# Insurance for plumbing, heating and air conditioning firms

> In plumbing and heating, water is the most expensive material you never invoice: one leaking press fitting and three floors are flooded. Add soldering work in the roof space, gas pipes and heat pumps worth as much as a small car. This page explains which insurance a plumbing and heating firm really needs and what it costs.

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

## Will the insurer pay if my press fitting leaks and the flat below gets wet?

Your public liability policy pays for the water damage in both flats: screed, floors, furniture and drying. Redoing the leaking joint itself falls under your warranty. Good policies also pay for opening up the wall to reach the pipe and closing it again. Exactly these so-called access and reinstatement costs are missing from basic tariffs.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No statutory insurance duty for the business itself; gas and water utilities regularly ask for liability cover before they list you in their register of approved installers
- **Biggest risk:** Water damage from leaking joints and fires caused by soldering and welding
- **Basic cover from:** about €330 a year for the public liability of a small business with €30,000 turnover
- **Statutory accident insurer:** usually BG Holz und Metall, the Berufsgenossenschaft for wood and metal; the decisive document is the notice of competence from your BG
- **Often forgotten:** Damage to systems you install before the customer has accepted them, and the extra cost of opening up and closing walls and floors
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 43.22 Gas-, Wasser-, Heizungs- sowie Lüftungs- und Klimainstallation, 43.24 Sonstige Bauinstallation

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Water through the whole building:** A leaking press or soldered joint often only shows once the screed is wet. Drying, new floors and alternative accommodation for tenants quickly run into five figures.
- **Fire while soldering:** Soft soldering under a timber ceiling or in the roof space: one spark in the insulation is enough, and the fire breaks out hours after you have gone home.
- **Gas and flue gas:** Mistakes on gas pipes or flue systems can cause explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning. These cases are rare but the most expensive.
- **Equipment at the customer's site:** Heat pump, boiler and cylinder sit in the customer's cellar before handover. If there is a break-in or the cellar floods, that is often still your risk.
- **Copper and tools:** Copper pipe, press tools and pipe inspection cameras are popular with thieves, both in the store and in the van.
- **Knees and back:** Working under washbasins and in cramped boiler rooms, lifting heavy boilers: wear and tear ends many careers early.

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

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Pays for water, fire and gas damage caused by your work, including access and reinstatement costs and damage to pipes. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Cargo insurance** (Strongly advised): Covers press tools, inspection cameras and materials in the van and on site against theft and accidents. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cargo-insurance.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): Replaces a store full of pipes, fittings and spare parts after burglary, fire or escape of water. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Contractors all risks** (Strongly advised): Contract works insurance protects installed systems not yet handed over, such as heat pumps and boilers, against theft, water and damage by others. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-contractors-all-risks.php
- **Fleet insurance** (Strongly advised): Service vans cover a lot of miles; from three vehicles a fleet policy saves premium and paperwork. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-fleet-insurance.php
- **Occupational disability** (Strongly advised): Knees, back and shoulders take a lot of strain in this trade. Income protection keeps your earnings going when the body no longer can. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-occupational-disability.php
- **Business interruption** (Depends on the business): Keeps paying wages and fixed costs if your store and workshop are out of action after a fire. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Depends on the business): Business legal expenses cover for disputes over heating handovers, subsidy applications and unpaid invoices on large jobs. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php

## What it costs: example prices

Plumbing and heating firms pay noticeably more for liability than many other finishing trades, because water and fire claims are frequent and costly. What counts is turnover, staff numbers and whether you work with gas, oil, heat pumps or ventilation systems.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Small business, €30,000 turnover, €250 excess | about €330 to €990 a year |
| Business liability | €100,000 turnover, two full-time and two part-time staff | about €700 to €990 a year |
| Business liability | €200,000 turnover, four full-time and one part-time staff | about €1,100 to €1,450 a year |
| Business liability | €1 million turnover, twelve employees | about €3,000 to €6,900 a year |
| Cargo insurance | Tools in transit for three service vans, up to €10,000 per claim | about €150 to €300 a year |

For comparison: Liability cover for a small plumbing and heating firm with four people costs roughly as much per year as seven or eight boiler services at customers' homes.

