Building Insurance Germany 2026
Building insurance pays to repair or rebuild your house after fire, storm, hail or water from burst pipes. No law makes it compulsory, but if you own a home, the Verbraucherzentrale says you should not go without it.
The German term is Wohngebäudeversicherung. The comparison form below is in German, so this guide walks you through it in English.
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Before it calculates, the form asks you to read and download the broker's initial information. Keep your property documents close: it asks quite a few questions about the building.
Disclosure: The comparison form is a service of the insurance broker Mr-Money Makler-Bund GmbH. According to the broker, it covers 19 insurers and 11 underwriting agencies (Assekuradeure), while 72 insurers offer this product in Germany. Direct insurers and companies that pay the broker no commission are not included. If you take out a policy through the form, CheckAlle may earn a commission. The broker's commission is part of the premium; a separate fee applies only if you agree one separately.
Key Takeaways
- No law requires building insurance, but banks usually make it a condition for a home loan.
- Storm cover starts at wind force 8, which is at least 62 km/h. Floods and other natural hazards need Elementar cover on top.
- Stiftung Warentest (16 September 2026): very good tariffs for a 150 m² model house started at 635 euros a year in Regensburg. In Bremen, the model customer paid at least 695 euros for the better cover.
- According to Stiftung Warentest, premiums rose 4.2% in 2026 from the yearly building cost and wage adjustment alone.
- Your contract sets the notice period, by law one to three months. The cancellation has to reach the insurer in time.
Compare building insurance in Germany
Enter your property details below. The tool compares tariffs from the insurers and underwriting agencies that work with the broker, so it does not cover the whole market. The form is in German and goes into some detail about the building.
What is Wohngebäudeversicherung?
Building insurance in Germany protects the structure of your property: walls, roof, floors, built-in heating and water pipes. Your furniture and appliances are a different policy. That is contents insurance, what most people call home insurance, and we cover it on our contents insurance page.
If a storm rips tiles off your roof, a pipe bursts behind a wall or a fire damages a room, the policy pays for the repairs. Without it, those costs come out of your pocket. A burst pipe can do a lot of damage, especially when the water runs unnoticed for a while.
Planning value-increasing work such as an extension or a modernisation, maybe with the EU Building Directive in mind? Tell your insurer once the work is done. A higher rebuild value can mean a higher sum insured and a higher premium. Under the GDV model conditions, if work like this changes the sum insured and you do not report it promptly, the insurer may cut payouts for underinsurance. Your insurer may use its own conditions, so check them.
Fire damage
Covers fire, lightning strikes, explosions and implosions. This is the core of a building policy.
Storm and hail
Damage from storm and hail. Storm means at least wind force 8 on the Beaufort scale, so 62 km/h or more.
Tap water damage
Water that escapes by accident from pipes, connected hoses, or heating and air-conditioning systems. Think of a burst pipe.
Natural disasters (add-on)
Floods, backwater, earthquakes and landslides are only covered with Elementar cover, often sold as an add-on. The price depends on your flood risk zone (ZÜRS).
How much does building insurance cost in Germany?
There is no single price, so we use a dated benchmark instead. Stiftung Warentest published its comparison on 16 September 2026, with tariffs as of May 2026. Its model house has 150 m², was built in 2005 and is lived in by its owner, with natural-hazard cover included.
Very good tariffs for that house started at 635 euros a year in Regensburg, a cheap location. In Bremen, the model customer paid at least 695 euros for the better cover. Expensive tariffs cost three to four times as much. That gap is the whole reason to compare.
Stiftung Warentest also found that premiums rose 4.2% in 2026 from the yearly adjustment to building costs and wages alone. Many tariffs in its comparison offered Elementar cover in the low-risk zone ZÜRS 1 for well under 100 euros a year. In risk areas it costs more. For a German-language breakdown, see our guide on building insurance costs in Germany.
Found a better offer? Your contract sets the notice period, between one and three months under § 11 VVG. The cancellation has to reach the insurer in time, so sign the new policy first.
What can affect the price?
- Construction type and roof type
- Address and ZÜRS risk zone (mainly affects natural-hazard cover)
- Living area or sum insured
- The deductible you choose
- Previous claims
Do you actually need building insurance?
Short answer: if you own property in Germany, yes. There is no law that forces you to buy it, but a mortgage lender can make proof of building insurance a condition of the loan. Banks usually insist on it at least for fire. The Verbraucherzentrale's advice to homeowners is not to go without it.
If you are renting, that is your landlord's responsibility. You may still see the cost on your Nebenkosten bill. If the rental agreement allows it, landlords can pass it on as an operating cost under BetrKV § 2 No. 13. The policy itself still belongs to the property owner.
Looking for other property-related coverage? You might also want to compare house and land liability insurance if you rent out your property, or personal liability insurance for general protection. Still financing the purchase? Read our guide to mortgages in Germany.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions from expats about building insurance in Germany.
Related topics
Ready to compare?
The tool above shows offers from the insurers that work with the broker behind it, not the whole market. There is no fee for using it. The broker's commission is already included in the premium.