A single fall from a roof can cost your business tens of thousands of euros - and that is only the beginning. Continued wage payments, temporary staff, project delays, higher BG BAU levies in the following years: the real workplace accident costs are often underestimated in day-to-day operations. If you handle measurement and inspection today with a drone from the ground, you eliminate the fall risk for this work step entirely - and lay the foundation for a leaner cost structure.
This article explains how the BG BAU contribution (bg construction industry levy) is really calculated, why your business liability insurance benefits from a lower risk profile - and what a single accident actually costs your company.
The numbers you need to know: Falls remain the leading cause of fatal accidents in construction
The main causes of fatal work accidents in the construction industry are falls (36%), falling or tipping components (26%) and accidents involving construction machinery (15%). Together they account for 77% of all fatal work accidents on construction sites.
For the first ten months of 2025, BG BAU received 6,178 reports of fall accidents, 26 of which were fatal, according to preliminary figures.
The most common triggers for falls are ladders, scaffolding as well as roofs, roof trusses and roof openings. Fatal falls especially often occur from roofs, glass roofs, roof trusses and roof coverings - here the fall heights are frequently considerable and the injuries accordingly severe.
Particularly worrying: Around 50 percent of fatal fall accidents happen from heights of less than five metres. If you think a quick climb onto the roof for measurement is not a serious danger, you are greatly underestimating the risk.
The overall situation remains tense: construction still records the highest accident rate of all industries in Germany. Under the motto "Safe on the Roof", ZVDH and BG BAU launched a joint accident prevention initiative to raise awareness of fall risks and explain suitable protective measures.
How the BG BAU construction industry levy is really calculated
Many business owners pay their BG BAU levy like a fixed tax - without questioning how it is determined. Yet there is definitely room to manoeuvre.
The contribution formula at a glance
BG BAU calculates its contribution using this formula: Gross wages of employees × occupational risk class × contribution rate / 100. The occupational risk classes map the different risks of each trade.
The three key levers:
- Gross wages: Total of all reported wages for your employees
- Occupational risk class: Industry risk indicator - a company with a risk class of 4.0 pays twice the levy of a company with a risk class of 2.0 for the same wage total
- Contribution rate: Set anew each year; for 2024 it is 39.5 cents per 100 euros of wages in occupational risk class 1
The contribution surcharge: up to 30% extra if you have accidents
This is where it gets expensive for accident-prone businesses:
BG BAU contribution surcharge: If your business incurs above-average costs due to occupational accidents, BG BAU charges a contribution surcharge of up to 30 percent on your individual annual contribution. This surcharge can accumulate over several years until your business is once again considered surcharge-free. Each surcharge-free year gradually reduces the possible surcharge.
Companies with above-average accident expenditures pay BG BAU a contribution surcharge of up to 30 percent of their individual levy. This surcharge is reduced based on the number of accident-free prior years. The long-term view relieves companies that contribute little or nothing to accidents - and creates a clear incentive for systematic accident prevention.
In concrete terms: A company with an annual levy of 8,000 euros that slips into the surcharge range because of accidents can pay up to 2,400 euros extra - potentially for several years.
What you can influence yourself
Accident risks change through technical and economic developments. The risk of accidents can rise or fall - for example, through targeted accident prevention measures. At least every six years a new risk tariff is set, which adjusts the occupational risk classes to current claims patterns and ensures contribution levels reflect your actual risks.
The key takeaway: Fewer accidents mean lower levies in the long run. That is not a coincidence - it is part of the system design behind the bg construction industry levy.
Business liability insurance: Why your risk profile shapes your premium
In addition to the BG BAU levy, your business insurance - especially your business liability insurance - is also calculated based on your risk profile. For insurers that specialise in construction and trades, the following factors matter:
- Type of activities: Regular roof work is classed as high-risk work
- Claim history: Past claims increase your premium directly
- Prevention measures: Companies that can prove low-risk working methods can negotiate more favourable terms
- Number of employees and work locations: The more people you have working on roofs, the higher the calculated risk
The crucial point: If measurement and inspection are carried out as a drone roof inspection from the ground, nobody needs to climb onto the roof for this work step anymore. The fall risk for this phase drops to zero - and you can document that to your insurer.
Talk proactively to your insurance broker about drone use and low-risk working methods. What is documented can also be recognised and reflected in your business insurance premium.
What a fall accident really costs your business
Statutory accident insurance covers medical treatment and injury benefits - but not all costs. In the event of a work accident, you as the employer continue paying wages for six weeks. That may sound manageable - until you add up every cost block and see the true workplace accident costs:
| Cost position | Details / Basis | Estimated costs |
|---|---|---|
| Wage continuation (6 weeks) | Employer pays 100% gross salary; at 3.500 € gross per month | approx. 5.250 € |
| Temporary staff / overtime | Agency work or overtime for 6+ weeks | approx. 3.000 - 6.000 € |
| Project postponement / revenue loss | Orders cannot be fulfilled on schedule | 1.000 - 10.000 € |
| BG-BAU contribution surcharge (subsequent years) | Up to 30% of the individual annual contribution, over several years | 500 - 3.000 € p.a. |
| Administrative & reporting effort | Accident reporting, investigation, documentation, possibly legal advice | 500 - 2.000 € |
| Psychological & reputational costs | Team strain, potential loss of skilled workers, client trust | schwer quantifizierbar |
| Total costs (conservative) | Without reputational damage and long-term BG burden | 10.000 - 26.000 €+ |
On top of this, there are indirect costs that never appear on an invoice: administrative effort due to reorganisation, production downtime and loss of value created, because absences are rarely fully compensated for by colleagues - and orders that are delayed or lost altogether.
