Covers damage to buildings as a result of earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.
Basic cover insures these costs at an amount of up to CHF 20,000. This option can be used to increase this amount.
Increase in cost coverage for living expenses, clearance, disposal, etc. beyond the 20% already insured under basic cover.
This covers damage to plants and outdoor objects, e.g. lawns, ornamental shrubs or trees, flagstone and gravel paths, and fountains.
This emergency service is on hand immediately, e.g. if you lock yourself out, the heating breaks down or a wasp nest causes a disturbance.
Covers internal and external damage to installed building services such as heating, solar or photovoltaic systems.
This cover is usually only necessary for single- or multi-family homes that are not owner-occupied, as it is otherwise usually included in personal liability insurance.
In Switzerland, buildings insurance for fire/natural hazards is compulsory in most cantons. The exact conditions and cover may vary from canton to canton. In a few cantons (Geneva, Ticino, Appenzell Innerrhoden (except the district of Oberegg) and Valais), it is not compulsory to take out buildings insurance against fire and damage caused by natural hazards.
In the majority of cantons in Switzerland, it is compulsory to take out insurance against damage to buildings caused by fire and natural hazards. However, there is no obligation to insure against other risks such as water or glass damage.
In a few cantons, it is not compulsory to take out buildings insurance against damage caused by natural hazards and fire: Geneva, Ticino, Appenzell Innerrhoden (except the district of Oberegg) and Valais.
The GUSTAVO cantons are seven Swiss cantons in which insurance for damage to buildings caused by natural hazards and fire is not taken out through a cantonal institution, but through private insurance companies:
Geneva, Uri, Schwyz, Ticino, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Valais, Obwalden
The most important distinction is what they cover:
Buildings insurance covers the building itself. As a rule, this includes the building fabric, such as walls, the roof, permanently installed facilities (e.g. sanitary facilities) and, depending on the construction method, floor coverings. What exactly counts towards the building is set out in the specification standards. In cantons with cantonal insurance institutions, you can find these on their websites. In the GUSTAVO cantons (where damage caused by natural hazards and fire is also insured privately), the insurance company provides these standards.
Household contents insurance protects the movable property in your household. This includes furniture, electronic devices, clothing, jewelry and other personal items.
Buildings insurance protects the house, while household contents insurance covers the contents inside the house.
Only with both insurances together is your property fully protected.
No, the garden is not part of the building for insurance purposes and is therefore not insured. With additional cover such as accidental damage to cultivated areas or external insurance, you can insure elements such as planting, enclosures, lighting, biotopes, swimming pools, etc. Certain structures can also be insured via buildings insurance, such as letterboxes that are not part of the main building, or swimming pools (including covers).
The insurance contract is automatically transferred to the purchaser together with the building. If the purchaser does not wish to continue the insurance contract, they can refuse the change of ownership, i.e. terminate the insurance contract within a statutory period of 30 days from the date of the transfer of ownership. The declaration must be received by the insurer no later than on the last day of this period. It is important that the purchaser takes out new insurance coverage immediately, otherwise there will be a gap in cover.
The cost of buildings insurance cannot be quantified in general terms, as every building is unique. The decisive factor is which risks you want to insure: What is the construction value of your property and what special features does it have?
For example, the costs may vary depending on the location. In some cantons, fire and natural hazards insurance must be taken out with the cantonal insurance company. In the GUSTAVO cantons, these risks can only be covered via private companies.
Another decisive factor is the extent to which the building is to be protected: In addition to Classic cover, such as for water damage or glass breakage insurance, Zurich also offers you comprehensive All Risk insurance. This covers all damage that is not explicitly excluded – and therefore more than with any other insurance solution.
With Classic buildings insurance, damage caused by water or fire/natural hazards (depending on the canton) can be covered, for example. So you are protected against common risks. If necessary, you can extend your cover individually with various supplementary insurances.
All Risk buildings insurance goes one step further: Not only are the classic risks covered, but all damage that is not explicitly excluded. This means: You are also covered if something happens to you or someone else in your home – or if someone maliciously damages your home. With All Risk buildings insurance, you enjoy all-round protection because more damage is covered than with any other insurance solution.
All Risk buildings insurance covers more damage than individual cover modules or other solutions could. Protection is therefore particularly comprehensive, and Zurich is one of the pioneers in this area. Only explicitly stated exclusions are excluded from the cover.
Example claims:
