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 floating home, a converted vessel or a houseboat does not fall under ordinary buildings insurance (opstalverzekering). That is written for a building standing on foundations. Your home floats and has a hull that hangs in the water. There is separate houseboat insurance for that, bringing together the hull, the superstructure and the systems. Which version you need depends on the classification: a converted vessel is assessed differently from a floating home on a concrete pontoon.
The hull is the item that matters when a claim arises. A concrete pontoon and a steel hull both age, but in different ways and under a different inspection regime. Insurers therefore prescribe a periodic inspection of the underwater part. If that is not carried out, the insurer can point to that failure when a leak or cracking occurs; deferred maintenance is also excluded everywhere.
There is also more to the home than the houseboat itself: the jetty, the gangway, a storage locker ashore and the connections for water, electricity and sewerage. Those are covered only if you have declared them separately. Contents are insured on a policy of their own. See also boat insurance for the general structure.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Liability
Liability
Damage you cause to others with the vessel.
Collision and jetty damage
No legal obligation
Often required by the marina
The vessel itself
Own-damage cover
Damage to the boat, the engine and the fixed equipment.
Fire, storm and sinking
Theft
Collision and grounding
Extensions
Extensions
What you add separately.
Trailer on the road
Occupants
Salvage and wreck removal
What is covered
Situation
Liability
Own-damage cover
Damage to another vessel or a jetty
Yes
No
Theft of the boat or the outboard motor
No
Provided that
Fire and storm damage in the berth or ashore
No
Yes
Sinking through a leak or through rainwater
No
Provided that
Salvage and removal of the wreck
Provided that
Provided that
Osmosis, wear and deferred maintenance
No
No
There is no statutory insurance requirement for pleasure craft. The WAM applies only to motor vehicles. Marinas, harbours and hire companies do generally require liability cover. Pay attention to the sailing area described and to the lay-up or winter storage period: outside the sailing area or during undeclared storage, cover may lapse.
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.
For the policy, your houseboat is not a home
Buildings insurance covers buildings permanently attached to the land. A floating home generally does not meet that test, so an application is refused or, worse, accepted and disputed only when a claim arises. So first check how your property is registered, including with the local authority and with your lender, and have a policy drawn up that is expressly written for floating homes or houseboats.
The hull has to be inspected under water periodically
Concrete can crack and steel gets thinner. Both processes are slow and are therefore not themselves covered. Insurers attach an inspection obligation to this, with an interval stated in your policy conditions. Keep the diving or thickness measurement report with your policy documents. If, after a leak, it turns out that the last inspection was years ago, the conversation shifts immediately to deferred maintenance.
The jetty, the gangway and the utility connections
If a visitor falls through a rotten plank in your gangway, you can be held liable as the possessor of a defective structure under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code, or otherwise through Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code. Whether the jetty and gangway fall under your cover is not a given: declare them separately with their value and keep up their maintenance, including the date of the last check.
The mooring is a permit, not a possession
The value of a floating home is closely tied to the mooring, but that mooring is generally a permit or a right of tenancy. If you lose it, the home has to be moved or the local authority changes the zoning plan, the resulting fall in value is not an insured loss. The costs of moving and mooring elsewhere temporarily also fall outside it in principle.
What does your premium depend on?
Rebuild or replacement value. The value of the hull and the superstructure together forms the basis, often established through a valuation.
Material and year of build of the hull. Concrete, steel and plastic age differently and each have their own inspection regime.
Most recent inspection report. The date and outcome of the most recent hull inspection help determine whether, and under what clause, the risk is accepted.
Mooring and type of water. A sheltered canal is judged differently from a mooring on open water with waves and commercial traffic.
Ancillary items covered as well. The jetty, gangway, store and utility connections count only if they have been declared with their value.
Excess and claims history. Earlier leaks or repairs to the foundations and hull count heavily in the assessment.
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.
Can I put my floating home on a buildings insurance policy?
Generally not. A buildings policy assumes a building permanently attached to the land, and a floating home generally does not meet that test. There is separate houseboat insurance that brings together the hull, the superstructure and the systems. Have the classification of your property established in advance, because a policy that does not fit the property only comes to light when a claim arises.
Are my home contents covered as well?
No, for that you take out separate home contents insurance (inboedelverzekering), just as for a house ashore. Do make sure the insurer knows that it is a floating home. Some contents policies exclude that or set additional conditions for cover against water and storm damage. Also state whether there is a store ashore.
Who is liable if a visitor falls off the gangway?
As the possessor of the structure you can be held liable, through Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code for a defective structure or through Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code for a wrongful omission. That liability often runs through your personal liability insurance (AVP), but the question is whether it covers the jetty and the gangway. Have that checked and keep demonstrable records of maintenance.
What if the houseboat has to be moved?
The costs of towing, mooring elsewhere temporarily and reconnecting utilities generally fall outside the cover, as does the fall in value from losing a mooring. That is not damage from a sudden event but a consequence of decision-making. Some insurers do offer cover for the transport risk itself; ask about that in advance.
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.
