# Insurance for chimney sweeps and district chimney sweeps in Germany

> Chimney sweeps work where an overlooked fault can cost lives: on flue systems and fireplaces. Add soot in bright living rooms, work on slippery roofs and, more and more often, energy advice with liability for the figures. This page explains what you should insure and what it costs.

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

## Am I liable if someone suffers carbon monoxide poisoning after my measurement?

If you overlooked a recognisable defect during inspection or measurement, that can make you liable. For your private-sector work, your public liability policy then pays for the injuries. For sovereign tasks such as the official fireplace inspection, the federal state is usually liable towards the injured party, and it can seek recovery from you for gross negligence. Your policy should therefore expressly cover both areas.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** The German Chimney Sweeps Act (Schornsteinfeger-Handwerksgesetz) does not expressly require liability insurance; for appointed district chimney sweeps, professional liability with high cover is standard all the same. Motor liability for company vehicles is compulsory
- **Biggest risk:** Injuries from carbon monoxide or fire after a faulty inspection of a fireplace and flue system
- **Basic cover from:** about €450 a year for professional and public liability with high cover through a guild scheme
- **Statutory accident insurer:** BG BAU, the Berufsgenossenschaft for the construction industry; membership is compulsory from your first employee
- **Often forgotten:** Financial losses from energy advice and subsidy confirmations are not covered by public liability alone

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Carbon monoxide:** An overlooked crack in the flue pipe or a wrongly adjusted burner: CO poisoning is rare, but it causes the most expensive claims in the trades.
- **Soot fire and fire:** After a controlled burn-out or with blocked flues, a chimney fire can spread to the roof structure.
- **Soot in the home:** An open cleaning door, a leaking bag: soot on light carpets, sofas and wallpaper is a common claim.
- **Falling from the roof:** Wet tiles, icy walkways, old roof hooks: chimney sweeps work at fall height every day.
- **Energy advice:** Wrong calculations or late confirmations cost customers subsidies. That is a pure financial loss.
- **Data and records:** The sweeping register, customer data and measurement reports are digital. An attack paralyses the scheduling of an entire district.

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

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Pays for injury and property damage from sweeping, measuring and inspecting, from soot on the carpet to a fire after a burn-out. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Professional indemnity** (Essential): Professional indemnity covers financial losses from energy advice, subsidy confirmations and sovereign tasks that public liability does not include. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-professional-indemnity.php
- **Accident insurance** (Strongly advised): Supplements the Berufsgenossenschaft for owners and pays a lump sum after a fall, including in your free time. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-accident-insurance.php
- **Occupational disability** (Strongly advised): A chimney sweep who can no longer go on the roof usually loses their income; income protection covers that. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-occupational-disability.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Strongly advised): Flue gas analysers, cameras and tablets are expensive and easily fall off the roof. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Depends on the business): For the sweeping register, customer data and scheduling of an entire district. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Car insurance** (Depends on the business): The company vehicle needs motor liability; comprehensive cover pays off with a lot of driving across the countryside. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-car-insurance.php

## What it costs: example prices

Chimney sweeps pay more for liability than many finishing trades, because limits of €10 to €25 million are common. Guild schemes are often cheaper than individual policies.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Guild scheme, €25 million combined, including financial losses from energy advice up to €500,000 | about €450 to €900 a year |
| Business liability | Sweeping district with two to four employees, individual policy | about €700 to €1,600 a year |
| Electronic equipment | Flue gas analysers and camera worth €12,000 | about €150 to €350 a year |
| Accident insurance | Owner, €150,000 basic sum insured with progression | about €250 to €600 a year |

For comparison: A chimney sweep's liability insurance costs about as much per year as ten detached houses pay in sweeping and measuring fees in a year.

