Works section
- Fire, storm and water
- Theft and vandalism
- Damage during lifting operations
- Storage of material in the street limited
Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for building in the city
Building between existing properties shifts the risk from the works itself to the surroundings. CAR insurance only covers that where the right sections and clauses have been arranged.
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- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
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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 Construction all risks (CAR) insurance (Construction All Risks) covers damage to the works in progress, regardless of who caused it. On an inner-city project that is only half the story. The largest losses there are outside the hoarding: subsidence of an adjoining building, cracking from vibration, flooding from dewatering, or a facade struck by a crane movement.
That damage falls into two categories. If you damage property belonging to your client that you are working on, the existing property section comes into play. If you damage the property of a neighbour, that is liability, usually under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code and sometimes under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code for the owner of a building. That claim runs through the liability section of the CAR policy or through your AVB.
The pitfall is that damage caused by piling, excavation, sheet piling, dewatering and vibration is specifically limited or excluded on many policies. That is exactly the work an urban project starts with. Have that clause assessed before work begins and record the condition of the adjoining properties. See also the business CAR insurance.
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What does a CAR policy cover on an urban project?
Three parts determine whether damage to the surroundings of an inner-city site is covered.
Liability and adjoining properties
Damage to buildings and installations next to and below the site.
- Cracking and subsidence
- Cables and pipes in the ground
- Vibration and dewatering damage limited
- Defence against claims from local residents
Client's property
The part of the building that stays standing while you work on it.
- A separate section with its own limit
- Often a higher excess
- Installations and finishes as well
- Set the value realistically in advance
What is covered
| Situation | Basic | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| Damage to the works from storm or fire | Yes | Yes |
| Damage to the neighbours' facade from a lifting operation | Provided that | Yes |
| Cracking in an adjoining property from piling work | No | Provided that |
| Damage to a cable or pipe in the ground | No | Provided that |
| Lost turnover of a shop next to the site | No | No |
| Contractual penalty for late completion | No | No |
Whether vibration, dewatering and foundation damage is insured appears solely from the clauses on the policy schedule. These differ considerably by insurer and by project.
What does your premium depend on?
- Contract sum: the usual basis for calculation
- Nature of the adjoining properties: age and type of foundation
- Foundation and demolition method: piling or low-vibration boring
- Dewatering and groundwater: depth of the excavation
- Sections and limits chosen: existing property weighs heavily
- Construction period and excess: a longer works, a higher 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, risk 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 determine, when building in an inner-city setting, who pays for damage to the surroundings.
Vibration and dewatering are the standard exclusion
Damage to adjoining buildings caused by piling, sheet piling, excavation, wellpoint dewatering and vibration is excluded on many CAR policies or covered only with a separate clause and a lower limit. Insurers set requirements for this: a a pre-works survey of the adjoining properties by an expert, vibration monitoring during the work and sometimes standpipes for the groundwater level. Without those documents, when cracking appears it cannot be established what is old and what comes from your work, and that almost always counts against the contractor.
The site extends onto the public road
In the city, plant stands in the street, a crane swings over someone else's roof and pedestrians walk past the hoarding. Check whether the policy includes storage outside the site and what requirements apply to closing off and security: theft from an inadequately secured site is a usual exclusion. Also make sure that liability for injury to passers-by is covered; a loose plate or a falling object gives rise to a claim under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code up.
What is not included
The following, among others, are outside the cover: pure financial loss such as lost turnover of surrounding shops through building nuisance, delay losses, penalties and lost profit, putting right your own defective work, damage caused by asbestos released during demolition work, and damage from war or nuclear reactions. Intent and recklessness fall under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code. Damage arising because a permit condition or a working instruction was deliberately ignored is also rejected.
Record in advance how the surroundings looked
A a pre-construction structural survey with photographs of the adjoining properties is, on urban work, not an extra cost but the file with which you fend off or substantiate a claim. Report a claim as soon as is reasonably possible (Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code) and never admit liability to a neighbour yourself. What you declare on the application about the type of foundation, the construction method and the nature of the adjoining properties falls under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code; an incomplete picture can cost you the payout through Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Is damage to the neighbour's building covered?
Only through the liability cover, and only if you are liable. For damage caused by piling, vibrating or dewatering, a separate clause or an exclusion often applies. Have it assessed before work starts whether those risks are insured; on inner-city projects this is usually the most important point of the whole policy.
What is a pre-work survey and is it compulsory?
A pre-work survey is a structural inspection of the surrounding buildings before work starts, recorded with photographs and a report. Insurers often set it as a condition for vibration-sensitive work. Even without a policy obligation it is sensible: without a baseline survey, any crack next door is later difficult to attribute to another cause.
Who has to take out the CAR policy on an urban project?
That follows from the specification or the building contract. Often the main contractor arranges the policy and the client and subcontractors are included as co-insured. On larger developments the client takes it out. Make sure there is one policy on which all the parties involved are named, otherwise the insurer can recover the loss from an uninsured party.
Is lost turnover of shops next to the site insured?
No. That is pure financial loss without physical damage to property, and it falls outside both the CAR policy and the usual liability cover. Only where there is physical damage, for example a damaged shopfront, can the consequential loss flowing from it come into play. Nuisance in itself is not an insurable risk.
What if the project overruns?
Then the construction period on the policy has to be extended, and before the original period expires. Damage after the end of the insured period is not covered, even if the works is in full swing. On inner-city projects with permit procedures and agreements with the neighbourhood, overrunning is the rule rather than the exception; set a reminder for it.
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 construction and erection workThe works in progress, sections, maintenance period
- Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for foundation workSettlement damage, piling, dewatering
- Temporary construction all risks (CAR) insuranceOne project, term, extension
- Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for renovationExisting buildings, asbestos, occupied condition
- Construction all risks (CAR) insurance for property developersThe client's role, co-insured, after handover
Read more
Within Car verzekering
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Building between existing properties?
Request a quote without obligation. We check the clauses on vibration, dewatering and adjoining properties.
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.