Commercial buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) through Avéro Achmea
A farmyard rarely has just one building. Sheds, machinery stores, open-fronted barns, greenhouses and a farmhouse each have their own construction, their own use and their own risk.
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In brief
Finass acts as an intermediary through, among others, Avéro Achmea and we use that company where the risk suits it. We are not tied to it: we compare several insurers objectively and the choice follows from what cover you need. For an agricultural or horticultural business that mainly means: does the whole yard fit on one policy, and is the declaration correct for each building?
What sets these businesses apart is the spread across several buildings with very different constructions. A brick farmhouse, a steel shed with sandwich panels, an open-fronted barn without walls and a greenhouse with a light structure all stand side by side on the same plot. Insurers assess them separately, with their own sum insured per building. If a single amount is declared for the whole, underinsurance still arises when the most expensive building is damaged.
What is often forgotten is changing use. A shed that used to hold machinery and is now let for caravan storage, a barn where a farm shop or care activity is starting, or outdoor storage of hay and straw against the wall: each of these changes the fire load. Report such secondary activities in advance, including on an existing policy. How this fits with the other sections is set out under agricultural insurance.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare buildings insurance (opstalverzekering).
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We report the claim and monitor how it is handled. In urgent cases you can reach us on the emergency line.
What to look out for
Four points that lead to discussion on a yard with several buildings more often than the list of perils.
Storm and hail on light structures
Light roofs, profiled sheeting, greenhouses, polytunnels and canopies are the most vulnerable to wind and hail. Insurers often set a a different excess or a lower limit of indemnity against them. With an open-fronted barn there is also wind pressure from the inside; check whether that building is included in the storm cover.
Asbestos and the extra cost of removal
Many existing roofs contain asbestos sheeting. After a fire or storm damage, the clean-up costs are a separate item alongside the rebuild, and that is not automatically covered. Rebuilding with asbestos is also not permitted, which makes the replacement roof more expensive than the original. Establish in advance what the policy does about this.
Clearance costs and soil contamination
Fighting a fire with a lot of water on a yard leads to run-off and contaminated ground. Clearing the rubble falls within the buildings policy up to a stated limit; soil remediation falls outside it and belongs on a environmental damage insurance. That distinction is almost always relevant in an agricultural fire.
What the buildings policy does not pick up
Outside the cover is damage caused by deferred maintenance, corrosion, wet rot and gradual effects; damage to crops, animals, stock and machinery, because those are other sections; and culling and standstill in the event of an animal disease, which is not physical damage to the building. Flooding caused by the failure of a primary flood defence is likewise excluded.
What does your premium depend on?
- Number and type of buildings: each building gets its own sum insured and assessment
- Construction type and roof covering: thatch, timber, sandwich panels or asbestos sheeting
- Activities in the farmyard: processing, storage and secondary activities all count
- Electrical installation and inspections: periodic inspection is often a policy condition
- Distance between the buildings: compartmentation limits the spread of fire
- Solar panels on business roofs: they raise the sum insured and impose requirements on the installation
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
What is covered on the yard
| Situation | Basic | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| Fire spreads from the open-fronted barn to the adjoining machinery store | Yes | Yes |
| The feed supplier's lorry hits the wall of the shed while turning | No | Yes |
| A burst pipe in the cavity floods the floor of the storage cell | Provided that | Yes |
| The metal gutters and downpipes are stolen from an empty barn | No | Provided that |
| The shed you have been letting for caravan storage since last year burns down | Provided that | Provided that |
| The brick chimney has to be repaired because the pointing has worn away | No | No |
Each building is assessed separately, so a favourable answer for one building says nothing about the one next to it.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Can my farmhouse go on the same policy as the barns?
Usually yes, provided the house appears separately on the policy schedule with its own sum insured. The house has different conditions from the farm buildings, among other things for burglary and glass. Combining keeps things clear and prevents an extension or link building from falling between two policies. The home contents and the business contents do remain separate sections.
Is a greenhouse included on the buildings policy?
Not automatically. Greenhouses are light structures with their own damage pattern and are often assessed separately or placed on a separate policy, sometimes with a different excess for hail and storm. The crop inside is not a building in any event and falls under crop cover. So state the area, year of construction and type of glazing on your application.
What happens if a shed becomes empty or is let?
Both are changes in the risk that you must report. During vacancy, cover is almost always reduced to a limited number of perils, with burglary and vandalism dropping out. Where the building is let, the tenant's use determines whether you are accepted. Withholding information engages your duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code and gives the insurer scope under Article 7:930 DCC to reduce the payment.
Am I liable if a roof sheet blows off my barn?
As the owner of a defective structure you can be liable under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code for the resulting damage, even without fault. If the damage is caused by an animal belonging to your business, the strict liability of Article 6:179 DCC applies. Neither claim belongs on the buildings policy but on your public and employers' liability insurance (AVB).
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
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