Liability and Insurance

What has to be insured

Business liability insurance covers damage to other people's property — scratched parquet flooring, a damaged door frame, a mishap in the stairwell, damage to the façade when a furniture lift (Möbellift) is used. Without that cover, you carry the risk that the provider cannot pay if something goes wrong.

Ask for proof of insurance before you place the order. A serious company produces it without hesitation. Pay attention to the sum insured: for work in high-value properties it should run into several million.

Undeclared labour is your risk too

Anyone employing people without registering them for social insurance is breaching Swiss law on undeclared work (Schwarzarbeitsgesetz). For you as the client this is not only an ethical question: if an uninsured worker is injured on your property, you can end up being held liable.

Warning signs of undeclared labour: strikingly low prices, cash payment without a receipt, no verifiable company identity, no invoice showing a VAT number, and constantly changing, untrained workers with no company clothing.

What the insurance does not cover

As a rule not covered are: damage that already existed beforehand; the value of items disposed of by mistake, if they were not marked as items to be kept; and pure financial loss without physical damage. That is why it matters to state clearly before the clearance which items are to be secured.