_Guide prices excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026, based on published tariff examples with €3 to €5 million cover. Your premium depends on your business and the insurer; we obtain the exact quote for you._

- [betriebshaftpflicht24.de: Betriebshaftpflicht Installateure (HLK)](https://www.betriebshaftpflicht24.de/betriebshaftpflicht-installateure-hlk.html)
- [handwerk.com: Werkzeug absichern unterwegs und auf der Baustelle](https://www.handwerk.com/tipps-werkverkehrsversicherung-fuer-handwerker)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Start** (new business or a sole service engineer with one vehicle): Business liability, Cargo insurance. Together: about €500 to €1,300 a year
- **Master business** (three to ten employees with a store and new build contracts): Business liability, Cargo insurance, Business contents, Contractors all risks. Together: about €1,600 to €3,500 a year
- **All round** (larger firm with heat pumps, ventilation and commercial clients): Business liability, Cargo insurance, Business contents, Contractors all risks, Business interruption, Business legal expenses. Together: about €4,000 to €9,000 a year

## The worst day for a plumbing and heating firm

Six claims that really happen in plumbing and heating businesses, all on a single Monday. Go through the day and see who pays.

- 07:30: A property manager calls: the press fitting in the new bathroom is leaking, two flats below are wet and the screed has to be dried. (€23,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 09:40: The newly delivered heat pump was standing unconnected in the yard of the building shell. It was taken away overnight. (€16,000, Paid by: Contractors all risks)
- 11:20: While soldering under the roof, the timber boarding catches fire. The fire brigade puts it out, but the roof is partly destroyed. (€85,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 13:15: The press tool and pipe camera are stolen from the van outside the site. (€7,400, Paid by: Cargo insurance)
- 15:00: A tenant trips over an unsecured radiator in the stairwell and breaks an arm. (€8,500, Paid by: Business liability)
- 23:40: Burglary at the store: copper pipes, taps and brass fittings are gone. (€12,500, Paid by: Business contents)

**Damage so far:** €152,400

## Practical tips from your broker

- Insist on access and reinstatement costs: taking tiles off and putting them back often costs more than the pipe repair after a leak.
- Hot work such as soldering and welding must be covered without narrow special conditions; read the requirements for a fire watch.
- Choose at least €5 million cover, and preferably €10 million for gas work and blocks of flats.
- Name heat pumps, ventilation and air conditioning systems and refrigerant work expressly in the policy.
- Protect delivered systems not yet handed over with contract works or erection insurance.
- Check the lost keys clause: service work with master keys from property managers needs adequate cover.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **Policy wording, not a teaser price:** For plumbing and heating firms, access costs and hot work clauses decide what happens in a real claim. We compare exactly these points across several insurers.
- **We know water damage:** In boat insurance we settle claims ourselves, and water in the hull is everyday business there. That experience helps when loss adjusters and insurers negotiate after a leak.
- **One contact for everything:** Service vans, store, sites and your private provision are handled together. You call one number, not five.
- **Family business since 1989:** We are a medium-sized business ourselves and know you need answers before the customer calls again the next morning.

## FAQ

### Do I need liability insurance as a plumber in Germany?

Not by law. But utilities require it for their installer register, and it is regularly requested for public contracts and by property managers. A single water claim can put your livelihood at risk.

### How much does liability insurance cost for a plumbing and heating firm?

Published tariff examples for small businesses range from about €330 to €990 a year; with four or five staff and €200,000 turnover, about €1,100 to €1,450.

### What are access and reinstatement costs?

The cost of reaching a faulty pipe and putting everything back: knocking off tiles, opening the wall, lifting the screed. No liability policy pays for repairing the pipe itself, but it does pay these extra costs if they are included.

### Is a fire caused by soldering covered?

Yes, under your public liability policy, as long as hot work is not excluded. Some policies require a fire watch or extinguishers on site. Stick to that, or the insurer may reduce the payment.

### Who pays if the delivered heat pump is stolen from the site?

Until it has been handed over, the risk is usually yours. Contract works or erection insurance covers this theft; liability insurance does not.

### Do I need special insurance for service calls?

Every vehicle needs motor liability insurance. Tools in transit cover protects tools and spare parts in the van, and with several vans a fleet policy is worth it.

## 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-plumbing-heating.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.