A beach pavilion is hospitality on sand: the structure stands unprotected by the sea, the business runs in seasons, and the local authority or the water board sets requirements for what may be left standing.
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
Insurers assess a beach pavilion not as a restaurant but as a structure in an unembanked zone. What matters is the construction (pile foundations, timber frame, demountable wall panels), the distance to the high-water mark and whether the pavilion stays up all year or is dismantled each autumn. Two pavilions a hundred metres apart can therefore fall into different acceptance classes.
The cover consists of three layers that are assessed separately: the building or tenant's improvements, the business contents and stock including the terrace fit-out, and the liability for guests and staff. As the owner of the building you are liable under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code for defective structural parts, and for mistakes by your serving staff under Article 6:170 DCC.
The fourth element is continuity. Damage in the first week of the high season costs not weeks but a whole trading year, because a pavilion cannot make up the shortfall outside the season. That calls for a deliberate choice of indemnity period on your business interruption insurance or, if you can carry on with a temporary kitchen, for additional costs insurance.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
The basics
Liability
AVB for property damage and injury, BAV for professional errors.
Damage to third parties
Employers' liability
Care, custody and control as an extension
Your business
Assets and continuity
Business contents, goods and lost turnover during downtime.
Business contents at replacement value as new
Goods at cost price
Business interruption or additional costs
If you employ people
Staff
Sickness absence, accidents and the traffic risk.
Continued pay for 104 weeks
Group personal accident
WEGAS for traffic risks
What is covered
Situation
AVB
BAV
Cyber
Injury to a visitor or customer
Yes
No
No
Damage to a client's property
Sometimes
No
No
Financial loss caused by an advisory or calculation error
No
Yes
No
Downtime after a ransomware attack
No
No
Yes
Data breach involving personal data
No
Sometimes
Yes
Damage to property in your care
No
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.
Storm and water from the sea are two different covers
Buildings or business contents cover pays for storm damage as soon as the wind reaches the force stated in the conditions. Water that runs into the pavilion over or past the foot of the dunes at spring tide or in a north-westerly storm is not storm damage but flooding, and that is excluded on almost every policy. So ask expressly how the insurer classifies water from the sea and whether a separate clause has been drawn up for it.
Assembly and dismantling are a risk period of their own
With a demountable pavilion the most vulnerable weeks are outside the season. Wall panels, terrace decking and kitchen equipment are dismantled, carried across the beach and stored elsewhere. Damage during that transport and storage is not automatically covered by the buildings or business contents cover. A separate provision is needed for that. Record where the winter storage is and whether that space meets the requirements of the policy.
The terrace is mainly a liability question
A parasol that breaks loose, a windbreak that falls over or a rotten decking board hits guests. As the owner of the building you are then liable under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code, even without any fault on your part. Your AVB covers that injury, but not the replacement of the parasol itself and not damage to property of guests in your care, such as coats handed in or a stored surfboard.
Report what stays up over the winter
An empty pavilion outside the season is a different risk from a staffed one. Insurers therefore set requirements for the winter period: draining water pipes, removing gas cylinders, disconnecting equipment from the power supply and keeping the burglar alarm in operation. If the actual situation differs from what you declared at the start, that affects the duty of disclosure under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code and the insurer can reduce the payment under Article 7:930 DCC.
What does your premium depend on?
Construction and foundations. Pile foundations, timber frame or a permanent masonry core; demountable or standing all year.
Position in relation to the high-water mark. Distance to the sea and the protection offered by the dune ridge or a groyne.
Form of operation. A seasonal pavilion with a winter break or open all year, including evening opening hours.
Kitchen and extraction. Deep fryers, a wood-fired oven or open flames, and the maintenance regime for ducts and grease filters.
Business contents and terrace fit-out. Sum insured including the beer dispensing system, refrigeration, furniture, parasols and windbreaks.
Security outside the season. Intruder detection, camera surveillance and whether the pavilion is emptied in winter.
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.
Is damage caused by seawater covered on my pavilion insurance?
Usually not. Damage caused by wind falls under the storm cover, but seawater entering the pavilion is classed as flooding and that is excluded as standard. Some insurers draw up a separate clause with its own conditions for hospitality businesses outside the dyke. Have it recorded how your policy draws this distinction, because in an autumn storm wind and water almost always occur together.
What does the insurer expect during the winter break?
Usually that you drain the pipes, remove gas cylinders, switch off equipment and move valuable contents to a locked store. If the pavilion stands empty, more restricted conditions often apply to burglary and water damage. These requirements appear as a clause on the policy schedule. If you do not comply with them, the insurer can reduce or refuse payment.
Am I liable if a parasol hits a guest?
As the owner of the building and the fittings you are liable under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code for injury caused by a defective structure, even without fault. If it went wrong because a member of staff did not take the parasol down in time, liability runs through Article 6:170 DCC. Your public and employers' liability insurance (AVB) covers the injury. It does not cover replacing the parasol itself.
How long should my indemnity period for business interruption be?
Count from the moment you are trading at full turnover again, not from reopening. With a beach pavilion that almost always means more than twelve months: a fire in June costs the current season, and rebuilding on the beach can only start outside the storm season. A period covering two seasons fits better.
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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