Does building insurance provide coverage for damage incurred by DIY?
You can keep the cost of a remodel low by doing it yourself. This way the cost is limited to the cost of materials and the necessary free time. But beware! In case of damage, there may be problems with the building insurance. The insurance company can recover damages caused by a mistake during the renovation from the person who did the renovation. What if you have rebuilt yourself?
You want to make the living room several square meters larger. Outsourcing the work will cost you, say, €20,000. You work in construction yourself and have done this job many times before, so you are going to do it yourself. Now the investment is limited to the cost of materials. For €6,000, the extension is ready. After the first heavy rain it turns out that the extension is not completely watertight. The damage to your house amounts to €1,000. Fortunately, you have building insurance that provides coverage. But will the insurer pay out the €1,000?
Be able to provide an invoice in the event of a claim
In the example of the extension, if there is a claim, the insurer will find out whether it is actually insured on the building insurance policy. In the case of a recently installed extension, the insurer will be interested in further information. After all, if it turns out that the damage was caused by improper placement or workmanship, the insurer will want to recover damages from the builder of the addition. Did you build it yourself? Then the insurer may reject the claim if they can prove that the damage was caused by the remodeling. Still, there are options for insuring this type of damage.
Choose all-risk home insurance
Until a few years ago, extra comprehensive home insurance was the standard coverage offered by insurers. Within this building insurance there is coverage against damage caused by, among other things:
- Fire
- Storm
- Hail damage
- Lightning strike
- Falling trees on the house
Nowadays, the much broader all-risk home insurance policy is often chosen. The policy conditions do not list what is insured, but rather list a number of exclusions. Therefore, if it is not excluded, it is insured in the building insurance. Damage caused by your own mistake during the renovation is insured.
How is the house insured during remodeling?
For insurance purposes, the insurer does not assume you live in a construction site. Intensive remodeling of a house takes extra risks. This is also the reason that damage during a renovation is not insured on the building insurance. For example, leakage damage in an extension that is not yet watertight is not insured.
Holding the contractor liable for damages
Are you having your home remodeled by a contractor? If so, you can hold the contractor liable for the damage in the event of damage. The contents or building insurance may cover the damage. In that case, submit the damage to the insurer. The insurer will then take over the recovery process.
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