The works
- Fire, storm and water
- Theft of materials
- Inherent defect and design fault
- Vandalism on the building site
The self-employed professional as a co-insured party under a CAR policy
As a self-employed professional in construction, your cover depends not on your own policy but on whether your name appears as a co-insured party on the main contractor's CAR 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
A CAR policy covers the works under construction: the structure itself, the materials used and damage caused to third parties during the work. On larger projects the main contractor or the client takes out that policy. As a subcontractor you only obtain protection from it if you are included on the policy schedule as a co-insured. A verbal assurance that you are included is not cover.
The distinction from your own insurance is sharp. Your tools and materials in the van are never covered under a CAR policy, even if you had them on site that day. Your professional and business liability sits in the package for self-employed professionals in construction. The CAR policy is about the structure, not about your business.
If you are not on the policy schedule, something different happens when there is a claim: the insurer pays the main contractor and then seeks recovery from you. You are not a co-insured party but the opposing party.
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What does CAR insurance cover for self-employed professionals?
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?
- The work you do on site. Demolition, foundation work and roofing are weighted differently from finishing or installation inside a closed building.
- Annual turnover from contracted work. With an annual policy your turnover is the basis on which the premium is calculated.
- Work on or in existing buildings. Refurbishment between existing structures and installations produces more damage to adjoining property than new build on an open site.
- Value of your ancillary equipment. If you want your own scaffolding, machinery and site huts included, their replacement value counts separately.
- Maintenance period included. The period after handover during which you retain cover extends the time over which risk is run.
- Claims history and the excess chosen. Earlier claims and the level of the excess per event both feed through into 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 activities, turnover and 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.
Ask for the policy schedule, not confirmation by message
Ask for the policy schedule with the clause stating that subcontractors are co-insured, and read for what. Some policies insure subcontractors only for section 1, the works, and not for liability towards third parties. Others exclude damage caused by the subcontractor themselves. Keep that document with your project file; if a claim arises a year later, it is your only proof that you were named on it.
The excess often lands with you
CAR policies have an excess per event, and on large jobs that is substantial. Many subcontracting agreements state that the party that caused the damage bears that excess. You are then covered for the amount above it, but pay the first layer yourself. So do not only check whether you are included, but also what the excess is and on whom it is contractually placed.
Your own equipment is not included
Ancillary equipment, site huts, scaffolding, hand tools and measuring instruments are not part of the works. They fall under the ancillary equipment section, and under project policies that section is often not included for subcontractors. If your toolbox disappears from the site or your laser is destroyed in a collapse, the CAR policy produces nothing. For that you need your own cover insuring your equipment at replacement value.
What a CAR policy never pays for
Redoing your own defective work remains at your expense. What is covered is the consequential loss to other parts, not the cost of putting the mistake itself right. Penalties and deductions for late completion are excluded, as is the turnover the client loses. Intent and wilful recklessness are excluded under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code. Damage outside the described site does not count.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
The main contractor says I am included. Is that enough?
No. Being included is a technical insurance concept: your capacity must appear on the policy schedule or in a clause. So ask for a copy and check that it literally states that subcontractors are co-insured and for which sections. If that is missing, when you claim you are not an insured party but the party from whom the insurer will recover its payout.
Do I need my own CAR policy if I always work as a subcontractor?
Often yes, because you cannot know in advance whether every client will co-insure you correctly and whether that also covers your liability. An annual CAR policy in your own name fills the gaps between projects and keeps you independent of someone else's administration. If you work solely for one client that demonstrably arranges cover properly, it can be left out.
What happens if I damage a colleague's work?
If you are a co-insured party, that damage falls in principle under section 1 and the insurer does not seek recovery from you, because you are an insured party yourself. If you are not named, it is simply your liability and your public and employers' liability insurance pays, provided damage to work you were engaged on is not excluded. That last point is exactly the care, custody and control discussion.
Are my tools included during the project?
No. Tools and small equipment are not part of the structure and therefore fall outside the core of CAR cover. Only if an ancillary equipment section is included and your items have been declared under it is anything arranged. In practice you arrange that yourself, with cover insuring your tools in the van and on site at replacement value.
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 subcontractorsThe main contractor's policy, co-insured, own plant
- Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for self-employed professionalsOne project, main contractor, subcontracting
- Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for contractorsMain contractor, subcontractors, coordination
- Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for a single projectFixed term, fixed contract sum, extension
- Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for the construction sectorAll construction risks, sections 1 and 2, maintenance period
- Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for property developersThe client's role, co-insured, after handover
- Classic car insurance through Hienfeld
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.