What is Natural Hazard Insurance?

Standard building insurance covers fire, pipe water, storm and hail. Of all the ways water gets into a basement, it only includes pipe water damage, i.e. damage from burst pipes or defective fixtures. Damage from natural events such as flooding, sewer backflow, or heavy rain is excluded.

Natural hazard insurance closes this gap. It typically covers: flooding and high water, sewer backflow, landslides and subsidence, earthquakes, and snow pressure and avalanches.

The premium depends on the ZÜRS zone (zoning system for flooding, backflow, and heavy rain) where the building is located. Zone 1 has the lowest risk, Zone 4 the highest: there, statistically, flooding is expected at least once every ten years. In some high-risk areas, obtaining coverage can be difficult or expensive.

Important: Many insurers require preventive measures as a condition — such as functioning backflow protection or regular maintenance of drainage systems. Neglecting these obligations risks reduced payouts in the event of a claim.

Drainbee doesn't take over any obligation under your natural hazard insurance: you still have to install and service backflow protection. What it can contribute: the level history in the app shows when the water rose in the shaft and whether the pump was running. That helps reconstruct how a loss happened.

Beyond that, Drainbee minimizes the risk of damage itself: early alerting for pump failure or rising water levels can make the difference between an avoided incident and a five-figure claim.