# Insurance for experts, surveyors and valuers in Germany

> An expert report is a promise: the client buys, sells, repairs or sues on the strength of it. If a building surveyor misses damp or a vehicle assessor misjudges earlier damage, German law holds them liable even for simple negligence. This page explains how to protect yourself and what it costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-expert-surveyor.php  
Updated: 2026-09-18

## Am I liable as a court-appointed expert too?

Yes, but more narrowly: under § 839a of the German Civil Code (BGB), court-appointed experts are only liable for intent and gross negligence. For private reports, insurance reports and market value appraisals, however, full liability applies even for slight negligence, including towards third parties who rely on your report. Most experts work for both sides and therefore need complete cover.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No general statutory duty. Publicly appointed experts (öffentlich bestellte Sachverständige) are expected to hold adequate liability cover under the chambers' rules for experts; certified inspectors under building regulations and some clients require fixed sums
- **Biggest risk:** Wrong reports on which clients buy, sell or build
- **Basic cover from:** around 170 euros a year for a small start-up policy with 100,000 euros cover
- **Statutory accident insurer:** VBG (the Berufsgenossenschaft for administrative professions), compulsory with employees; the self-employed can join voluntarily
- **Often forgotten:** Property damage during an inspection, for example to the client's vehicle or house, is not covered by a pure financial loss policy
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 74.91 Erbringung von Vermittlungs- und Vermarktungsdienstleistungen für Patente, 74.99 Alle anderen wissenschaftlichen und technischen Tätigkeiten a. n. g.

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **A defect overlooked:** A building surveyor inspects before a purchase and misses damp in the basement or pests in the roof. The buyer claims the repair costs.
- **The wrong value:** A market value set too high leads to overlending, one set too low to a loss on sale. Both regularly end up in court.
- **Accident reports:** Earlier damage that was missed or repairs costed too low cost the insurer or the injured party money and end in a recourse claim against the vehicle assessor.
- **Damage during inspection:** A part breaks when a panel is opened, an engine fails during a test run, or a ladder topples into the display cabinet in the living room.
- **Always on the road:** Inspection appointments mean many miles, time pressure and expensive measuring devices in the boot.
- **Fee disputes:** If the client does not like the result, the invoice often goes unpaid. Fee claims are common in the profession.

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

## The insurance you need

- **Professional indemnity** (Essential): Covers financial loss from wrong reports and defends you against unjustified claims; the core of your protection. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-professional-indemnity.php
- **Car insurance** (Essential): Motor liability is compulsory for every vehicle; if you drive to inspections every day, also consider own damage and breakdown cover. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-car-insurance.php
- **Business liability** (Strongly advised): Pays for injury and property damage during inspections, for example to the vehicle or in the client's home. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Strongly advised): Insures measuring equipment such as thermal cameras, moisture meters, paint thickness gauges and laptops, also in the car. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Strongly advised): For fee claims and disputes with clients; liability cover only defends claims made against you. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php
- **Occupational disability** (Strongly advised): Protects your income if you can no longer climb onto sites and into lofts. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-occupational-disability.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Depends on the business): For hacked accounts and data loss if you store photos, findings and personal data digitally. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php

## What it costs: example prices

The premium depends on your field, turnover and the sum insured. Building and property reports cost more than vehicle reports, and a combination of several fields must be written into the policy.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional indemnity | Start-up, turnover 25,000 euros, 100,000 euros cover | around 170 to 350 euros a year |
| Professional indemnity | Vehicle assessor, turnover 150,000 euros, 500,000 euros cover | around 800 to 1,500 euros a year |
| Professional indemnity | Building surveyor and property valuer, 1 million euros cover | around 1,000 to 2,500 euros a year |
| Car insurance | Expert's car with liability and comprehensive cover, high mileage | around 600 to 1,300 euros a year |
| Electronic equipment | Measuring devices, camera and laptop worth 20,000 euros | around 150 to 400 euros a year |

For comparison: Liability cover for a start-up expert costs less a year than a single report on a moderate bodywork claim.

