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.
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
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Renovation differs from new build in that you start by taking things away. A load-bearing wall out, a floor opened up, an opening through an upper floor, pipework rerouted. In that phase the building temporarily carries loads differently from anything the structural engineer intended, and the consequences appear not in your works but in the existing shell.
In legal terms that shell is not part of your assignment. It does not fall under the works section, and on your liability insurance it falls under the care, custody and control clause, because you had the property in your charge. Only the existing property belonging to the client section fills that gap, with a sum insured of its own that you have to set yourself.
That amount is the most common mistake. It should match the value of the building you are working in, not the size of the works; where there is underinsurance, a claim is paid proportionately reduced.
What does CAR insurance for renovation work cover?
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.
Demolition without a calculation is demolition without cover
An opening in a load-bearing wall calls for a structural calculation, for props or temporary support and for a sequence in which the load is taken over before anything is removed. If cracks then appear on the floor above or next door, the first question is which calculation there was and whether it was followed. Keep the calculation, the demolition plan and photographs of the temporary support in the project file.
In an existing building everything is in the wrong place
For a house from the 1960s there are no reliable service drawings. A drill hole in a floor hits underfloor heating. A chase in a wall hits a gas pipe or a circuit that is still live. The immediate repair is small. The consequential damage from water coming down a floor below is not. Scan beforehand, isolate at the meter and record what you find before you start breaking out.
Set the limit on the building, not on the assignment
The existing property section has a sum insured of its own and that is not a formality. Anyone renovating a bathroom in a building with flats above can affect the whole building in a fire or a large water loss. Take as your starting point the rebuild value of the object you are working in, or at least the part you could reasonably damage. If it is set too low, the payout is reduced proportionately.
Contents, repairs and penalties fall outside
The existing property section usually relates to the building and not to your client's moveable property: furniture, equipment and stock are not automatically covered under it. Redoing your own defective work is at your expense, as are reductions or penalties for overrunning the completion date. Contamination that comes to light when old floors or pipework are demolished also stays outside the policy.
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?
Rebuild value of the premises. The basis for the existing property section, and on renovation work the item that weighs most heavily.
Extent of the demolition work. Breaking into load-bearing elements and forming openings affects the structure and the adjoining properties.
Type of building and year of construction. Old installations, unknown service routes and timber floors increase the chance of consequential damage.
Position in relation to adjoining properties. A terraced house or a building with neighbours above gives rise to third-party claims more quickly.
Whether the building stays in use. The presence of occupants or staff brings injury risk and damage to their property into play.
Construction time and excess chosen. The duration of the work and the excess per event also determine the premium.
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.
I drill into a water pipe. What damage is covered?
Repairing the pipe itself falls under the existing property section, provided that is insured. The consequential damage, so the soaked ceiling, the floor and the paintwork, falls under it as well, or under the liability section if it affects a third party. Report immediately, limit the damage and photograph the spot before anything is cleared up, including the section of pipe you drilled into.
How do I set the amount for existing property?
Take as your basis the rebuild value of the building or the part of it that your work could damage, and not your contract sum. Where you work in a flat, take into account that fire or water can affect the whole building. Ask the client for the rebuild value from their buildings policy and record the amount chosen in the building contract.
The neighbours report cracks during our work. What now?
Report it to your insurer and admit nothing before the circumstances have been assessed. Liability follows from Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code and requires the cracks to be attributable to your work. A dated pre-work survey of the adjoining home is decisive here: without that record, virtually every existing defect is put down to the building work.
Are my client's contents insured as well?
Usually not. The existing property section relates to the building; furniture, equipment, stock and machinery are moveable property and do not automatically fall under it. Agree that the client removes or covers those items and that they inform their own home contents or business contents insurer about the work. Record that agreement in writing before you start.
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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