Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for bricklayers
For the first few days fresh brickwork stands in the wind under its own strength, and around that facade is scaffolding full of material that can come down.
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
Two things characterise bricklaying in insurance terms. The first is that your work only gains its strength after days: a gable or free-standing wall not yet tied in can blow over in the wind. That is damage to the works itself under section 1, plus everything that was standing below it.
The second is the height at which you work. Bricks, mortar tubs, tools and scaffolding parts falling from staging cause damage to third parties' property and injury to people. That is liability under section 2, with Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code as the basis. If your own staff are injured, it is specifically not a CAR claim but employers' liability under Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code.
On top of that, the scaffolding is usually not yours. Hired plant, or plant erected by a scaffolding firm, is property in your charge and does not automatically fall under the sum insured for the works. If you work on an existing facade, the existing property section also comes into play; see also the page about renovation work.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Section 1
The works
Damage to the works themselves during construction or installation.
Fire, storm and water
Theft of materials
Inherent defect and design fault
Vandalism on the building site
Section 2
Liability
Damage to property and persons of third parties on and around the works.
Adjoining premises
Injury to bystanders
Cables and pipes
Optional
Extensions
What comes into play alongside the works themselves.
Client's existing property
Ancillary plant and site huts
Maintenance period
What is covered
Situation
Works section
Liability section
Storm or water damage to the works in progress
Yes
No
Theft of materials from the building site
Sometimes
No
Damage to an adjoining building
No
Yes
Injury to a bystander
No
Yes
The client's existing property
Sometimes
Sometimes
Repair of your own defective work
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.
Free-standing brickwork has to be propped
A facade not yet tied to floors or anchors catches the wind like a sail. Where a gust has been forecast, blowing over is not an unforeseen event but a predictable consequence of not propping. Insurers ask about the temporary anchoring, the free height and whether the work was braced in time. Record for each facade how you did that. In a storm that is the difference between a payout and an argument.
What falls from the scaffolding is liability
Toe boards, netting, a fenced-off zone below the working platform and a designated walking route are health and safety requirements, but on a claim they determine whether you met your duty of care. A brick landing on a parked car is property damage; the same brick on a passer-by is injury and immediately the heaviest claim in this trade. Clear the working platform before you climb down at the end of the day.
The scaffolding usually belongs to someone else
Hired staging only falls under the policy if ancillary plant has been insured separately, and you also have it in your care, custody and control. If the scaffolding is erected by a third party, leave the inspection tag in place and change nothing yourself; a diagonal you remove makes you liable for what happens afterwards. Theft of scaffolding parts from an unattended site is usually only paid for after forced entry.
Mortar splashes are not damage but finishing
Cement haze and splashes on frames, sills and glazing are part of the job; cleaning them off is finishing your own work and not an insured event. That only changes where irreparable damage occurs and glazing or natural stone has to be replaced. So mask up before you start: those few rolls of sheeting are cheaper than the excess you would otherwise pay.
Existing property is the most commonly missed section
If you work in or on an existing building, that building is not your works but the property of the client. Damage to it does not fall under section 1 and, on your AVB, falls under the care, custody and control exclusion. The section existing property fills that gap, and with conversions, renovations and installation work that is not an edge case but the core of the risk.
The maintenance period continues after handover
After handover there is often a maintenance period during which you remain liable for defects that arose during construction. Agree that period explicitly and have it stated on the policy. Under the Wet kwaliteitsborging (the Dutch Building Quality Assurance Act) this carries more weight: Article 7:758(4) of the Dutch Civil Code places the burden of proof for hidden defects on the contractor.
What does your premium depend on?
Turnover from bricklaying and pointing. The annual output or the contract sum per works forms the basis of the calculation.
Building height. The higher you build, the more serious the consequences of falling material and of unstable brickwork.
Own or hired scaffolding. Plant from a hire company is in your charge and calls for a separate agreement on value and liability.
New build or existing facade. Working on an existing building calls for the existing property section. On new build it barely arises.
Position in relation to public space. Bricklaying alongside a pavement or car park gives far more chance of damage to third parties than a closed site.
Storage and security on the works. Pallets of bricks, mortar silos and tools on an unsecured site count towards theft and vandalism.
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.
That depends on what you did beforehand. If the wind came unexpectedly and you had braced the brickwork in the usual way, it is a sudden event and you report it as damage to the works. If a storm was forecast and the facade stood free and unpropped, the insurer will argue that the consequence was foreseeable and the bill stays with you.
A brick has fallen on a parked car.
That is liability for damage to third-party property and runs through section 2. Expect the question of how the zone below the working platform was fenced off and whether netting and toe boards were in place. Report it straight away, even for a small dent. A car owner who turns up weeks later with a damage report costs you considerably more in evidence than a report on the day itself.
I hire the scaffolding. Is it insured?
Only if ancillary plant appears on the policy as a separate section, and even then it counts as property in your care, custody and control. Ask the hire company what value it charges for loss or damage and whether it has insured the plant itself. Never alter anything about the erection yourself; by doing so you take over the liability from the party that inspected the staging.
Should I claim for cleaning soiled window frames?
Usually there is no point. Removing mortar splashes and cement haze is part of handing over your own work properly and does not count as sudden damage. Only when glazing or natural stone is permanently damaged and has to be replaced does it become damage to the client's property. Masking up beforehand is considerably cheaper than that argument.
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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