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 extensions and additions
With an extension, your new work hangs on a building that stays standing and usually stays occupied; from the moment the facade is opened up, your risk and the client's run into each other.
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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
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In brief
In construction terms an extension is two things at once. Your new addition is the works and falls under section 1. The house you are building against belongs to the client and specifically does not fall under it; the existing property section is needed for that. On public and employers' liability insurance that damage founders on the care, custody and control exclusion, because you have the building in your charge during the work.
The pivotal point is the opening up. From the moment the facade is opened, the house is no longer wind and watertight and temporary props carry part of the structure. Everything that goes wrong after that (a crack, a wet floor, a settled lintel opening) affects someone else's property that simply stays in use.
The third point only arises later. New and old stand on different foundations and settle differently, and the joint between the two roofs is where leaks arise. That rarely shows during construction. So also look at the conservatory variant and to the renovation variant if the work goes further than the extension alone.
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What does CAR insurance for extensions and additions 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 extension. The value of the new work itself forms the basis for section 1.
- Value of the existing building. The sum insured for existing property has to match the house you are building against.
- Load-bearing opening or not. An opening in a load-bearing facade with temporary propping is a heavier risk than an extension against a blank wall.
- Type of foundation for the extension. Shallow, screw piles or driven piles: the chance of differential settlement and of vibration damage varies considerably.
- Occupied during the works. If occupants and contents remain present, the chance of damage to the client's property increases.
- Length of the maintenance period. A leak at the connecting detail comes to light late. The period should span at least one wet season.
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.
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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.
Opening up is a structural operation
A hole in a load-bearing facade calls for temporary support calculated for the actual load. If something fails because the propping was too light or was removed too early, the expert will treat that as a workmanship error and not as sudden damage. Repairing your own work is then at your expense. The consequential damage to the house is usually covered, provided the existing property section is in place.
New and old do not settle at the same rate
The new foundation bears differently from the existing one, particularly on soft ground or with a shallow-founded extension next to a piled building. The crack that results often appears months after handover in the connecting joint. If the cause is a design choice by the structural engineer, that is professional indemnity and not a CAR claim. So have the choice of foundation recorded in writing by whoever makes it.
The house stays in use during the build
The occupants usually go on living there, with their belongings within reach of your work. Contents are not automatically part of existing property; have it recorded expressly whether they are included. Damage from dust, mortar splashes or damp entering gradually is also often excluded as a gradually operating influence. Screen off the opening, cover floors and photograph the adjoining room before you take out the first brick.
The connecting joint and the notification period
A leak at the detail between the new roof and the existing facade only shows itself in the first heavy driving rain, sometimes a season later. Make sure the maintenance period on the policy spans that period and that you can demonstrate how the detail was executed with photographs. If the client reports something, pass it on without unnecessary delay; Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code requires that, and late notification costs you 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.
Is damage to the existing house insured as well?
Only with the existing property section. The house is not your works, so section 1 does not cover it, and on your liability insurance it founders on the care, custody and control exclusion because you have the building in your charge during the work. Include that section for the actual value of the part within the zone of influence of the extension, not for a token amount.
Who pays for the crack in the joint between old and new?
That depends on the cause. If the crack is due to a workmanship error, repairing your own work is at your expense and the consequential damage to the house is usually covered. If the cause lies in a wrong choice of foundation on the structural drawing, that is a design matter belonging with the structural engineer and their professional indemnity insurance.
Are the occupant's contents covered?
Not automatically. Existing property relates first of all to the building. If you also want the occupant's belongings covered, have that included expressly. In any event, avoid the argument afterwards: have the occupant remove vulnerable items from the work zone and record with photographs how the room looked before you started.
My client is a private individual. Does that change anything?
Not for the cover, but it does for your contractual obligations. Under a building contract with a consumer you have to state in writing whether and how your liability is insured. That follows from Article 7:765a of the Dutch Civil Code. Put it in the quotation rather than in the small print. More on that is set out on the page about private clients.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Compare construction all risks (CAR) insuranceThe main page
- Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for conservatories and extensionsConnection to the existing building, glass, foundations
- Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for renovation workExisting property, care, custody and control, private client
- Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for dormer windowsOpen roof, short duration, occupied building
- Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for renovationExisting buildings, asbestos, occupied condition
- Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for private clientsSelf-build, who insures, fitting with buildings insurance
- Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for plasterersDamp, existing finishes, drying time
- Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for the construction sectorAll construction risks, sections 1 and 2, maintenance period
- Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for bricklayersScaffolding, frost, falling material
Read more
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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.
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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.
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.