Construction period · completion · warranty scheme
Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for new build
With a new-build home, everything hinges on one date: at the moment of completion the builder's cover ends and yours begins, and there must not be a single day between the two.
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.
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A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
While the work is in progress, the house falls under the Construction all risks (CAR) insurance held by the builder. That policy covers the work, the materials on site and any damage that occurs during construction. You are not the policyholder, so you cannot claim on it yourself. If you are building the house yourself or managing the build, you will need your own construction policy.
On the day of completion and handover of the keys the risk passes to you. From that moment your own buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) must be in force, even if you only move in weeks later. That interim period is in fact the most dangerous: work is being carried out, doors stand open, secure locks and fittings have not yet been installed, and nobody is living there.
The third point is the sum insured. The contract price is not the rebuild value. Extra work, the kitchen, the bathroom, floor finishes, solar panels, paving and landscaping are usually not included, yet they all have to be replaced after a fire. Add them up before completion, not afterwards.
What does buildings insurance for a new-build home cover?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Most chosen
Extended cover
The named perils: fire, storm, water, burglary and collision.
Fire, smoke and lightning strike
Storm from force 7 upwards
Water damage and leakage
Burglary damage
Widest form of cover
Comprehensive
All sudden and unforeseen damage from outside, unless excluded.
Unnamed causes included
A small mishap while doing DIY
Less discussion when you claim
The essentials
Basis of value
Rebuild value with a guarantee against underinsurance, or a valuation.
Rebuild value calculator
Valuation under 7:960 DCC
Guarantee on your policy schedule
What is covered
Situation
Extended
Comprehensive
Fire, smoke and lightning damage
Yes
Yes
Storm damage from force 7 upwards
Yes
Yes
Water damage from a burst pipe
Yes
Yes
Burglary damage to doors and frames
Yes
Yes
Drilling through a pipe while doing DIY
No
Yes
Subsidence, pile rot 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.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Have the policy start on the completion date, not on your moving date
Insurers will let a buildings policy start on a future date; arrange this as soon as the completion date is known. If completion is postponed, pass on the new date rather than letting the policy run or cancelling it. Your mortgage lender will normally ask for proof of cover as at the day of transfer. A gap of a single day is not a formality: a fire while you are fitting out the house falls precisely into that gap.
Vacancy and building work must be reported
A house that has been completed but is not yet occupied is a different risk to an insurer than a lived-in home. Under a number of policies, cover during vacancy is restricted to fire, storm and impact, which means water damage and burglary drop away. So report how long the house will stand empty and that finishing work is being done. If you do not, the insurer can rely on Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code when you claim.
Building defects go through the builder, not the policy
A crack caused by settlement of the new foundations, a leaking roof penetration that was fitted incorrectly, a structural fault in a load-bearing beam: these are completion and warranty items. They belong with the builder and with the completion and warranty scheme of the guarantee institute. Buildings insurance covers sudden and unforeseen events, not workmanship errors. Record completion items in writing and keep track of the warranty periods for each component.
The exclusions that come up most often with a new home
Construction moisture, efflorescence on the brickwork and shrinkage cracks in plaster are not damage but a normal phenomenon in the first year, and they are excluded. Damage to the garden and to paving that has not yet been laid usually falls outside the cover as well. Damage that arose during construction but is only discovered after completion is a matter for the builder. Report damage promptly yourself; Article 7:941 DCC obliges you to do so as soon as you become aware of it.
Rebuild value for a new-build home
Use the contract price as your starting point, but add extra work, the kitchen, the bathroom and landscaping. These are often not included in the contract price.
A guarantee against underinsurance is not automatic
If you fill in the insurer's rebuild value calculator correctly, you will usually receive a guarantee against underinsurance: in the event of a claim the actual amount is paid, even if the sum insured turns out to be too low. Your policy schedule states whether you have that guarantee. Without it, the proportionality rule applies, and that also affects small claims.
Rebuild value including extra work. The contract price plus the kitchen, sanitary ware, floors, solar panels and landscaping together make up the sum insured.
Construction type and energy installations. A heat pump, a home battery and solar panels on the roof all count in the assessment of the risk.
Length of the vacancy after completion. The longer the house is unoccupied, the more cover may be temporarily restricted.
Type of house within the development. Mid-terrace, end-terrace, semi-detached or detached determines the facade area and therefore the rebuild value.
Outbuildings and boundary fence. A shed, carport and fencing are only covered if they have been declared.
Type of cover and excess chosen. Comprehensive cover is often the practical choice while you are finishing and working on the house after completion.
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.
When exactly does my buildings insurance have to start?
On the day of completion and handover of the keys. From that moment the risk lies with you and no longer with the builder, even if you are not yet living there and are still working on the house. Arrange the start date in advance as soon as it is known, and report any postponement of completion. Your mortgage lender will ask for proof of cover as at the transfer date.
Am I insured for anything during construction?
The work falls under the builder's construction all risks (CAR) insurance, on which you cannot claim yourself. If you are managing the build, carrying out part of the work yourself or acting formally as client to separate contractors, you will need your own construction policy. Also check that your liability as client is arranged, as this can come into play if someone is injured on site.
Is a structural fault covered by my buildings insurance?
No. Design and workmanship errors are the responsibility of the builder and fall under the warranty scheme of the guarantee institute. The same applies to consequential damage from such a fault, for example a leak caused by an incorrectly fitted roof penetration. Report it as a completion item or under warranty rather than as an insurance claim, and keep the completion list and the warranty certificates for the installations.
Is the kitchen included in the contract price or do I have to declare it separately?
Usually separately. The kitchen, bathroom fit-out, floor finishes, sun blinds and landscaping often fall outside the contract price, yet they all have to be installed again after a fire. Add up all the extra work and include it in the sum insured before the house is handed over. If you only do so after a year, you will be underinsured in the meantime.
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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