twice a year; a deductible of up to 1 percent of the property and financial loss sum is allowed
- **Biggest risk:** Injuries on playgrounds and paths, and water and waterproofing damage to buildings
- **Basic cover from:** around 400 euros a year for a start-up practice, a guide value from our quoting experience
- **Often forgotten:** Cover can run as an annual policy or as a project policy for a single scheme

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Playgrounds and school yards:** Too small fall zones, entrapment points or unsuitable surfaces lead to accidents involving children.
- **Green roofs and podiums:** Wrong build-ups, roots or falls damage the waterproofing and water gets into buildings and car parks.
- **Drainage:** Wrongly planned falls and soakaways send rainwater onto neighbouring land and into cellars.
- **Trees and roots:** Trees in the wrong place lift paving and damage pipes or foundations.
- **Site supervision:** If you supervise the works, you share liability for defects you overlooked.
- **Costs and grants:** A cost estimate far off the mark or a missed grant deadline are pure financial losses.

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

## The insurance you need

- **Professional indemnity** (Essential): Compulsory for self-employed chamber members; covers bodily injury, property damage and financial loss from design and supervision. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-professional-indemnity.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Strongly advised): Computers, plotters and measuring devices against surges, breakage and theft. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): Office furniture and models against fire, burst pipes and burglary. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Occupational disability** (Strongly advised): In a small practice the income stops at once if the owners cannot work. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-occupational-disability.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Depends on the business): Recovery of drawings and data after an attack. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Drone insurance** (Depends on the business): Drone surveys need their own liability cover. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-drone-insurance.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Depends on the business): For fee disputes with public and private clients. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php

## What it costs: example prices

The premium depends on fee income, work stages, type of projects and sum insured. Playgrounds, roof gardens and site supervision increase it.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional indemnity | Start-up practice, private gardens and small schemes, chamber minimum sums | around 400 to 900 euros a year |
| Professional indemnity | Practice with four staff, playgrounds and public spaces, 3 million and 500,000 euros | around 1,800 to 4,500 euros a year |
| Electronic equipment | Computers, plotter and measuring devices worth 25,000 euros | around 150 to 350 euros a year |
| Drone insurance | Survey drone up to 2 kg | around 100 to 250 euros a year |
| Cyber insurance | Office with five workstations | around 400 to 1,000 euros a year |

For comparison: Professional indemnity for a start-up practice costs about as much a year as designing a small front garden.

_All prices are guide values from our quoting experience, excluding German insurance premium tax, as of October 2026. The source shows the duty and minimum sums for North Rhine-Westphalia; other states set them in their own acts._

- [Chamber of Architects North Rhine-Westphalia: professional indemnity](https://www.aknw.de/recht/berufshaftpflicht)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Start-up** (self-employed landscape architect with private gardens and small schemes): Professional indemnity, Electronic equipment. Together: around 550 to 1,200 euros a year
- **Practice** (practice with staff, public spaces and site supervision): Professional indemnity, Electronic equipment, Business contents, Cyber insurance. Together: around 2,500 to 6,000 euros a year
- **Company** (PartG mbB or GmbH with large projects and a drone): Professional indemnity, Electronic equipment, Business contents, Cyber insurance, Drone insurance, Business legal expenses. Together: around 6,000 to 14,000 euros a year

## The worst day in a landscape design practice

Six things that really happen to landscape architects, all on one Monday. Tap through the day and see who pays.

- 08:00: A child falls from a climbing tower; the fall zone was designed too small. (€60,000, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 09:45: Water drips into the car park below a roof garden. The planting build-up damaged the waterproofing. (€75,000, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 11:30: After a cloudburst, water runs from the new market square into neighbouring cellars. (€40,000, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 13:50: The drone crashes onto a car during a site survey. (€3,500, Paid by: Drone insurance)
- 15:30: The project server is encrypted and a competition entry is due in two days. (€12,000, Paid by: Cyber insurance)
- 17:40: A municipality cuts the final invoice and you sue for the fee. (€6,000, Paid by: Business legal expenses)

**Damage so far:** €196,500

## Practical tips from your broker

- Ask your chamber for the exact minimum sums; each state sets its own.
- Choose higher bodily injury cover if you design playgrounds, school yards or public paths.
- Have green roofs and podium landscapes over car parks explicitly included.
- Consider a project policy for large public schemes.
- Settle run-off cover before closing the practice.
- Joint ventures with architects and engineers must be covered in the policy.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **Several insurers compared:** As an insurance broker, Norman Nammert obtains quotes from different insurers and checks that sums and annual limits meet your chamber's rules.
- **Advice in English, German law:** We explain German policy wording and chamber rules in plain English.
- **Family business since 1989:** Our advice is free for you, as the insurer pays our commission.

## FAQ

### Is professional indemnity compulsory for landscape architects in Germany?

For self-employed chamber members, yes. In North Rhine-Westphalia section 33 (2) no. 5 BauKaG NRW requires adequate liability insurance, and the chamber applies it to landscape architects too.

### What are the minimum sums in North Rhine-Westphalia?

1.5 million euros for bodily injury and 250,000 euros for property and financial loss, each available twice a year.

### What does professional indemnity cost?

A start-up practice usually pays around 400 to 900 euros a year, a practice with four staff and playgrounds around 1,800 to 4,500 euros. These are guide values from our quoting experience.

### Can I insure a single project?

Yes, with a project policy. The chamber in North Rhine-Westphalia accepts this alongside annual cover.

### Are employed landscape architects covered?

Yes, through the practice policy as long as they work for the practice.

### Can I get advice in English?

Yes. Policies are usually issued in German, and we go through the key clauses with you in English.

## 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-landscape-architect.php#anfrage

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