# Flood and natural hazard cover in Germany: the add-on most newcomers do not know about

> In Germany, standard buildings and contents policies exclude flooding, heavy rain, sewer backflow, earthquake and landslide. You need a separate add-on called Elementarschadenversicherung. According to the insurers' association GDV, about four in ten homes still lack it, and there is no compulsory cover yet.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-natural-hazards.php  
Updated: 2026-09-18

## Is flood insurance included in German home insurance?

No. German buildings (Wohngebäude) and contents (Hausrat) policies only cover water that escapes from pipes and appliances. Water from outside, whether from a river, heavy rain or the sewer, needs the natural hazards add-on, which you have to request and pay for separately. If you come from a country where flood is included by default, check your policy schedule: if it lists only fire, water, storm and hail, you are not covered.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory?:** No, as of September 2026 no law has been passed
- **Take-up:** about 59% of homes, according to GDV for 2025
- **How it is sold:** add-on to buildings or contents insurance
- **Hazard zones:** ZÜRS classes GK 1 to GK 4
- **Waiting period:** common, often one month from the start

## Why Germany does it differently

In Spain, France or Switzerland, natural catastrophe cover is built into property insurance by law or through a state scheme. Germany has neither. Natural hazards are an optional extra, and for decades many owners declined it, assuming the state would step in after a disaster.

After the 2021 floods in the Ahr valley, federal and state governments did set up a reconstruction fund of up to €30 billion. That was a one-off political decision, not an entitlement, and several states have since said they will limit emergency aid for damage that could have been insured.

## Is compulsory cover coming?

The coalition agreement of April 2025 between CDU, CSU and SPD sets out a plan: new buildings policies only with natural hazards cover, existing contracts converted on a set date, an opt-out to be examined, and a state reinsurance scheme for extreme events.

As of September 2026 there is no draft law. A motion in the Bundestag from Die Linke calling for compulsory cover without opt-out was taken off the agenda in April 2026. Even if a law passes, it would only protect against future events. Anyone buying or renting in Germany today should add the cover now.

## Hazard zones and heavy rain

German insurers use a zoning system called ZÜRS that places every address in one of four flood hazard classes. In GK 4, flooding is statistically expected at least once every ten years; in GK 1, less than once in 200 years. The class drives the price and whether an insurer will accept the risk at all.

Heavy rain does not follow those zones. It can hit any street, and water collects where the terrain sends it: dips, basement stairwells, underground car parks. Many recent losses occurred far from any river.

## What is covered

- Flooding of the plot by rivers or lakes bursting their banks
- Flooding caused by heavy rain
- Backflow from the public sewer
- Earthquake
- Subsidence and landslide
- Snow load and avalanche
- Volcanic eruption
- Drying, clean-up and hotel costs, depending on the main policy

## What is not covered

- Storm surge on the coast, excluded in nearly all policies
- Groundwater that does not reach the surface
- Losses during the waiting period
- Backflow where no working non-return valve was fitted, depending on wording
- Damp from leaking walls without an actual flood

## Who needs it

- Every homeowner in Germany, whether or not there is a river nearby
- Tenants in ground floor or basement flats, for their contents
- Anyone with living space, heating or equipment in the cellar
- Buyers taking over a seller's policy that lacks the add-on

## Who can do without

- Tenants on upper floors with little stored in the cellar

## What it costs

For most addresses in the lower ZÜRS classes, the add-on is a modest surcharge on the buildings or contents premium. In GK 3 and GK 4 prices rise sharply, and insurers may require a higher excess or protective measures. We do not quote sample prices.

**What drives the premium:**

- ZÜRS flood class of the address
- Heavy rain exposure from terrain and location
- Basement and how it is used
- Excess
- Previous flood or backflow claims
- Protective measures such as non-return valves and raised light wells

_No sample prices, because they depend on address and building. Your premium is only fixed in the quote._

## The policy levels on the market

- **Standard add-on:** The named natural hazards with a percentage excess and a waiting period, limited to the benefits of the main policy.
- **Enhanced add-on:** Lower excess, no waiting period when switching from existing cover, higher limits for clean-up costs.
- **All risks:** Natural hazards as part of an all-risks policy, where everything not expressly excluded is covered.

## How to recognise a good policy

| Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Heavy rain | flooding from rainfall included | no minimum rainfall threshold to prove | Arguments about how much it rained delay claims. |
| Excess | 10% with minimum and maximum | fixed low amount | On large claims a percentage excess quickly runs into thousands. |
| Waiting period | one month | waived when switching from existing cover | No gap when you change insurer. |
| Backflow | requires a non-return valve | no reduction for minor maintenance lapses | The valve is the most common dispute in basement claims. |
| Acceptance | up to GK 3 | also GK 4 with conditions | The people in high-risk areas need the cover most. |
| Contents too | separate add-on | same terms for building and contents | Otherwise one policy pays and the other does not. |

## Insurers on the German market

Natural hazards cover is sold as an add-on by virtually every German property insurer. The differences lie in acceptance in high hazard zones and in the excess.

