Liability
- WA compulsory as soon as the machine goes on public roads
- Cable and pipe damage often only with a separate clause
- Damage to the work itself and to goods in your care excluded
Insuring a Bobcat
A skid steer loader is compact, constantly changes attachments and travels on a trailer to the next job; that is exactly where the gaps in a standard policy lie.
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In brief
Bobcat is the brand name that has become synonymous with the skid steer loader and the compact track loader in construction, landscaping and agriculture. The models range from the S70 with an operating weight of 1,300 kilograms to the S850 and T870 at over 5,000 kilograms, and recently also electric versions such as the T7X. New, a typical S450 or S590 costs roughly € 40,000 to € 70,000; with a range of attachments such as buckets, grapples, sweepers, tillers and pallet forks, the investment quickly increases.
In insurance terms, a Bobcat is a mobile plant risk: damage to the machine itself, liability for damage you cause with it and, if the machine is driven on public roads, a third-party liability (WA) obligation as for any motor vehicle. A Bobcat that only works on a closed construction site or private premises falls outside that obligation, but the liability remains and belongs on a mobile plant policy (werkmaterieelpolis).
The biggest misconception concerns attachments. A bucket or grapple is not part of the machine but a separate object that must be insured separately. The same applies to transport: the trailer, the machine on the trailer and the load each need their own cover.
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Bobcat: what is covered?
For a Bobcat, the choice of cover depends on the new value of the machine and attachments, whether the machine goes on public roads, and whether you hire it out or only use it yourself.
Own-damage cover
Own-damage cover pays for damage to the machine from collision, overturning, fire, theft and vandalism, on site and in transit.
- Declare attachments separately with their value
- Theft usually only covered with security and a locked site
- Inherent defects and wear not covered, sometimes the consequences are
Downtime and transport
Downtime and transport cover the costs if the machine cannot work after damage, and damage during transport on the trailer.
- Hire of a replacement machine during repairs
- Transport on your own trailer usually covered, by third parties often not
- Loading, unloading and driving off the trailer as a risk moment
What is covered
| Situation | Covered |
|---|---|
| Theft from the building site | Sometimes |
| Fire and storm damage | Yes |
| Inherent defect in the hydraulics | Sometimes |
| Damage to cables and pipes | Sometimes |
| Normal wear and tracks | No |
| Damage due to deferred maintenance | No |
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
What does your premium depend on?
- Value including declared attachments. The machine and each attachment you have listed separately on the policy.
- Security of the machine. Coded starting, an immobiliser and an active tracker with a subscription.
- Storage outside working hours. A locked shed, fencing or an open building site makes a difference to acceptance.
- Transport on a trailer or low-loader. The number of moves and who carries out the transport, with or without lashing equipment.
- Hire without an operator. If you let third parties use the machine, the risk profile changes materially.
- Excess in the event of theft. A higher excess often applies to theft than to other own-damage claims.
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.
Why arrange it through Finass Verzekert?
We look at the terms as well as the premium, and stay your point of contact when there is a claim.
Independent
We are not tied to one insurer and compare on the basis of an objective analysis of several companies.
One fixed adviser
You call or email someone who knows your file. No menu options, no changing call centres.
Switching without hassle
We cancel your old policy and align the start date, so you are never a day without cover.
Help with claims
We report the claim and monitor how it is handled. In urgent cases you can reach us on the emergency line.
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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.
Where things go wrong in practice
Where insuring a Bobcat runs into problems in practice.
Attachments are separate objects
A Bobcat is supplied with a quick-coupler system and changes, job by job, between bucket, grapple, sweeper, tiller, trencher or pallet forks. Each of these costs € 1,500 to € 15,000. On an own-damage policy, only the machine as declared is insured; the attachments must be listed separately on the policy with type and value. Otherwise, a tiller stolen from the site or a grapple broken when the machine overturns is not covered. Keep a list of all attachments with invoice and serial number and report new purchases immediately. Some insurers offer a section for loose attachments up to a total amount.
