# Insurance for petrol stations and station tenants in Germany

> A petrol station brings together fuel, customers' cars, cash and a shop selling tobacco and alcohol, often around the clock. The most expensive losses are pollution in the ground; the most frequent is a scratch from the car wash. This page shows how a station tenant can protect the business and roughly what it costs.

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

## Who pays if our car wash damages a customer's car?

Your public liability insurance, provided car wash damage is included; for petrol stations this is a separate add on. Damage to fitted parts such as aerials, mirrors or roof bars is often excluded, and pre existing damage leads to arguments. Put up clear notices and keep records of maintenance and faults on the machine.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No statutory insurance for station tenants, but the agreement with the oil company usually requires liability and environmental cover
- **Biggest risk:** Fuel and oil contaminating the ground, and fire or explosion
- **Basic cover from:** around 800 euros a year for public liability including environmental cover
- **Berufsgenossenschaft:** BGHW, the statutory accident insurer for retail and logistics, compulsory for every station with employees
- **Often forgotten:** Damage to customers' cars in the car wash: it has to be expressly included in the liability policy
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 47.30 Einzelhandel mit Motorenkraftstoffen

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Fuel in the ground:** A leaking hose during a tanker delivery or a crack in a pipe, and the soil needs costly remediation.
- **The car wash:** Mirrors torn off, scratched paintwork, bent rear wipers: car wash damage is the most common liability claim at petrol stations.
- **Robbery at night:** Cash, cigarettes and often only one person behind the counter: petrol stations are among the most frequent targets of robbery.
- **Fire and explosion:** A spark while refuelling, a car burning at the pump or a fat fire in the bistro can affect the whole site.
- **Ice and oil:** Oil patches on the forecourt, ice in winter and wet floors in the shop cause customers to fall.
- **Disputes with the oil company:** Termination of the tenancy, commission and compensation for the regular customers you built up often end in court.

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

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Covers injury and property damage on the site, car wash damage and, where included, environmental liability and pollution caused by fuel and oil. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): Replaces shop stock, tobacco, fittings and the till after burglary, robbery, fire, water and storm. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Machinery breakdown** (Strongly advised): Covers the car wash, fuel pumps and compressor against breakage, operating errors, frost and short circuits. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-machinery-breakdown.php
- **Business interruption** (Strongly advised): Pays wages, rent and lost profit while the station is closed after a fire or pollution incident. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Strongly advised): For disputes with the oil company over the tenancy and compensation, and with staff and suppliers. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php
- **Group accident insurance** (Depends on the business): Pays staff injured in a robbery a fixed benefit on top of what the Berufsgenossenschaft provides. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-group-accident.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Depends on the business): For the till system and card payments, without which nothing works at the pump. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php

## What it costs: example prices

Petrol stations are always priced individually. What counts is fuel volume, the car wash, the size of the shop, opening hours and what the tenancy agreement with the oil company already covers.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Tenant with shop, environmental liability and car wash damage | around 800 to 2,500 euros a year |
| Business contents | Shop with tobacco and drinks, stock worth 100,000 euros, including robbery | around 600 to 1,500 euros a year |
| Machinery breakdown | Rollover car wash worth 150,000 euros | around 800 to 2,500 euros a year |
| Business legal expenses | Tenant with contract and employment legal cover | around 400 to 1,000 euros a year |
| Business interruption | Loss of income for up to twelve months | around 300 to 900 euros a year |

For comparison: Liability with environmental cover plus shop insurance costs a petrol station about as much a year as 1,500 litres of unleaded.

