Allianz · compared independently · advice from Finass
Buildings insurance through Allianz
We mainly use the Allianz buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for premises you use for your own business: a warehouse, an office, or mixed premises with a business unit downstairs and a home above.
The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert. nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out for yourself what it would cost.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
We compare the offerings of several insurers
An adviser checks whether the cover suits your situation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
A buildings insurance insures the building itself: walls, roof, foundations, fixed installations and everything permanently attached to the property. For business premises this usually also includes the boundary fencing, the paving around the building and the fixed electrical installation. Your stock, business contents and machinery are not included; you insure those separately. Exactly where the line falls is set out in the definitions in the policy and differs from one insurer to another.
What distinguishes the Allianz version from other providers lies not in the brand name but in the type of cover and the clauses: which events are named, whether the sum insured is index-linked, which prevention requirements are included as warranties, and how vacancy or mixed use is treated. We compare those points with what other insurers offer and look at which version suits your premises and your activities. See also our general explanation of buildings insurance.
Note the difference with liability. As the owner of a building you are liable under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code for damage arising because the property does not meet the standards that may reasonably be expected of it: a facade panel working loose, a canopy giving way. Such damage to others is not dealt with under the buildings insurance but under your liability insurance.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Basic cover
The basic cover insures the essentials. We show what Allianz and other insurers offer here.
Fire & lightning strike
Storm & precipitation
Explosion & induction
Smoke & soot damage
Extended cover
As well as fire and storm, also burglary, theft and water damage to your home.
Burglary, theft & vandalism
Rebuilding at rebuild value
Glass breakage
Comprehensive cover
The most complete cover. We compare Allianz's extended versions with the market.
Clearance costs & costs of mitigating the loss
All external causes
Solar panels & installations & paving
Solar panels & installations
What is covered
Situation
Standard
With extension
Fire, smoke and lightning strike
Yes
Yes
Storm from force 7 upwards
Yes
Yes
Water damage from a burst pipe
Yes
Yes
Glass breakage
Provided it is declared
Yes
Groundwater coming through the floor
No
No
Wear and deferred maintenance
No
No
What we do
What we do
At Finass
Direct with Allianz
Comparison across several insurers
Yes
No
Advice based on your own situation
Yes
Sometimes
One point of contact for claims
Yes
Sometimes
Cancellation with your current insurer arranged
Yes
No
We determine whether Allianz is the best choice
Yes
No
Advice fees for you as a customer
No
No
This overview concerns our service, not the cover. What is actually covered is set out in the policy conditions and on the insurer's insurance card (verzekeringskaart); you receive both before you take out cover.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Rebuild value for business premises is calculated differently from a home
The sum insured must cover the cost of rebuilding the same property in the same place. For a commercial building this adds items that are often forgotten: demolition and removal of rubble, the removal of asbestos roof sheeting, and the requirement that any rebuild meets current building and insulation standards. If these are not taken into account, the sum insured is too low and the insurer pays out proportionately.
Anything you drive into the building falls outside it
The buildings policy stops at the building. Machinery you can detach, your stock of goods, the office contents and the forklift truck fall under other covers. If you rent the premises and have installed a partition wall, a cold store or a floor finish yourself, that is a tenant's interest: you insure it separately, because the owner only insures it if his policy says so expressly. Record that division in writing in advance.
Standstill usually costs more than the bricks
After a fire, production is at a standstill while fixed costs continue. The buildings insurance pays for the rebuild, but not for your lost turnover, not for wages in the meantime and not for the rent of a replacement location. That requires separate business interruption insurance, with an indemnity period long enough to bridge a permit procedure and the rebuild. We work that period out with you before you sign.
The exclusions that bite most often with business premises
Not covered: damage from slow-acting influences such as rising damp and condensation, damage arising from a construction defect or from deferred maintenance to the roof or gutters, and flooding caused by the failure of a primary flood defence. If the premises become vacant or the activity in them changes, you must report this; if you do not, the insurer can invoke the duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code and the sanction under 7:930 DCC.
Business interruption insurance
Machinery & installations
What does your premium depend on?
Rebuild value including demolition and clearance costs. The basis of the calculation; declaring too low a figure leads to a reduction in the payout.
Construction type and roof covering. Brick with a hard roof covering is assessed differently from a steel warehouse with sandwich panels.
The activity carried out in the premises. Metalworking, plastics storage and catering each place a different fire risk on the same building.
Fire prevention and compartmentation. Fire alarm systems, firefighting equipment and dividing walls between business units all count, often as a warranty clause.
Security and location. Burglary resistance of doors and windows, alarm response and the character of the industrial estate.
Type of cover and excess. Named events or a wider form of cover, and the amount you bear yourself per event.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your wishes.
We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
Under most commercial buildings policies they are, as part of the building. That does not mean repairs to foundations are always paid for: what is covered is damage caused by an insured event, for example an explosion. Subsidence through ground settlement, drying out or pile rot is a gradual process and falls outside cover. Check whether the policy names foundations expressly or excludes them.
Is business interruption included in the buildings insurance?
No. The buildings insurance pays for repair or rebuilding of the building. Your lost turnover, continuing wage costs and the cost of temporary premises fall outside it. For those you take out business interruption insurance with an indemnity period that matches the time needed for permits, demolition and rebuilding. For a production hall that period is usually longer than for an office.
What happens if my premises are temporarily empty?
Vacancy changes the risk: there is no supervision, and burglary, vandalism and water damage go unnoticed for longer. During vacancy, insurers usually restrict cover to a basic form or set conditions, such as draining the water pipes and periodic inspection. Report vacancy as soon as you can foresee it. If you do not, you run the risk that a claim will not be paid, or only in part.
Who pays for damage my premises cause to someone else?
As the owner of the building, you are, under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code liable where a defect in the premises causes damage, for example a facade panel falling on a parked car. That claim is not dealt with under the buildings insurance but under your public and employers' liability insurance (AVB). We check that the two policies fit together and that the premises are described correctly in both.
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
You will find our licence, KvK and Kifid details and our complaints procedure at the foot of every page.