Public roads: WA obligation and registration
A Bobcat driving from one side of the street to the other or onto the pavement by a garden is on the public road and falls under the compulsory insurance for motor vehicles. Since 2021, faster agricultural and work vehicles must also have a registration plate; there is an exemption for a skid steer loader travelling slower than 25 kilometres per hour, but the WA obligation remains. A mobile plant policy therefore combines the work risk and the traffic risk. A Bobcat that works exclusively on a closed site and is moved by trailer can do without traffic cover, provided you declare it that way and it stays that way.
Cables, pipes and damage to the work
A skid steer loader digs and tills, and in doing so regularly hits a gas pipe, a fibre-optic cable or a sewer pipe. The damage to the cable and the consequential loss for the network operator can run to tens of thousands of euros. Insurers usually only cover cable and pipe damage on a mobile plant policy with a separate clause, on condition that you made a KLIC notification (the Dutch dig-safe request) before digging and had the drawings on site. Without a notification, the claim is often reduced or rejected. Damage to the work itself, such as paving you had just laid and then damage with the machine, falls under no liability cover at all.
Theft from the construction site
Compact loaders are popular with thieves: they fit on an ordinary car transporter and are easy to sell abroad. In the event of theft, insurers therefore usually require that the machine was on a locked site or in a shed at night, the key was removed and the machine was secured with an approved system, such as a coded immobiliser, a wheel clamp or a tracking system. A Bobcat left on an open site with the key in the ignition leads to a dispute over the duty of care in the event of theft. Register the serial number and take photos; Bobcat machines can be identified by their chassis number and are regularly recovered.
Transport on the trailer
A Bobcat goes to the job on a trailer or plant trailer behind a van or pick-up. While driving, the combination is covered for liability through the towing vehicle's WA. Damage to the machine itself during transport, for example if the trailer overturns or when driving up the ramps, falls under the own-damage cover of the mobile plant policy, provided transport is included. If you have the machine transported by a third party, the limited carrier's liability applies and your own damage cover is the only full protection. Also check whether the trailer itself is insured; it falls under neither.
Hire and use by third parties
Many owners hire out their Bobcat when it is idle, with or without an operator. With most mobile plant insurers, hire without an operator is only covered with a separate hire clause, a higher excess and the requirement that you use a hire contract making the hirer liable for damage. Hire with your own operator remains your own use and is usually covered as normal, but you are then also liable for the operator's mistakes. Always declare hire; a Bobcat that ends up in a ditch with a hirer while the policy assumes own use is usually not reimbursed. For structural hire, a hire policy is more appropriate.
Frequently asked questions
Questions Bobcat owners ask us.
Do I need WA insurance for my Bobcat if it only works on site?
The statutory insurance obligation applies as soon as the machine goes on a public road, even if that is just crossing a street or driving onto a pavement. A Bobcat working exclusively on closed premises falls outside it, but you remain liable for damage you cause with it. A mobile plant policy with liability cover is therefore needed in both cases; the traffic risk is a section that can be switched on or off.
Are my buckets and attachments covered?
Only if they are listed separately on the policy with type and value. Own-damage cover pays for the machine as declared; a tiller, grapple or sweeper is a separate object. Insurers offer a section for loose attachments up to a total amount, or list each item individually. Keep a list with invoices and serial numbers and report new purchases. For theft of a separately stored attachment, the same security requirements apply as for the machine.
What does Bobcat insurance cost?
As an indication, the annual premium for a mobile plant policy with own-damage and liability cover for a € 50,000 skid steer loader is between one and two per cent of the new value, so roughly € 500 to € 1,000 a year, depending on use, excess and security. Attachments, cable and pipe damage, hire and downtime increase the premium. We compare mobile plant insurance providers on premium and conditions.
Is damage from a torn-up cable covered?
Only if cable and pipe damage is included in the policy, usually via a separate clause. The insurer sets conditions: a KLIC notification to the Land Registry (Kadaster) before digging, the drawings present on site and careful working around marked pipes. If the notification is missing, the claim is often reduced or rejected. With a fibre-optic or gas pipe, the damage can run to tens of thousands of euros, so this cover is virtually indispensable for a digging machine.
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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.
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This page was compiled by Finass Verzekert (LinkedIn). Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.