_Insurers and comparison sites do not publish premiums for petrol stations. All ranges are cautious guide figures from our own quoting practice, excluding insurance tax, as of September 2026. Whatever the oil company already insures reduces your share._

- [Online Vergleich Versicherung: Tankstellenversicherung](https://www.online-vergleich-versicherung.de/betriebshaftpflichtversicherung/tankstellenversicherung/)
- [Lekkerland: Kiosk und Tankstelle versichern](https://www.lekkerland.de/magazin/point-of-sale/kiosk-versichern/)
- [Versicherungsengel: Kosten der Inhaltsversicherung](https://www.versicherungsengel.de/versicherungen/inhaltsversicherung/kosten)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Unmanned** (self service station without shop or car wash, pay at pump only): Business liability, Machinery breakdown. Together: around 1,200 to 3,000 euros a year
- **Station** (tenant with shop, car wash and up to ten staff): Business liability, Business contents, Machinery breakdown, Business interruption, Business legal expenses. Together: around 3,000 to 7,000 euros a year
- **Round the clock** (24 hour station with bistro, car wash tunnel and card payments): Business liability, Business contents, Machinery breakdown, Business interruption, Business legal expenses, Group accident insurance, Cyber insurance. Together: around 5,000 to 11,000 euros a year

## The worst day at the petrol station

Six losses that really happen at petrol stations, all on one Sunday. Tap through and see who pays.

- 02:40: A man with a knife threatens the night cashier and takes the till and the cigarette shelf. (€6,500, Paid by: Business contents)
- 02:45: The cashier was hurt in the robbery and cannot work for weeks. (€8,000, Paid by: Group accident insurance)
- 09:30: The car wash rips the roof bars off an SUV and scratches the roof. (€3,800, Paid by: Business liability)
- 11:15: A customer slips on an oil patch by the pump and breaks a wrist. (€9,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 14:00: The brush shaft of the car wash snaps; spare parts and an engineer are needed. (€12,000, Paid by: Machinery breakdown)
- 17:20: A hose bursts during the fuel delivery and diesel runs into the verge. Excavation and disposal of the soil. (€45,000, Paid by: Business liability)

**Damage so far:** €84,300

## Practical tips from your broker

- Read your tenancy agreement: it states which insurance you must take out and what the oil company insures itself.
- Include environmental liability and environmental damage cover, with a limit high enough to pay for soil remediation.
- Expressly include car wash damage and ask about exclusions for fitted parts.
- Keep as little cash in the till as possible and use a time lock safe; many insurers require one for robbery cover.
- Insure tobacco with a burglary and robbery limit that is high enough, as it is usually the most valuable stock in the shop.
- Legal expenses cover for the tenancy pays off before a dispute starts, not once the notice has arrived.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We fill the gaps the tenancy leaves open:** There are often gaps between the oil company's insurance and your own. As a broker we obtain several quotes and set the cover side by side.
- **Fuel and pollution are familiar from the water:** We settle boat claims ourselves, including fuel and oil spilled into the water. We know how quickly such costs rise and what the insurer needs to see.
- **Station and family from one source:** We look after the business, your staff, vehicles and your personal cover together, reachable on +49 3375 29 12 77.
- **A family business since 1989:** Many petrol stations are run by families, around the clock. We are there for you and cost you nothing; the insurer pays our commission.

## FAQ

### Which insurance does a petrol station tenant need?

Public liability including environmental and car wash damage, contents insurance for the shop with robbery and burglary and, if you run your own car wash, machinery insurance. Which of these are mandatory is set out in your tenancy agreement.

### What does petrol station insurance cost?

It is priced individually. In our experience, 3,000 to 7,000 euros a year is a realistic range for a station with a shop and a car wash.

### Is car wash damage covered?

Only if it is expressly included in your public liability policy. Damage to fitted parts and damage linked to earlier defects are often excluded.

### Who pays if fuel gets into the ground?

Environmental liability pays for damage suffered by others, and environmental damage insurance pays for the clean up the authorities order. Check who is responsible for which installation under your tenancy agreement.

### Is robbery covered?

Contents insurance pays for stolen cash and goods in a robbery. Your staff are protected by the Berufsgenossenschaft and, in addition, by group accident insurance.

### Do I need legal expenses cover against the oil company?

It is strongly advisable. Disputes over termination and compensation are common and expensive, and legal expenses cover must be in place before the dispute arises.

## 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-petrol-station.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.