Business contents insurance: values, events and premiums
Business property cover concerns insured assets and agreed loss events. A suitable quote specifies sites, values, risks and settlement rules as well as price. Buildings, transport and technical breakdown need clear boundaries.
Identify the business assets
Separate fittings, tools, devices and stock. Explicitly consider rented, leased or entrusted items. An office with laptops has different value concentrations from a warehouse with seasonal stock.
Fixed installations may be classified differently from movable contents. In rented premises, clarify what belongs to you and what forms part of the building. Simply being inside a building does not settle that boundary.
Compare specific loss events
Fire, water and burglary are different risks. Glass, natural events and other damage may have separate rules. Earthquake is not automatically equivalent to every natural-hazard cover.
| Event | What to check |
|---|---|
| Fire and natural events | Which events, assets and deductibles are agreed? |
| Water | Which causes and exclusions apply? |
| Theft | Distinguish burglary, robbery and simple theft. |
| Glass or damage | Are the desired glazing and losses included? |
| Technical breakdown | Is property cover sufficient or is a technical extension needed? |
Clarify insured sum and valuation
Book, replacement and market values differ. Ask how equipment and stock are settled and how the insured sum is calculated. An estimate helps with the first request; an appropriate sum matters when concluding cover.
Too low a sum may limit settlement or cause a reduction under the terms. New purchases, seasonal peaks and changing prices need regular review. Indexation follows price movements but does not replace reporting additional assets.
Consider sites and use
Declare offices, warehouses, workshops and other sites to protect. Check assets away from normal premises: in transit, at worksites or with customers. Main-site cover does not automatically apply everywhere.
Use and protection measures may affect assessment. Ask about security, maintenance and change-reporting duties. Cantonal rules and rental, loan or leasing requirements need separate checking.
Separate replacement and lost earnings
Replacing a damaged device does not automatically pay continuing rent or lost revenue. Appropriate interruption or extra-cost cover must be agreed. Check its insured trigger and duration.
Consider a realistic restart time and available alternatives. Digital data, pure cyber incidents and every delivery delay are not covered simply by property insurance.
Use identical values to compare quotes
Values, activity, sites, events, deductibles and extensions affect premiums. Without a precise scope there is no reliable general price.
| Quote item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Value and basis | Use the same values and settlement assumptions. |
| Events and limits | Compare identical risks and sublimits. |
| Deductibles | Consider your own share per loss as well as annual premium. |
| Additional expenses | Explicitly check clearance, disposal and extra costs. |
| Interruption | Compare trigger, indemnity period and calculation basis. |
Start with a short asset overview
Activity, asset groups, approximate total value and main sites suffice initially. Device and stock details can follow later. A complete uploaded inventory is not needed for first contact.
Before concluding cover, compare the proposal with actual use. Keep evidence of major values and update the policy when things change. The request itself does not create insurance cover.
Frequently asked questions
Is this personal home contents cover?
Business assets and personal household contents differ. Professional devices and stock at home are not automatically fully insured privately.
Are machines covered?
Inclusion and insured events depend on the policy. Fire and internal mechanical breakdown are different risks.
Does cover apply in transit?
Not automatically. Off-site assets, worksites and transport need contractual checking.
Are rented devices included?
Clarify this explicitly. Ownership and contractual duties help define the scope.
What is underinsurance?
The agreed sum is too low relative to the relevant insured value. Consequences and reductions depend on the terms.
Must I know the exact value?
An estimate or an undecided value suffices initially. The appropriate valuation basis should be clarified before concluding cover.