Example calculation for a business with 10 employees:
A carpenter with a gross monthly salary of 3,500 € is off work for 10 weeks after a fall:
- Wage continuation (6 weeks): ~ 5,250 €
- Temporary staff (10 weeks × 40 h × 50 €): ~ 20,000 €
- Lost revenue (conservative estimate, 10 weeks): ~ 8,000 €
- BG BAU surcharge (3 years, estimated): ~ 4,800 €
- Administration & documentation: ~ 1,500 €
- Total: approx. 39,550 €
And this is not even a severe accident with permanent reduced earning capacity.
Calculate your own scenario
Use the calculator below to run the numbers for your specific business setup and get a clear view of your potential workplace accident costs:
Drone-based measurement as a prevention investment: How the numbers add up
Do not think of using drones as an expense, but as a calculable investment in your company's cost structure and accident prevention strategy. The return on investment comes through several channels:
1. Directly eliminating risk during measurement
Measurement is one of the most common reasons tradespeople climb onto unsecured roofs - often at short notice and without full fall protection. With drone roof inspection and measurement using Airteam, this step disappears entirely. The drone flies, the AI processes the data, and you receive a DIN-compliant 3D model within 24 hours - all from the ground.
2. Lower BG BAU levy over the long term
The fewer accidents you have in your company, the more likely you are to avoid the BG BAU contribution surcharge - or even move towards a discount after accident-free years. That means real euros saved, year after year, in your bg construction industry levy.
3. Stronger negotiating position for business liability insurance
If you can prove you use low-risk processes - documented through drone flight logs, DIN-compliant measurement data and staff training - you have much stronger arguments at your next business liability insurance premium review.
4. 90% time savings on measurement
On top of greater safety, you save up to 90% of the time spent on measurement with the Airteam Fusion Platform - time you can reinvest in additional projects. Instead of hours of measuring from a ladder: one drone flight, upload, done.
Example calculation: If a company does four roof measurements per month and spends 2-3 hours on the roof each time, switching to drones removes around 8-12 hours of risky roof work per month. Over a year that is up to 144 hours less exposure to fall risks - from measurement alone.
How the Airteam Fusion Platform puts this approach into practice
The Airteam Fusion Platform is an AI-powered cloud software solution that automatically turns drone imagery into DIN-certified 3D building models with up to 99.9% accuracy and 1-3 cm tolerance at a flight height of 40 m.
What you get:
- A complete 3D roof model, including areas, slopes, edges, structures and obstructions
- DIN-compliant measurement data - legally robust and fully documented
- Export in more than 15 formats - compatible with PV*SOL, Eturnity, AutoCAD, SEMA, MF Dach, Scaffmax and many more
- Delivery in under 24 hours after the drone flight
- Flexible pricing models: Flatrates (Fast / Pro / Max / Ultra Fusion) or Credits for individual projects
More than 5,000 trades businesses across the DACH region already use Airteam for their roof measurements, solar planning and scaffolding planning - and benefit not only from time savings but also from significantly reduced risks and lower workplace accident costs.
Read how other companies already benefit from digital drone-based measurement: Airteam success stories.
Conclusion: Occupational safety is a cost strategy
If you see drone-based measurement only as a technical aid, you are leaving money on the table. Its real strength is the systemic effect: fewer people on unsecured roofs during measurement means fewer accidents. Fewer accidents mean:
- No BG BAU contribution surcharge (saving up to 30%)
- A lower risk profile for your business liability insurance and other business insurance policies
- Avoided direct costs of 10,000 to 40,000 euros per accident
- Stronger planning reliability and smoother project delivery without downtime risk
BG BAU itself explicitly recommends the following in its prevention materials: "First you should always ask whether working at height is necessary at all, or whether it can be replaced by other equipment or methods. For inspecting elevated areas such as roofs, for example, drones with cameras are suitable."
That is exactly the approach Airteam takes: precise, DIN-compliant measurement - safe, fast and carried out entirely from the ground using drone roof inspection.
Do you want to know how drone surveying compares with manual methods? Then also read our comparison: Drone surveying vs. manual roof measurement or learn more about the safety and efficiency benefits of drone-based measurement: 10 reasons why drone-based roof measurements are faster and safer.
Does the use of a drone for the on-site measurement directly affect my BG-BAU contribution?
Not directly - BG-BAU does not charge a separate drone discount. The connection is indirect: If, due to the elimination of roof inspections during on-site measurement, fewer fall-related accidents occur, your accident burden decreases. This can in the long term lead to you not receiving a surcharge or earning a discount. The premium amount depends on the overall accident history of your trade and your business.
Can I demonstrate to my business liability insurance that I use drones instead of roof inspections?
Yes - and that can pay off. Speak to your insurance adviser actively. Document that you are using risk-reducing working methods: drone protocols, measurement data, training certificates. Many insurers reward a demonstrably lower risk profile in premium discussions or tariff adjustments.
Which steps can I specifically perform with a drone instead of roof inspections?
The on-site measurement and inspection of roofs and facades. With Airteam you fly once over the object with the drone, upload the images, and receive within 24 hours a DIN-compliant 3D model with all relevant dimensions, areas, inclinations and components. Entering the roof for measurement is therefore completely unnecessary.
What does Airteam cost compared with the avoided accident costs?
Airteam offers flexible flat rates and credits for different project volumes. Even the smallest flat rate pays for itself if the use of drones prevents even a single fall-related accident - because, as the calculation examples in this article show, an accident can cost 10,000 to 25,000 euros or more. Add to that the time savings of up to 90% in measurement.
Is this applicable only to roofers or also to solar installers, carpenters and scaffolding contractors?
For all trades that regularly work on roofs or facades and require measurements or inspections: roofers, solar installers, carpenters, scaffolding contractors, and façade builders benefit equally. Airteam provides data formats and export options tailored for each trade.
