The insurers calculate the premium for home building insurance based on the size, living space, construction, age, value and location of the house. Anyone who lives in a new building and not in a flood area pays less than someone who lives in an old building directly on the river.
Cheap tariffs – including protection against natural hazards – for a new house with around 140 square meters of living space can start at just 150 to 200 euros, but there are hardly any upper limits to the contributions.
The location of the house is crucial for the insurance premium – especially if you want to insure against natural hazards. Insurers use a very specific system to classify how at risk a house is: the ZÜRS zones.
These risk classes are broken down according to the statistical flood frequency. There are four levels in total. ZÜRS Zone 1 is very safe; statistically, there are floods there less than every 200 years.
According to an analysis by the GDV, more than 90 percent of homeowners live in this zone. However, 0.5 percent of all houses are in the most endangered zone – ZÜRS zone 4. Statistically, a flood occurs there once every ten years.
These zones are not even fixed forever, but can change constantly. One more flood – and the statistical flood frequency within a certain period of time can increase, which can affect the ZÜRS zone. With consequences: Many insurers fundamentally refuse insurance coverage to homeowners in ZÜRS zone 4.
Heavy rain hazard classes are also integrated into ZÜRS. The highest risk class includes objects that are located in a valley or near a stream. Buildings located at the top of a slope or on a hilltop are at the least risk. According to GDV, around twelve percent of all addresses are in the highest risk class and 23 percent are in the lowest.
Even if there is a uniform system with ZÜRS: Most insurers use other factors as a basis when calculating the premium for natural hazards. Therefore, a different contribution may be due for each individual address. In the GDV consumer portal “The Insurers” you can find out how at risk you are in the natural hazard check for your postal code.
There is no legal obligation to take out residential building insurance, although this is often discussed after flood disasters. However, you should strongly consider taking one out.
