The works
- Fire, storm and water
- Theft of materials
- Inherent defect and design fault
- Vandalism on the building site
Structure · bespoke work · storage on site
Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for carpentry firms
Carpentry arrives on site as a bespoke product: timber is sensitive to damp, attractive to thieves and cannot be resupplied at short notice.
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Deze pagina in het Nederlands: CAR-verzekering voor timmerbedrijven.
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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 your own premium with the calculator.
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 activities
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
What is unusual about carpentry is that the product already exists before it is fitted. Frames, staircases, roof elements and cladding are made to measure and then lie on site for days or weeks. During that period it is not a half-built structure but a stack of valuable, movable and weather-sensitive components.
That makes two things important. First, whether storage on site falls under the works section and on what conditions: covered, in a locked site hut, up to what amount. Second, that the loss when something is damaged is rarely the replacement value: it is the lead time that brings the rest of the build to a standstill.
With structural carpentry a second category is added. A roof structure, a joisted floor or a timber frame wall that fails affects the building and the people in it, and then it is no longer about materials but about liability under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code.
What does CAR insurance for carpentry firms cover?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Liability
Damage to property and persons of third parties on and around the works.
- Adjoining premises
- Injury to bystanders
- Cables and pipes
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.
Timber that gets wet is not always damaged timber
Warped frames, glued joints coming apart and discoloured softwood are for an insurer often not sudden damage but a property of the material in the wrong conditions. Anyone who leaves bespoke items outside uncovered faces the exclusion for gradual effects. Store timber on bearers, covered and ventilated, and record on delivery in what condition and at what moisture content it arrived.
Arrange the storage before the first load arrives
Ask what requirements the policy sets for storage on site: a lockable site hut or container, a maximum value stored per location and an obligation to lock up outside working hours. Theft without signs of forced entry is rejected as standard. Plan the delivery as late as possible in the construction sequence and tell the site manager when valuable bespoke items are on site, so that site security is set up for it.
A roof structure is unstable until the last board is on
While trusses or prefabricated roof elements are being set, the structure depends on temporary bracing. A gust of wind in that phase flattens half a roof and damages the work below it. Follow the supplier's erection sequence, fit the temporary anchoring as prescribed and stop at the wind limit. When there is a claim the expert assesses precisely those points, and the erection drawing is the document you explain it with.
What stays outside the policy on carpentry work
Remaking a frame that was measured up wrongly or a staircase that does not fit is repair of your own work and is excluded. Contractual penalties or reductions for delay, including where that delay results from an insured loss, fall outside it unless there is separate delay cover. Wood rot in an existing joisted floor you open up is a defect of the building, and your machines and hand tools are not part of the works.
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?
- Share of structural work — Roofs, joisted floors and timber frame construction carry loads; frames and finishing carpentry do not.
- Value of bespoke items on site — The maximum amount of material stored per site determines the exposure to theft.
- Storage facilities — A lockable container or site hut and covering count in the acceptance of storage cover.
- Working at height and on roofs — Roof erection brings falling material, sensitivity to wind and employers' liability into play.
- New build or work on existing buildings — Measuring up and fitting in an existing building calls for the existing property section.
- Lead time of your products — Long lead times increase the consequences of damage and the need for delay cover.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
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.
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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.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are asked most often about this.
Are my frames covered while they are lying on site?
Often yes, under the works section, but subject to conditions. Insurers set requirements about covering, about locking up outside working hours and about the maximum amount that may be there at one time. Theft without signs of forced entry and damage from damp in uncovered storage are rejected. Ask for these provisions before the first delivery is scheduled and align the delivery date with them.
My staircase is damaged and a new one takes six weeks. What does the policy pay?
The physical damage, so remaking and delivering the staircase, is covered if the cause is an insured event. The consequences of the delay are not: other gangs standing idle, extra hire of facilities and a penalty under your contract stay at your expense, unless separate cover for delay in completion has been included.
A roof truss blew over during erection. How is that assessed?
The insurer looks at the temporary anchoring, the erection sequence and the wind force prevailing compared with the limit the supplier prescribes. If bracing was in place according to the drawing and an unforeseen gust occurred, that is an insured event. If work continued above the wind limit or the bracing was missing, the claim is rejected for lack of due care.
We are replacing an existing joisted floor. What do I have to arrange?
The client's existing property section, because the building you are working in is not your works and on your liability insurance falls under the care, custody and control exclusion. Also record the condition of the structure you find with photographs: degraded timber you open up is an existing defect, and without a record that is later attributed to your work.
Read more
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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.
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This page was written and checked by an adviser at Finass Verzekert. Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.