# Insurance for upholsterers and interior furnishers in Germany

> An upholstery workshop is full of armchairs, sofas and antiques that belong to other people. Interior furnishers in Germany (Raumausstatter) also work in customers' homes with ladders, carpet knives and adhesive. This page explains which insurance upholsterers and interior furnishers really need, what it costs and where the usual gap is.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-upholsterer-and-interior-furnisher.php  
Updated: 2026-10-15

## Is my customer's sofa insured while it sits in my workshop?

Often not. Public liability usually excludes items you have taken in to work on. The fix is contents insurance that expressly includes third party property, plus liability cover for damage to the item being worked on. Ask for both before you accept a valuable piece.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No compulsory insurance for the business itself; motor liability is required for every van
- **Trade law:** Raumausstatter is listed in Annex A of the German Crafts Code (Handwerksordnung) as a trade requiring a licence
- **Biggest risk:** Customers' furniture in your workshop and damage in other people's homes while laying floors or fitting
- **Basic cover from:** about €250 a year for public liability for a small business, a guide figure from our quoting work
- **Statutory accident insurance:** Employees are insured by law through the Berufsgenossenschaft (statutory accident insurer); owners can join voluntarily
- **Often forgotten:** Customers' furniture in your care is usually excluded from public liability unless added

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Workshop fire:** Foam, wadding and fabric burn fast. One faulty cable and the customers' furniture is gone.
- **Damage to the piece itself:** The fabric is cut wrongly, an old frame breaks during reupholstering, an heirloom is damaged.
- **Damage at the customer's home:** The carpet knife scores the parquet, adhesive stains the floor, a drill hits a water pipe.
- **Falls from ladders:** Hanging curtains or fitting blinds, staff fall or drop tools on other people.
- **Transport damage:** An armchair slides around in the van and the frame and cover are damaged.
- **Disputes over the work:** The customer does not like the colour or the seat and refuses to pay.

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

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Pays for injury and property damage to customers and third parties, including damage to items you are working on if agreed. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): Replaces machines, fabric stock and customers' furniture after fire, burglary or water damage, if third party property is included. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Car insurance** (Strongly advised): Motor liability is compulsory for every van; comprehensive cover protects the vehicle itself. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-car-insurance.php
- **Business interruption** (Depends on the business): Pays fixed costs and wages if the workshop is closed for weeks after a fire. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **Machinery breakdown** (Depends on the business): For expensive sewing and cutting machines that break down. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-machinery-breakdown.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Depends on the business): For disputes over invoices and warranty with customers and suppliers. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php
- **Occupational disability** (Depends on the business): Upholstery is manual work; your back and hands carry your income. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-occupational-disability.php

## What it costs: example prices

Premiums depend mainly on turnover, staff, the value of customers' pieces in the workshop and whether you also lay floors and fit in customers' homes.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | One person upholstery, €60,000 turnover, €3 million cover | about €250 to €450 a year |
| Business liability | Interior furnisher with four staff, flooring and fitting | about €600 to €1,300 a year |
| Business contents | Workshop with machines, stock and customers' furniture worth €80,000 | about €300 to €700 a year |
| Business interruption | Loss of income up to €100,000, twelve months indemnity period | about €200 to €500 a year |
| Car insurance | Panel van up to 3.5 tonnes, liability and partial cover, mid no claims class | about €700 to €1,400 a year |

For comparison: Public liability for a small upholstery business costs about as much a year as recovering a single armchair.

_Guide figures from our quoting work, excluding German insurance premium tax, October 2026. Your premium depends on your business, region and claims history; we obtain the exact quote for you._

- [Handwerksordnung, Anlage A: trades requiring a licence](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/hwo/anlage_a.html)
- [SGB VII, § 2: persons insured by law](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_7/__2.html)
- [SGB VII, § 6: voluntary insurance](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_7/__6.html)
- [Pflichtversicherungsgesetz, § 1: compulsory motor liability](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pflvg/__1.html)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Workshop** (one or two person upholstery working mainly in the workshop): Business liability, Business contents. Together: about €550 to €1,150 a year
- **Interior furnisher** (business with fitting, flooring and a van): Business liability, Business contents, Car insurance, Business legal expenses. Together: about €1,900 to €3,800 a year
- **All round** (master business with showroom, staff and several vehicles): Business liability, Business contents, Car insurance, Business interruption, Machinery breakdown, Business legal expenses. Together: about €3,500 to €7,000 a year

## The worst day in the upholstery workshop

Six claims upholsterers and interior furnishers really see, all on one day. Click through and see who pays.

- 08:10: Laying carpet, the knife cuts into the oak parquet in the customer's hallway. (€3,800, Paid by: Business liability)
- 10:30: Fitting a curtain rail, an employee drills into a water pipe. The ceiling below is soaked. (€9,500, Paid by: Business liability)
- 12:15: While unloading, the van is hit by a car reversing out of a space. (€4,200, Paid by: Car insurance)
- 14:40: The industrial sewing machine breaks down in the middle of a rush job. (€2,600, Paid by: Machinery breakdown)
- 16:20: A customer disputes the invoice for six recovered chairs, claiming the fabric is wrong. (€1,900, Paid by: Business legal expenses)
- 22:50: A cable fire in the workshop destroys the fabric stock and four customers' sofas. (€48,000, Paid by: Business contents)

**Damage so far:** €70,000

## Practical tips from your broker

- Have third party property written into your contents policy, with a sum that covers a full workshop.
- Agree cover for damage to items being worked on; without it, liability usually does not pay for the piece itself.
- Photograph valuable pieces on arrival and agree a value in writing.
- Store foam and fabric away from heaters and switch machines off at night.
- If you also lay floors or fit blinds, tell the insurer.
- Check whether furniture in your van is covered in transit.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We close the care and custody gap:** As an insurance broker, Norman Nammert compares several insurers and makes sure customers' furniture in workshop and van is really covered.
- **We know property claims:** In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves. We know how to prove the value and repair of a damaged piece.
- **Business and private in one place:** Workshop, vehicles, home and pension are handled together; one call is enough.
- **Family run since 1989:** Our advice is free for you; the insurer pays our commission.

## FAQ

### What insurance does an upholsterer need in Germany?

Mainly public liability including damage to items worked on, and contents insurance that includes customers' furniture. With a van, motor liability is compulsory.

### Is public liability compulsory for interior furnishers?

Not by law. Many clients, property managers and commercial customers ask for proof before awarding work.

### What does insurance for an upholstery business cost?

From our quoting work, public liability for a small business starts at about €250 a year and contents insurance at about €300.

### Do I need a master craftsman qualification?

Raumausstatter is a licensed craft under Annex A of the German Crafts Code, so registration in the crafts register generally requires a master qualification or an equivalent.

### Who pays if I damage the floor at a customer's home?

Public liability, as the floor is not the item you are working on. Damage to the piece itself needs the extra cover for items being worked on.

### Are my employees covered for accidents at work?

Yes, employees are insured by law through the Berufsgenossenschaft. As the owner you can join voluntarily.

## 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-upholsterer-and-interior-furnisher.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.