Water damage on buildings insurance (opstalverzekering)
With water damage, everything turns on the distinction between the cause and the consequence: what the water did is covered, what let the water escape is not.
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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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
Buildings insurance pays for the consequences of water escaping unforeseen: soaked walls and ceilings, damp creeping into floors, short circuits in wiring and the cost of drying out. The burst pipe, the leaking boiler or the broken connection itself falls outside this; that is the cause, and you repair it at your own expense.
It also matters where the water came from. A burst pipe, an overflowing washing machine and a drain backing up are treated differently from rainfall coming in, and groundwater is in a category of its own again.
The third distinction is the timeline. Water that appears suddenly is an event; damp that has been there for months is maintenance.
What does the water damage cover on buildings insurance include?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
The basis
Rebuild value
What it costs to rebuild the premises.
Not the market value
Not the WOZ value (the Dutch property valuation)
Guarantee against underinsurance
Permanently fixed
What is included
Everything permanently attached to the building.
Building and installations
Outbuildings
Boundary fences
Optional
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.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Tracing the leak and making good the breaking out
If the leak is under the floor or in a wall, you have to break out to reach it. Many policies pay for that tracing, breaking out and making good, even though the pipe itself is excluded. Ask about it, because the differences between companies are large here. It is worth knowing in advance whether the cost of leak detection and of closing the floor up again is covered as well.
Rainfall, drains and flooding
Water coming in through an open roof light or running over the threshold onto the ground floor is something other than a burst pipe. Rainwater entering through a blocked gutter or a drain that has not been maintained is often refused as a consequence of poor maintenance. Where a drain backs up, the question is whether it concerns your own house connection or the municipal system.
Groundwater and flooding
Water rising through the floor or the cellar wall is excluded under almost every buildings insurance policy, and there is no regular additional cover for it. Flooding from a primary flood defence also remains outside the policy. If you have a cellar or a basement, you carry that risk yourself; investing in a tanked cellar, a pump and a non-return valve is then the only way to control it.
Gradual damp is not an insured event
Rising damp, damp penetrating through walls, leaking pointing, condensation and the mould that follows from them are regarded as a maintenance matter and not as a sudden event. The same applies to a roof that has dripped for years. If you see stains or smell mustiness, have the cause traced and repaired before it grows; your duty to mitigate the loss under Article 7:957 of the Dutch Civil Code begins as soon as you know about the problem.
What does your premium depend on?
Presence of a cellar or basement. Underground rooms increase the chance of water damage that is partly not covered.
Age of the pipework. Old pipes and ageing connections burst sooner.
Location in relation to water. A plot in a low-lying area or close to open water counts.
Tracing and making good included. Whether breaking out and closing up after the repair fall under the cover.
Underfloor heating and manifold systems. Pipes in the floor make tracing and repair more laborious.
Excess for water damage. Some policies apply a different excess to this section.
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.
No. The insurance covers what the escaping water damaged, not the part that failed. You pay for repairing the pipe, the boiler or the coupling yourself. Many policies do pay for the breaking out and making good needed to reach the leak, including closing the floor or the wall up again.
I have water in the cellar after heavy rain. Is that covered?
Usually not. Water rising through the ground or the cellar wall is groundwater and there is no cover for it. If the water demonstrably comes from a burst pipe in the cellar, the position is different. So have the cause established before you clear up and photograph the situation, because afterwards the distinction can no longer be made.
Is damage from my washing machine or aquarium covered?
Water escaping unforeseen from a supply or drain hose is included in many policies. An aquarium or waterbed is often named separately. The appliance itself and its contents fall outside the buildings cover, because that is contents. Check whether your policy expressly names these sources, and whether a condition applies about connection in accordance with the instructions.
What does the insurance pay towards drying out?
Drying out the structure and floors is part of repairing covered damage and is usually paid for, including the hire of drying and ventilation equipment. The electricity it uses is a point to ask about. Have the drying carried out by a specialist firm and keep the measurement reports; they show that the structure really was dry before the repairs began.
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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