# Insurance for web design, web agencies and app development in Germany

> A stock photo without the right licence, a font without web rights, a cookie banner that does not comply with the law: in web design the most expensive letters come not from clients but from third parties' lawyers. Add shops that stop selling after a relaunch. This page explains how to protect yourself and what it costs.

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

## Who pays if my client receives a cease and desist letter over an image on the website?

The client pays first and then recovers the money from you if you chose or inserted the image. Professional indemnity that includes infringements takes over this recourse claim and fights off excessive demands. Make sure copyright, trade mark and competition law are explicitly named in the policy.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No statutory insurance duty. Agencies and larger clients, however, often require professional indemnity in the contract
- **Biggest risk:** Cease and desist letters (Abmahnungen) over image, font and data protection rights, which clients then pass back to you
- **Basic cover from:** around 150 euros a year for a solo web designer
- **Statutory accident insurer:** VBG (the Berufsgenossenschaft for administrative professions), compulsory with employees; voluntary for the self-employed
- **Often forgotten:** With online shops you are also liable for errors in payment and ordering processes that cost revenue directly

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Images and fonts:** Photos from an image search, stock material with the wrong licence or unlicensed web fonts lead to cease and desist letters, often four figures per image.
- **Data protection:** Tracking without consent, fonts loaded from third party servers or a faulty contact form trigger cease and desist letters and fine proceedings against the client.
- **Shop and payment:** After the relaunch no orders go through because the payment interface is set up wrongly. The retailer claims the lost revenue.
- **Deadlines and domains:** A domain is not renewed in time, a launch for a trade fair is missed. The client switches to more expensive solutions and sends you the bill.
- **Hacked websites:** Outdated plugins on websites you maintain are taken over and spread malware. Clients and visitors are affected.
- **Fees:** Clients do not pay because they dislike the design or refuse acceptance. Small amounts, but frequent.

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

## The insurance you need

- **Professional indemnity** (Essential): Professional indemnity pays recourse claims over cease and desist letters and your clients' lost revenue from design and programming errors. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-professional-indemnity.php
- **Business liability** (Strongly advised): For injury and property damage at clients' premises and in the office; good tariffs bundle it with professional indemnity. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Strongly advised): Helps if your own systems or your access to client websites are attacked. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Occupational disability** (Strongly advised): Protects your income if your eyes, back or hands give up. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-occupational-disability.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Depends on the business): Replaces laptop, monitors and test devices after breakage, power surges and theft. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Depends on the business): For fee claims and disputes over acceptance, which are common in small projects. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php

## What it costs: example prices

The premium depends on annual turnover, the sum insured and your activities. Online shops and apps with payment functions cost more than pure design.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional indemnity | Solo web designer, turnover 40,000 euros, 250,000 euros financial loss and 3 million euros public liability | around 150 to 450 euros a year |
| Professional indemnity | Web agency with five people, shops and apps, 1 million euros cover | around 900 to 2,500 euros a year |
| Cyber insurance | Small agency with maintenance contracts for client websites | around 300 to 800 euros a year |
| Electronic equipment | Computers, monitors and test devices worth 10,000 euros | around 100 to 300 euros a year |
| Business legal expenses | Solo self-employed, contract and fee disputes | around 250 to 600 euros a year |

For comparison: A solo web designer's liability cover costs about as much a year as two to four hours of design work.

_Guide prices excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026. The entry 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 Webdesigner](https://www.finanzchecks.de/berufshaftpflichtversicherung/it-haftpflichtversicherung/webdesigner)
- [Finanzchef24: IT-Haftpflicht](https://www.finanzchef24.de/versicherung/it-haftpflicht)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Solo** (Freelance web designer or developer without employees): Professional indemnity. Together: around 150 to 450 euros a year
- **Studio** (Small studio with maintenance contracts and shops): Professional indemnity, Cyber insurance, Electronic equipment, Business legal expenses. Together: around 800 to 1,800 euros a year
- **Agency** (Web agency with a team, apps and payment processing): Professional indemnity, Business liability, Cyber insurance, Electronic equipment, Business legal expenses. Together: around 1,800 to 4,500 euros a year

## The worst day in a web studio

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

- 08:40: A client forwards a cease and desist letter: two photos on his website were not licensed. He claims the lawyer's fees and the licence fee. (€3,800, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 10:15: After the shop relaunch every card payment fails. Three days of lost sales for the retailer. (€15,000, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 12:00: A start-up's domain was not renewed and is gone. The replacement solution costs considerably more. (€2,500, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 14:20: An outdated plugin on 30 websites you maintain is exploited. Clean-up, forensics and informing clients. (€12,000, Paid by: Cyber insurance)
- 16:30: Coffee spills over the laptop holding the project just before the presentation. (€2,600, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 18:00: A client refuses to pay because he does not like the design. You sue for your fee. (€3,000, Paid by: Business legal expenses)

**Damage so far:** €38,900

## Practical tips from your broker

- Have copyright, trade mark, competition and data protection infringements written explicitly into the policy; most claims are based on them.
- Choose at least 250,000 euros for financial loss and 3 million euros for injury and property damage.
- Document the licences for images, fonts and plugins for every project; this lowers the risk and helps when a claim comes.
- With maintenance contracts, make sure ongoing support and arranging hosting are included in the description of your activities.
- Agree in your terms that the client supplies texts and content and is legally responsible for them.
- When you move into apps or payment processing, check whether your sum insured still matches the new risk.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We compare the clauses that matter to creatives:** As a broker we collect quotes from several insurers and make sure infringements and the services you actually provide are covered.
- **We know claims from settling them:** In boat insurance we settle claims ourselves. We help you report a cease and desist letter correctly before you sign anything.
- **One contact for everything:** Liability, equipment, income protection and pensions are handled together, without you maintaining five portals.
- **Family business since 1989:** Our work costs you nothing, as the insurer pays our commission. You reach people who know your policy.

## FAQ

### Do I need professional indemnity as a web designer in Germany?

Not by law, but cease and desist letters and recourse claims are part of everyday life in this field. Professional indemnity is therefore your most important insurance.

### What does insurance for web designers cost?

For solo freelancers it starts at around 150 euros a year. Agencies with shops and apps pay more like 900 to 2,500 euros.

### Does the insurer pay if I signed that I am liable for images?

For statutory liability yes, if infringements are included. Promises that go further, such as a guarantee, are not covered.

### Am I covered if a client's website is hacked?

If you had taken on maintenance and an omission is proven, liability cover pays the client's loss. Your own costs are paid by cyber insurance.

### Does the policy also cover app development?

Only if it is written into the policy. Talk to us beforehand about apps with payment functions or health data.

### Do I have to report jobs abroad?

Yes, if clients are based outside the EU. Many tariffs exclude the USA and Canada or charge a supplement.

## 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-web-design.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.