_Guide prices excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026. The start-up premium comes from published tariff examples, the other figures are guide values from our own quoting experience. We obtain the exact quote for you._

- [finanzchecks.de: Haftpflicht für Sachverständige und Gutachter](https://www.finanzchecks.de/vermoegensschadenhaftpflichtversicherung/sachverstaendige-gutachter)
- [Finanzchef24: Berufshaftpflicht für Gutachter](https://www.finanzchef24.de/versicherung/gutachter)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Start-up** (Experts working part-time or in their first year): Professional indemnity, Business liability. Together: around 250 to 500 euros a year
- **Office** (Full-time vehicle or building experts with their own car): Professional indemnity, Business liability, Car insurance, Electronic equipment, Business legal expenses. Together: around 2,000 to 4,000 euros a year
- **Expert firm** (Office with several experts and fields): Professional indemnity, Business liability, Car insurance, Electronic equipment, Business legal expenses, Cyber insurance. Together: around 4,000 to 9,000 euros a year

## The worst day in an expert's office

Six things that really happen to experts, all on a single Tuesday. Tap through the day and see who pays.

- 08:10: A buyer calls: there is dry rot in the roof of the house you inspected, and your report did not mention it. (€70,000, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 10:00: Inspecting a classic car, a bracket breaks as you open the bonnet and it crashes into the windscreen. (€4,500, Paid by: Business liability)
- 11:45: An insurer wants money back: you failed to spot earlier damage in an accident report. (€6,800, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 13:20: On the way to your next appointment you run into the car in front at the lights. Both vehicles need repairs. (€9,500, Paid by: Car insurance)
- 15:30: The thermal camera falls off the scaffolding onto the yard. (€7,000, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 17:50: A developer refuses to pay for an evidence report because he dislikes the result. You sue for your fee. (€5,500, Paid by: Business legal expenses)

**Damage so far:** €103,300

## Practical tips from your broker

- Have every field named individually in the policy, such as vehicles, building damage, market value or energy consulting; fields not named are not insured.
- Choose at least 500,000 euros cover for pre-purchase surveys and market value appraisals, and 1 million euros for commercial property.
- Make sure damage to the items you inspect is included; that is property damage, not financial loss.
- Limit your liability in your terms of business to the sum insured, as far as the law allows.
- Protect measuring devices with cover away from the premises, so that theft from a locked car is included.
- Think about run-off cover: defects in buildings you assessed often only appear years after the report.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We speak the experts' language:** In boat insurance we settle claims ourselves and work with experts every day. We know where reports get challenged.
- **We compare several insurers:** As a broker we collect quotes and check that your fields and inspection damage are really written into the policy.
- **Office, car and private cover in one place:** Professional indemnity, your expert's car, equipment and your private provision are looked after together.
- **Family business since 1989:** No cost to you, as the insurer pays our commission. You reach fixed contacts.

## FAQ

### Do I need professional indemnity as an expert in Germany?

Usually not by law, but in practice absolutely. You are personally liable without limit for errors in your report, and publicly appointed experts are expected to be insured under their rules anyway.

### What does insurance for experts cost?

Small start-up policies begin at around 170 euros a year. Full-time vehicle assessors pay more like 800 to 1,500 euros, building surveyors with high sums more.

### Am I also insured towards third parties?

Yes, if the policy includes claims by third parties who rely on your report, such as the bank in a market value appraisal. This should be stated explicitly in the policy.

### Does the insurance cover my work as a court expert?

Yes, court reports are part of the usual scope. There your liability is limited to intent and gross negligence under § 839a BGB.

### What if I work in several fields?

Every field must be named in the policy. The combination often raises the premium, but a gap costs you the entire payout when a claim comes.

### Is my measuring equipment covered by liability insurance?

No. You protect your own equipment with electronics insurance, ideally with cover on the road and in the car.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. Free of charge and without obligation: the insurer pays our commission. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-expert-surveyor.php#anfrage

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NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker.

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