- **Allianz**: add-on to buildings and contents, agents and brokers
- **R+V**: sold mainly through cooperative banks
- **Provinzial**: public regional insurer in the savings banks group
- **HUK-COBURG**: direct sales network, no broker business
- **VHV**: broker-focused property insurer
- **Ammerländer**: mutual, brokers only
- **Interlloyd**: ARAG group, brokers
- **Gothaer**: agents and brokers

135 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance. (Andere Elementarschäden). Source: BaFin company database, retrieved 2026-09-18. Insurers from other EU countries selling through a branch or without a German office are not included.

## Typical claims and who pays

- **Cloudburst floods the basement flat** (around €5,000 to €20,000 in belongings): Surface water entering your home is the core case. Tenants need the add-on on their contents policy, not the landlord's.
- **Sewer backs up through the floor drain** (around €3,000 to €15,000): Backflow is covered, but basic wordings can cut the payout if no working non-return valve was fitted. Strong ones are more lenient.
- **Groundwater seeps into the cellar** (around €5,000 to €25,000): Water that does not reach the surface is not a flood. Only sealing and drainage help here.
- **Flood hits during the waiting period** (easily five figures): New contracts pay nothing in the first weeks. Switching directly from a policy that already had the cover often removes the wait.
- **Snow load crushes the garage roof** (around €3,000 to €12,000): Snow pressure is one of the natural hazards. The garage must be listed on the buildings policy.
- **Hillside slips after days of rain** (easily five figures): Landslide is part of the add-on. Standard buildings insurance without it covers only fire, water, storm and hail.

## Myth or truth

- „Storm and hail damage is part of German natural hazards cover." ✘ No, storm and hail are already in the standard buildings and contents policy. Elementarschaden adds the rest: flood, heavy rain, backflow, landslide, snow load and earthquake.
- „Snow pressing in a roof counts as a natural hazard in Germany." ✔ Yes, snow load is one of the Elementar perils. Without the add-on, a collapsed roof after heavy snow is not paid.
- „On the North Sea coast, the natural hazards add-on covers storm surge." ✘ Unfortunately not. Almost all German wordings exclude storm surge. Heavy rain behind the dyke is still covered.
- „Almost every building in Germany can get natural hazards cover." ✔ True, according to the German insurers' association GDV. Only a small number of addresses in the highest flood class are hard to place, and often with conditions rather than a refusal.
- „You can add flood cover when rain is forecast and be protected the next day." ✘ No, new cover usually starts only after a waiting period of several weeks. It pays to add it in a dry summer, not the week before a storm.

## Common mistakes

- Assuming flood is included because it is at home
- Waiting for compulsory cover that has not been legislated
- Adding cover only when a storm warning is issued and falling into the waiting period
- Insuring the building but not the contents in the basement
- Never having the sewer non-return valve serviced

## FAQ

### What does Elementarschaden mean?

It is the German term for damage from natural forces other than storm and hail: flooding, heavy rain, sewer backflow, earthquake, subsidence, landslide, snow load, avalanche and volcanic eruption. Cover for these is an optional add-on.

### Does the state pay after a flood in Germany?

There is no entitlement. Aid packages after major floods have been political decisions for specific events, and several states intend to restrict aid for damage that could have been insured. Relying on it is a gamble.

### What is ZÜRS?

The German insurers' zoning system for flood, backflow and heavy rain. Each address falls into one of four classes, from GK 1 with very rare flooding to GK 4 with frequent flooding. Your class affects price and acceptance.

### Can I get cover in a high-risk zone?

Often yes, but with a higher excess, conditions on protective measures, or only from certain insurers. Evidence of non-return valves, raised light wells or flood barriers helps. A broker can approach insurers that accept such risks.

### Does it cover groundwater?

Only if the groundwater rises to the surface and floods the plot. Water pressing through basement walls from below is generally not covered. The fix for that is waterproofing, not insurance.

### Do tenants need natural hazards cover?

For their own belongings, if they live on the ground floor or in a basement, or store valuable items in the cellar. The landlord insures the building. The add-on to contents insurance is usually inexpensive.

### Is earthquake really a risk in Germany?

In some regions, yes: the Upper Rhine Graben, the Lower Rhine Bay and the Swabian Jura are the best known. Earthquake is part of the natural hazards add-on, so no separate policy is needed.

### Why is there a waiting period?

To stop people buying cover only when a flood is forecast. It is often one month. Many insurers waive it if you switch directly from a policy that already included natural hazards.

## Legal basis and sources

- [Insurance Contract Act (VVG, German)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/vvg_2008/)
- [BaFin company database (licensed insurers)](https://portal.mvp.bafin.de/database/InstInfo/)

## 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/insurance-broker-natural-hazards.php#anfrage

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