The works
- Fire, storm and water
- Theft of materials
- Inherent defect and design fault
- Vandalism on the building site
Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for civil engineering
In civil engineering, road and hydraulic works, the broken cable is not the cost; everything that goes down behind that cable is.
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- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
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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 activities
- 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
Repairing a pipe you have struck is manageable work. The bill arises behind it: a street without power, a business park without data, a filling station that has to close. That consequential loss suffered by third parties is capped on many construction policies or subject to conditions, and it is precisely that provision which determines whether you can still sleep soundly after one excavation incident. Read it before the excavator drives onto the site.
Against that stands what you do control: demonstrably careful excavation. The notification to the cable and pipeline information system, the area information on site, the trial trenches and the arrangements with the network operator together form your file. If that is missing, the question is not whether you have cover but how strongly the insurer makes the accusation.
The third characteristic of this trade is the environment. You work in the public space, with traffic around you and a public authority as client, or alongside and in water. Machinery and floating plant call for their own arrangement; they do not fall under the cover on the works. If the work concerns the foundation under a civil engineering structure, also read the page about foundation work.
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What does CAR insurance for civil engineering, road and hydraulic works 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.
What does your premium depend on?
- Contract sum for the earthworks. The size of the works is the basis for the cover on the works itself.
- Urban or rural route. In built-up areas cables lie closer together and an outage immediately affects many customers.
- Excavation depth and method of working. Machine excavation at depth along existing routes is a different risk from hand digging or trenchless boring.
- Working alongside or in water. Banks, quays and wet works bring their own risks and call for separate arrangements about plant.
- Limit for consequential loss. The level and the sub-limit for loss without physical damage weigh heavily in the premium.
- Excess per event. Cable strikes are relatively common. The excess chosen determines how much of that stays with you.
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 excavation notification is your evidence, not a formality
A timely notification, the drawings physically on site, trial trenches dug on the routes indicated and feedback where the position differs: that is the chain that is checked after an incident. Keep the confirmation and photograph the trenches before you go on. Anyone who puts the bucket in the ground without area information faces not only the network operator but their own insurer as well.
The consequential loss determines your limit
If power, gas, water or data go down, customers put their business interruption losses at your door. That can be many times more than repairing the pipe itself. So look not only at the level of the liability limit but also at whether pure financial loss without physical damage is insured. Many sets of conditions set a separate, lower sub-limit for it.
The road stays in use while you work
Traffic measures, barriers, road plates and lighting are not only a requirement of the road authority but determine, in the event of injury, whether you acted unlawfully within the meaning of Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code. A cyclist who rides into an inadequately fenced trench is a liability claim under section 2. Record the barriers at the start of each day and note who checks them.
Your machinery does not fall under this policy
An excavator, dumper or crane is a motor vehicle; damage caused with it is excluded on liability covers and on the road the obligation in Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM)applies. For the machine itself you need plant and machinery insurance. Floating plant, soil contamination and penalties for late completion also remain outside the construction policy. Each belongs on its own cover.
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.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
I notified in good time and still hit a cable. Is that covered?
In principle, yes. Cable damage is a liability claim and the notification with the accompanying area information shows that you proceeded carefully. The discussion then shifts to the extent and to whether the position differed from the drawing. If the notification is missing, the cover does not automatically stand and recklessness becomes a realistic defence for the insurer.
Who pays the business interruption losses of customers cut off?
That depends entirely on your conditions. If you damage property and a stoppage follows, that usually falls within the liability cover. If it concerns loss without anything being broken at that customer, that is pure financial loss, and a separate and lower sub-limit or an exclusion often applies. Have that passage read through before you start on a large route.
Is my excavator insured on the construction policy?
No. The cover on the works relates to what you are building, not to the plant you build it with. For machinery you need plant and machinery insurance, and for taking part in traffic the compulsory cover under Article 2 WAM also applies. Ancillary plant such as road plates, sheet piling sections and site huts can be included as a separate section.
Contaminated soil is exposed. Is that covered?
Not on the construction policy. Soil and water contamination is excluded and belongs on environmental damage insurance, which can cover both remediation of your own site and damage to third parties. On works at suspect locations that is not a luxury. If you unexpectedly encounter contamination while excavating, the client will be happy to put the costs at your door.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
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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.