Building insurance (owner)
The ECA covers fire and natural hazards; the rest, water damage, glass breakage, installations, falls to the building insurance of your villa or condominium.
Two minutes is all it takes: tell us who you are and what needs covering. We come back with compared quotes.
The essentials
In the canton of Vaud, insuring the building against fire and natural hazards is compulsory and falls to the ECA, the cantonal establishment. This base covers fire, storm, hail, flooding and the weight of snow. It does not, however, cover internal water damage, glass breakage or damage to technical installations.
Supplementary building insurance takes over: a leaking pipe, sewer backflow, broken glazing, a damaged heat pump or solar installation. For a villa and a condominium building (PPE) alike, it protects the value of the structure itself, an asset that often represents the bulk of your wealth.
A point often overlooked: any significant alteration must be reported. A conservatory, a converted attic or a new technical installation changes the insured value of the building. Without an update to the policy, you risk underinsurance and a reduced payout in the event of a claim. We check these amounts at every change.
What this insurance covers
-
Water damage to the building
A leaking pipe, sewer backflow, rainwater seepage: damage caused to the building itself, outside the ECA’s scope, is covered.
-
Glass breakage
The building’s glazing, conservatories, glass partitions and, depending on the cover chosen, glass-ceramic hobs and sanitary fittings made of fragile material.
-
Technical installations
Heat pump, solar installation, home automation, storage tank: dedicated extensions cover the building’s technology, ever more expensive to replace.
-
Costs following a claim
Leak detection, clearing, debris removal, temporary measures: ancillary costs that quickly inflate the bill and deserve to be insured.
-
Building owner’s liability
A falling roof tile, a defective step: as owner of the building, you can be held liable towards third parties.
Who it is for
- Owners of a villa or detached house in the canton of Vaud and across French-speaking Switzerland.
- Condominium owners’ associations (PPE) and their managing agents.
- Owners who renovate, extend or install a heat pump or solar panels.
- Landlords of an investment property or of a home let to tenants.
How we support you
-
Analysing your risks
What you have, what is missing, what overlaps: an honest assessment.
-
Competitive tenders
Several insurers approached against a precise specification, compared item by item.
-
Long-term follow-up
Set-up, renewals, claims: a single point of contact, year after year.
Frequently asked questions
What does the ECA cover and what does building insurance cover?
The ECA covers damage caused by fire and natural hazards, storm, hail, flooding, landslide, under Vaud cantonal law. Supplementary building insurance covers what remains: water, glass breakage, technical installations, ancillary costs. The two add up; the join between them still has to be right, and that is what we check policy by policy.
Is building insurance compulsory for a villa?
Only fire and natural hazards cover is compulsory in the canton of Vaud, through the ECA. The supplementary part remains optional in law, but water damage is among the most frequent claims affecting the home and is not covered by the ECA. The bank financing your property may also require full cover.
Who insures the building in a condominium (PPE)?
The community of co-owners insures the building as a whole; the premium is apportioned through the service charges. Each co-owner remains responsible for their own household contents and for fittings specific to their unit. We check that the condominium’s policy and your personal covers complement each other, with no overlap and no gap.
Do I need to report a renovation to my insurer?
Yes. An extension, a converted attic or a solar installation increases the value of the building. Without notification, the sum insured does not keep pace and you risk underinsurance: in the event of a claim, the payout may be reduced in proportion. The ECA must also be informed for the compulsory part.
Also worth exploring
Your quote request
Two minutes is all it takes: tell us who you are and what needs covering. We come back with compared quotes.
Which insurance covers do you need?
Step 1 / 3
Your request, in brief
The email is sent from your own mail client: no data is transmitted through this site. Supporting documents are exchanged via the secure client area, never by email.
Jules Rossier, non-tied insurance intermediary within the meaning of Art. 45 of the Insurance Supervision Act (ISA), registered with FINMA under no. F01581788.