Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for self-employed professionals
As a zzp'er you are rarely named on the policy schedule for the works yourself: you are included under the main contractor's CAR policy, and the question is whether that policy names you as an insured and for what.
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 your own premium with the calculator.
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
If you work as a self-employed professional without staff on a site, you are almost always a subcontractor. The CAR policy for the works is in the name of the main contractor or the client. Whether you fall under it depends on one section of the policy schedule: the description of the insured parties.
If you are not there, the damage you cause is not only uninsured; the insurer that pays the main contractor can then recover that loss from you. Your own public and employers' liability insurance then has to absorb it, and that has the care, custody and control exclusion.
Your position also differs from that of an employee. You have no employer, so Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code does not protect you. Injury to yourself and damage to your own tools fall under neither policy.
What does CAR insurance cover for self-employed professionals?
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.
Whether you are a co-insured is on the policy schedule, not in an assurance
“You're covered under our CAR policy” is not cover. Ask for the policy schedule or a certificate of insurance and read the section on insured parties: are subcontractors named, and for which sections? Often the co-insurance applies only to section 1, the damage to the works itself, and expressly not to your liability towards third parties. Keep that document with the confirmation of instructions; when there is a claim it is the first thing you will be asked for.
The main contractor pays, and then comes to see you
If you damage the works or an adjoining property, the injured party holds the main contractor liable; Article 6:171 of the Dutch Civil Code makes him liable towards third parties for the mistakes of non-subordinate assistants. His insurer pays and then seeks recovery from you, under Article 6:162 DCC or under your subcontract. So have it recorded that you are a co-insured or that recovery is waived. Without one of the two, you bear the loss yourself.
Your own injury and your own plant are not included
Section 2 covers injury to third parties. On that works you are not a third party but one of the parties carrying out the work, and without an employer Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code gives you no claim. If you fall from the scaffolding, you end up with disability or personal accident insurance, not with the CAR policy. The same applies to your machines and hand tools: you insure those with a plant and machinery insurance or a own goods in transit insurance.
Stay within the capacity stated on your own policy
If you take out a policy yourself, it carries a description of your activities. A carpenter who also does roofing or a gas connection is working outside that description and is not covered for that part. On application the duty of disclosure in Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code applies; if you extend your work afterwards, report that in writing. An amendment during the term costs an email; a rejected claim costs your annual turnover.
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?
Described business activity — Which activities you carry out; shell work, roofing and installation work weigh more heavily than finishing.
Annual turnover from contracted work — The turnover you take on yourself is the basis of calculation, not the turnover of the whole project.
Share of work on existing buildings — If you work mainly in occupied or operating buildings, the existing property section is decisive.
Working with or without hired-in workers — If you hire people in yourself, liability for their mistakes is added.
Type of policy chosen — A <a href="https://www.finassverzekert.nl/en/continuous-construction-all-risks-car-insurance">continuous policy</a> or separate project policies lead to a different structure for the premium.
Excess per event — A higher excess lowers the premium; small claims are then at your own expense.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is why comparing pays off.
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.
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.
Am I automatically insured under the main contractor's CAR policy?
No. Co-insurance of subcontractors does occur, but it does not follow from the fact that you are on the works. It has to be stated on the policy schedule. Ask for that document before you start and check which sections the co-insurance applies to; usually it is only the cover on the works itself and not your liability.
Can the main contractor's insurer recover the loss from me?
Yes, if you are not named as an insured on the policy and no waiver of recovery has been agreed. The insurer pays first and then approaches whoever caused the loss. Your public and employers' liability insurance absorbs that, with the caveat that damage to property you had in your charge can fall under the care, custody and control exclusion.
Is injury to myself covered?
Not on the CAR policy and not on your liability insurance. Both are intended for other people's losses. As a self-employed professional you have no employer who is liable for your accident at work under Article 7:658 of the Dutch Civil Code. You arrange your income if you are unable to work through disability insurance (AOV) or personal accident cover.
Do I need my own CAR policy or is an AVB enough?
If you take on work for your own account, liability insurance covers injury and damage to third-party property but not damage to the works you carry out yourself. For that part you need your own single-project or continuous CAR cover. If you work solely on an hourly basis under someone else's policy, liability cover can be enough.
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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