Rebuild value
- Not the market value
- Not the WOZ value (the Dutch property valuation)
- Guarantee against underinsurance
Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for church buildings
A church building cannot be captured in an ordinary rebuilding sum: the tower, the organ and the stained glass each call for their own valuation.
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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
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
- Independent advice
- Several insurers
- Switching arranged
- Help with claims
In brief
With a church, the insurable value differs widely from what a building valuation normally produces. The structure is large but relatively simple. The costs lie in craft restoration: natural stone, vaulting, slate, timber roof structures and wrought ironwork. If the building has listed status, the permit requires you to restore it to its original state, and that makes rebuilding materially more expensive than new construction of the same size.
There are also contents that cannot be replaced. A pipe organ, a pulpit, stained-glass windows, bells and communion silver do not automatically fall under the buildings cover, nor under ordinary business contents cover. They should be valued separately and named separately on the policy, stating the restoration route to be followed in the event of damage.
If your building also has nationally listed status, read in addition what that means for buildings insurance for a nationally listed building.
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What does buildings insurance for church buildings cover?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
What is included
Everything permanently attached to the building.
- Building and installations
- Outbuildings
- Boundary fences
Extensions
What is excluded as standard.
- Glass
- Garden landscaping
- Inherent defect and foundations
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 | Sometimes | Yes |
| Groundwater coming through the floor | No | No |
| Wear and deferred maintenance | No | 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?
- Rebuilding in the original state. The extra cost of natural stone, slate, vaulting and craft work determines the sum insured, not the square metres.
- Presence and height of a tower. A free-standing or attached tower with a spire raises the lightning strike and storm risk.
- Valued amount for the organ and glass. Separately named objects with their own valuation count towards the premium apart from the structure.
- Intensity of use and secondary hire. Concerts, exhibitions and hall hire bring more people and more equipment into the building.
- Fire prevention measures. Lightning protection, fire detection with signalling and the handling of naked flames are assessed on acceptance.
- Supervision outside services. A building that is closed and unattended during the week is rated differently from a church open daily.
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.
9.5New policy
9.8Claims handling
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
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
The tower is a risk object in its own right
A spire catches lightning, wind and driving rain at a height where maintenance is expensive and inspection rare. Slates working loose, a cross blowing off or falling pointing lead to damage to parked cars and passers-by; as the possessor of the structure you are liable for that under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code. Have the spire, the weathercock and the louvre boards named explicitly in the description and keep inspection reports.
Value the organ and glass separately
A historic pipe organ is not equipment you buy again from a supplier; restoration is carried out by an organ builder on the basis of archive research. The same applies to stained-glass windows. Without a separate valuation and declaration, this falls outside cover. Note too that smoke and soot damage after a small fire can already make an organ unusable while the structure is barely damaged. That damage must fit the description.
Fire, candles and hiring out to third parties
Candles, nativity scenes, fire baskets at open-air services and a small kitchen for coffee after the service are sources of fire in a building with a lot of timber and textiles. If you hire out the space for concerts, exhibitions or parties, the use changes and you must report this; Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code requires you to tell the insurer in advance everything it needs. If that is not reported, the insurer can limit payment on a claim.
What is not covered
The following fall outside the cover as standard: deferred maintenance to pointing, gutters and roof covering, damage to foundations and settlement of the church floor, and woodworm or death watch beetle in the roof structure. Gradual damp along a leaking gutter is also excluded, as is damage caused by restoration work without the required permit. With an empty building, do not allow a long unattended period without reporting it either.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Does the organ fall under the buildings insurance?
Only if it has been declared and valued separately. A pipe organ is structurally connected to the building, but the repair costs follow organ building and not building costs. Without its own valuation the insurer does not include it in the rebuild value and smoke, water or fire damage to the instrument remains at your own expense.
What does listed status mean for the sum insured?
With a protected monument you may not replace parts with a modern, cheaper construction. The permit prescribes restoration with equivalent materials and techniques. The sum insured must therefore be based on restoration costs including craft work, scaffolding and research. A valuation calculated only on square metres of new build leaves you underinsured.
We hire out the church hall for concerts. Does that have to be on the policy?
Yes. Secondary hire changes who comes into the building, what equipment is there and how often naked flames or catering are present. Report it when you apply and report later changes as well. If you do not, you run the risk that on a claim the insurer relies on your duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Are slates coming loose and hitting a car covered?
That is not buildings damage but liability. As the possessor of the building you are liable under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code for damage caused by a defective structure, even without any fault on your part. That claim belongs on liability insurance. Maintenance records and inspection reports help in the assessment of such a claim.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Compare buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)The main page
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for a listed national monumentDuty to restore, valuation, permits
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for day nurseriesYoung children, evacuation, supervision
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for sports hallsLarge volume, visitors, installations
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for schoolsPupils, fire safety, vacancy
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for hotelsFire safety, guests, rebuilding time
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for warehousesStorage, compartmentation, sprinklers
- Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for a practice spaceBusiness use, at home, reporting
Read more
Ready to compare?
Request a quote without obligation. We will look at which insurer best matches your activities and your risk.
Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
Claim on the road? Emergency line 06 - 55 20 40 72.
About our service
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.
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.