Nationally or locally listed · duty to restore · valuation
Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for a listed building
With a listed building it is not the risk that is different but the duty to restore: after damage you may only rebuild in the original state, and that amount should be in the sum insured.
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 situation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
A nationally or locally listed building is subject to a duty of preservation. After a fire or storm damage you may not replace the damaged part with a modern, cheaper solution: the same brick bond, the same lime mortar, the same profile in the plasterwork, the same hand-formed tile. That is craft work by specialist firms, and it takes longer than ordinary repair.
That is why an ordinary rebuild value calculator does not work here. It calculates with square metres and standard building costs and comes out structurally too low. The right basis is a valuation under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code by an expert who reflects the heritage requirements in the value. That valuation carries a period of validity; once it expires, you fall back on the ordinary arrangement and therefore on underinsurance.
The third factor is time. Restoration requires permission from the local authority or the Cultural Heritage Agency. That procedure runs on while you are living elsewhere or while rent is lost. So check how long the policy pays additional costs and loss of rent.
What does buildings insurance for a listed building cover?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Most chosen
Extended cover
The named perils: fire, storm, water, burglary and collision.
Fire, smoke and lightning strike
Storm from force 7 upwards
Water damage and leakage
Burglary damage
Widest form of cover
Comprehensive
All sudden and unforeseen damage from outside, unless excluded.
Unnamed causes included
A small mishap while doing DIY
Less discussion when you claim
The essentials
Basis of value
Rebuild value with a guarantee against underinsurance, or a valuation.
Rebuild value calculator
Valuation under 7:960 DCC
Guarantee on your policy schedule
What is covered
Situation
Extended
Comprehensive
Fire, smoke and lightning damage
Yes
Yes
Storm damage from force 7 upwards
Yes
Yes
Water damage from a burst pipe
Yes
Yes
Burglary damage to doors and frames
Yes
Yes
Drilling through a pipe while doing DIY
No
Yes
Subsidence, pile rot and deferred maintenance
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.
The valuation is the heart of this policy
Have the rebuild value set by a valuer who visits the property and names the heritage elements: paintwork in traditional paint, stained glass, carved facade stones, a carved staircase. A valuation under Article 7:960 DCC binds the insurer to the agreed value as long as it is valid. Put the expiry date in your diary; an expired valuation is in practice the most common cause of underinsurance with listed buildings.
Report the listed status, including for a locally listed building
Insurers ask about national listed status, but a local designation or a protected townscape brings restrictions too. If you withhold that, the insurer calculates with ordinary building costs and your sum insured is too low on precisely the most expensive element. Reliance on Article 7:928 DCC may also follow. Also report which parts exactly are protected. Sometimes the designation applies only to the exterior or to a single interior feature.
The chimney, wiring and heating installation determine acceptance
Most fires in old properties start in an unlined brick flue, in out-of-date wiring in timber floors, or with a wood burner standing too close to combustible material. Insurers set specific requirements here: periodic sweeping with a certificate, an inspection of the installation, sometimes a liner in the flue. Those requirements appear as prevention conditions on your policy schedule; if they are ignored, the fire cover lapses.
What the duty to restore does not cover
Deferred maintenance is excluded, and with listed buildings that is looked at strictly: rotten woodwork, washed-out pointing and a leaking gutter are maintenance, not damage. Attack by woodworm, house longhorn beetle or dry rot also falls outside cover, as does gradual damp. Improvement beyond the original state is not paid for, and neither are repairs to foundations; see foundation damage.
Open fires and chimneys
Old properties often carry additional requirements for chimneys, wood burners and wiring. Comply with them, otherwise the fire cover lapses.
A guarantee against underinsurance is not automatic
If you fill in the insurer's rebuild value calculator correctly, you will usually receive a guarantee against underinsurance: in the event of a claim the actual amount is paid, even if the sum insured turns out to be too low. Your policy schedule states whether you have that guarantee. Without it, the proportionality rule applies, and that also affects small claims.
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.
Why is a rebuild value calculator not enough for a listed building?
Because it calculates with volume and standard building costs. With a listed building you have to restore with the original materials and techniques, carried out by specialist firms and after a permit. Those costs are considerably higher than ordinary building costs. The right basis is a valuation under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code in which the duty to restore is reflected, with an explicit period of validity on the report.
What happens if my valuation has expired?
The binding effect of the valued amount then lapses and the insurer assesses the claim afresh on the basis of the actual rebuild value. If the sum insured is below that, a proportionate payment follows. With listed buildings that difference is large, because the modern building costs that would then be used are far removed from craft restoration. Have the valuation renewed in good time.
Do I have to report a locally listed building too?
Yes. A local designation or a location in a protected townscape also imposes restrictions on how you may restore, and therefore on the costs. Also report which parts are protected. Withholding it falls under the duty of disclosure in Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code and on a claim can lead to a reduction or refusal of payment under Article 7:930 DCC.
How long is alternative accommodation paid for?
That appears as a period in the conditions and is a point to watch with listed buildings, because restoration can only start after permission from the local authority or the Cultural Heritage Agency. That procedure takes time during which you are living elsewhere or rental income is lost. When taking out the policy, check what period it applies for additional costs and loss of rent, and whether it can be extended.
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.
