Construction insurance in Belgium: complete overview

The construction insurance landscape in Belgium was deeply renewed by the Peeters law of 31 May 2017 in force since 1 July 2018. Before this reform, only architects were legally required to take out ten-year insurance; contractors, sometimes financially fragile, left their clients without recourse in case of bankruptcy. From now on, all shell-and-core stakeholders must present a ten-year insurance certificate at site start. For a buyer or principal, understanding the types of construction insurance and knowing which to contractually demand has become an essential reflex of estate protection.

The four families of construction insurance

The Belgian market is structured around four major coverage categories, two of which are today mandatory and two strongly recommended.

Ten-year insurance (mandatory) covers for 10 years the defects of solidity and water-tightness of the works. Imposed by the Peeters law on all shell-and-core actors of a dwelling (architects, contractors, engineers, design offices, structural engineers). See our dedicated ten-year liability cluster for details.

Contractor’s All Risks (CAR) insurance covers material damage occurring during works: fire, theft, vandalism, weather, partial collapse. Subscribed by the principal or delegated to the main contractor, it is strongly recommended for any site above €200,000. See contractor’s all risks insurance.

Professional liability covers the civil liability of stakeholders for damage caused to third parties during execution (passers-by, neighbours, other companies). It is required by the architects’ order for its members and included in most contractor ten-year policies.

Damage-to-works insurance (little widespread in Belgium, common in France) allows the principal to be compensated directly by the insurer without waiting for responsibility determination. It remains reserved for large projects or sophisticated developers.

Mandatory ten-year since the Peeters law: what changed

Construction insurance belgium shifted in July 2018. From now on, before any site start, the contractor or architect must provide the principal with a nominative certificate mentioning: their identity, principal’s identity, site address, policy vintage, caps and excesses, validity duration.

Without this certificate, the contractor may not legally start on a residential dwelling. The principal starting without claiming it exposes themselves to a coverage default in case of major loss within 10 years. To verify the validity of a certificate, consult the list of approved insurers via Assuralia (professional union of insurance companies) and the official documentation of the FPS Justice on real property.

A Peeters insurance default observed on a site should lead to an immediate suspension of works and a formal notice. The firm Mon Etat Des Lieux systematically verifies certificates as part of its Breyne Law support.

CAR site: protection during the site

Contractor’s All Risks insurance is less known but often decisive. It covers only the construction phase, up to provisional reception. Typical coverages: fire (lightning, short-circuit, overheating), water damage (pipe rupture, infiltrations), storm (wind > 80 km/h), hail, vandalism and theft of materials, partial collapse.

A site uninsured CAR that catches fire can represent a clean loss of several hundred thousand euros for the principal — especially if the contractor goes bankrupt after the loss. Average CAR cost: 0.3 to 0.8% of the works amount, or €900 to €2,400 for a site at €300,000. Profitable investment given the covered risk.

Case study: bankrupt contractor and Peeters ten-year

A representative case followed by the firm: house received in 2021 presents in 2025 progressive cracks affecting the master beam of the living room. Ten-year diagnosis confirmed by adversarial expertise. Repair cost: €38,400 excl. VAT.

The contractor, since in judicial reorganisation, has no cash to intervene. Without the Peeters law, the buyer would have had no useful recourse. With the Peeters certificate provided in 2020 at site start, the ten-year insurer fully indemnifies after 7 months of amicable procedure. The principal recovers 100% of their loss — less the €2,500 excess provided in the policy.

This case illustrates the cardinal value of the Peeters certificate: without it, you buy the ten-year on the contractor’s solvency, not on that of an insurer.

Pitfalls to avoid in site insurance management

• Starting without having received the nominative Peeters certificate: demand it by registered letter before the first dig.
• Believing the ten-year covers everything: it only applies to disorders affecting solidity or water-tightness, not aesthetic defects or detachable equipment (two-year warranty).
• Neglecting CAR on a site > €200,000: a fire can wipe out the site without recourse.
• Forgetting to verify annual validity: some policies must be renewed during the site; demand the updated certificate at each year.
• Confusing professional liability and ten-year: professional liability covers damage to third parties during works; the ten-year covers defects of the works after reception.

What to verify before signing

Before signing the construction contract, demand in writing: (1) Peeters nominative ten-year certificate for the main contractor and each shell-and-core subcontractor, (2) professional liability certificate of the architect, (3) CAR coverage for site duration, (4) excess and caps explained. The firm offers an insurance audit before site — full verification of coverages, beneficiaries, caps. Request a free quote or also consult our defects expertise if you suspect a covered defect on your dwelling.