_Guide prices excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026. The guild example comes from a published offer (there from €535.50 including tax); the other ranges are guide values from our quoting practice. We obtain the exact quote for you._

- [Feuersozietät: Haftpflicht für Schornsteinfeger](https://www.feuersozietaet.de/content/aussendienst/o/overbeck_spandau/wir-fuer-sie/schornsteinfeger/haftpflicht/)
- [Gesetze im Internet: Schornsteinfeger-Handwerksgesetz](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/schfhwg/BJNR224210008.html)
- [handwerksmakler.de: Betriebshaftpflicht Schornsteinfeger](https://www.handwerksmakler.de/betriebshaftpflichtschornsteinfeger)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Start** (chimney sweep in open competition without a district): Business liability, Accident insurance. Together: about €700 to €1,400 a year
- **District** (appointed district chimney sweep with two to four employees): Business liability, Professional indemnity, Accident insurance, Electronic equipment. Together: about €1,200 to €2,800 a year
- **All round** (district with energy advice, digital administration and vehicles): Business liability, Professional indemnity, Accident insurance, Electronic equipment, Cyber insurance, Car insurance. Together: about €2,500 to €5,000 a year

## The worst day in a sweeping district

Six claims as they really happen to chimney sweeps, all on a single winter's day. Go through the day and see who pays.

- 07:30: While sweeping, the soot bag comes loose. A light carpet, a sofa and the living room wall are black. (€4,800, Paid by: Business liability)
- 09:10: The flue gas analyser slides off the ridge and smashes in the yard. (€3,200, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 11:40: After burning out a chimney, embers keep smouldering in the roof structure. The fire brigade has to open the roof. (€65,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 13:30: A customer loses a subsidy because the confirmation from the energy advice was wrong. (€12,000, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 15:20: A journeyman slips on an icy roof walkway and breaks his ankle. (€8,000, Paid by: Accident insurance)
- 19:45: The office systems are encrypted. The sweeping register and appointments for the whole district are unavailable. (€7,500, Paid by: Cyber insurance)

**Damage so far:** €100,500

## Practical tips from your broker

- Choose high cover of at least €10 million; for districts, €15 to €25 million is common.
- Have private-sector and sovereign activities expressly covered in the policy, including recovery claims.
- Energy advice, subsidy confirmations and expert reports need financial loss cover with its own limit.
- Check damage to rented property and soot damage to furnishings; some policies cap gradual soiling.
- Ask your guild about group schemes; they are often cheaper and tailored to the trade.
- Protect measuring equipment with electronics insurance that also covers drops and moisture.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We compare guild schemes too:** As a broker we put guild schemes and open tariffs from several insurers side by side and check whether sovereign tasks and energy advice are really covered.
- **We know fire and flue gas:** In boat insurance we settle claims ourselves, including fires caused by heaters and engines on board. We know how to document the cause of a fire properly.
- **Work and family in one place:** Liability, vehicle, accident cover and pension provision are handled together, with one contact person.
- **Free for you, since 1989:** We are a family business. The insurer pays our remuneration; you pay nothing for our advice.

## FAQ

### Is liability insurance compulsory for chimney sweeps in Germany?

The Chimney Sweeps Act does not expressly require it. Because of the high injury risks, liability cover with high limits is still essential for every business, and the guilds strongly recommend it.

### How much does liability insurance cost for chimney sweeps?

Published guild schemes with €25 million cover start at around €535 a year including tax. Individual policies for districts with employees usually range from €700 to €1,600 in our experience.

### Who is liable for sovereign tasks such as the official fireplace inspection?

Towards the injured party, usually the federal state under the rules of state liability. For gross negligence it can seek recovery from you. Your policy should cover that recovery.

### Is energy advice included in my public liability policy?

Usually not in full. Calculation errors lead to financial losses that need their own cover, often through a professional indemnity module.

### Does insurance pay for soot damage in a home?

Yes, those are classic liability claims. Make sure cleaning and replacing textiles is covered without tight limits.

### Which Berufsgenossenschaft is responsible?

BG BAU, the statutory accident insurer for construction, is responsible for the chimney sweep trade. Employees are compulsory members; owners can insure themselves voluntarily.

## 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-chimney-sweep.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.