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
Renovating means working on something that is already there and that goes on functioning. Offices stay staffed, shops stay open, homes stay occupied. As a result your work runs not only along the structure but also along the user's day-to-day operations, and that user is a third party towards whom you can be liable under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code.
The second characteristic is the open state of the building. A roof that has been removed, a facade without cladding or a services duct lying open turns the building for days into a partly enclosed construction site. Rain, wind and frost then come in at places where they should never reach, and that damage affects the existing part, not your works.
The third characteristic is the age of what you find. Asbestos, outdated wiring, weakened joists and degraded concrete change the job as soon as they appear, and the costs of that are rarely insured.
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.
A user who stays put is a liability risk
Dust nuisance, a leak coming down through a ceiling, a blocked escape route or a loss of heating affects not the building but the user's business. That loss falls under the liability section and not under the works section, and consequential loss such as lost turnover is often limited or excluded there. Draw up a working plan with the user in advance covering access, dust separation and working hours, and record the arrangements in writing.
Temporary weatherproofing is the most closely examined measure
On a claim for water ingress the first question is how the roof or facade was sealed at the end of the working day and whether the weather forecast was consulted. Insurers exclude damage resulting from inadequate temporary provisions, and they treat damp penetrating slowly as a gradual effect rather than a sudden event. So photograph the sealing every evening and keep the weather forecast with the job file.
Asbestos changes the project from one day to the next
If asbestos is found in a building from before 1994, work stops until a survey and removal have been carried out. Removal costs, the stoppage and the delay that follows fall outside CAR cover. Have a survey carried out before you start and record in the contract who bears the costs if something turns up after all. Without that agreement it becomes a discussion with the client, not with an insurer.
What you do not get paid for in an old building
Wear, corrosion and ageing of the existing building are not damage but the condition in which you found it. Putting your own defective work right stays at your expense. Where worn parts are replaced, the insurer may apply a new-for-old deduction under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code, because you must not be better off as a result. Soil contamination that comes to light during excavation or demolition also falls 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?
Year of construction and condition of the building. Older structures hold more surprises and are more sensitive to vibration and to damp.
Whether the building stays in use. Working among users increases the chance of injury, consequential loss and claims about nuisance.
Extent of the existing property. Not your contract sum but the value of the building you are working in determines this section.
Open state of the building and how long it lasts. How many weeks the roof or facade lies open determines the weather risk the policy carries.
Presence of asbestos or contamination. A survey that has been carried out gives the insurer a view of what may appear during the work.
Vibration-sensitive surroundings. Demolition and breaking out next to adjoining properties leads to claims about cracking and settlement.
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.
Who bears water damage after the roof has been left open?
That depends on the temporary provision. If the roof was temporarily made watertight as required and a storm passed over anyway, that is a sudden event and usually covered under the existing property section. If there was no sealing or it was inadequate, the insurer regards it as a foreseeable consequence of your method of working and the claim is rejected.
The tenant is claiming lost turnover because of our work. Is that covered?
Only if you are liable and the policy includes pure financial loss, which is by no means always the case. Damage to his property falls under the liability section; lost turnover without physical damage often does not. So make arrangements in advance about nuisance and access, and record what has been agreed about opening hours and access.
Is a pre-work survey really needed if we are only doing the facade?
Yes. On renovation work virtually every dispute is about whether a crack or a stain was already there. Photograph with a date, per facade area and per adjoining room, including ceilings and floors where scaffolding anchors pass through. In a building that stays in use, have the survey signed off by the user. Without that record you carry the burden of proof.
Is retrofitting insulation involving hot work covered?
Only if you comply with the precautions required. For torching, hot-air work or soldering on an existing building, insurers generally require combustible material to be cleared away, extinguishers within reach and a check afterwards. If you work without those measures, the insurer can rely on gross fault within the meaning of Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code.
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.
