Insurance for Glass Items Explained

The popular belief that broken glass brings good luck does little to console you when your expensive glass showcase or table ends up shattered. Glass holds a prominent and often expensive place in many modern homes, so it makes sense that insurance companies give you the option of insuring glass items.

Damaged glass: Who pays for what?

A difference is made between glass furniture, and glass that is considered a part of a building. Glass furniture can be insured by adding an insurance rider for glass breakage to your household insurance policy. Damages to glass that is part of a building can be covered by either liability insurance (as a renter) or by buildings insurance (as a home owner).

What should I know as a renter?

As a renter, you can choose to insure your glass furniture. If you accidentally damage glass items that are part of your rented home, the damages are covered by your personal liability insurance because it is not your own property.

How can I insure glass furniture?

Glass furniture insurance complements your household insurance by covering damages to items like glass tables, glass showcases, and aquariums. Depending on the insurance provider, natural stone furnishings might also be covered.

Damages to glassware such as dining utensils, hand mirrors, optical instruments, light bulbs, neon tubes and glass on electronics or electric appliances are normally not covered.

How can I insure glass items that are part of my home?

If you own a property, you have the option of insuring structural glass as well as the building. Besides windows and glass facades, glass home components also includes ceramics in the kitchen and bathroom, for example.

How much does glass insurance cost?

Premiums for glass furnishings insurance vary depending on the insurer and the amount of coverage you need. Typically, the lowest amount of coverage you can get with household insurance policies ranges between 1000 and 2000 francs. Limits on coverage range between around 3000 francs and unlimited coverage (in this case, coverage is limited to the sum insured by your household insurance policy).

Example of premiums for glass coverage from Swiss household insurance providers*

*3-room apartment. Zurich. 1 person. Deductible: CHF 200. Household insurance sum insured: CHF 100,000.

Is there a deductible?

Most glass insurance riders have an insurance deductible, or use the general deductible of your household insurance.

Example: You own a glass showcase valued at 150 francs and a glass table worth 800 francs. You get glass insurance with a sum insured of 1000 francs and a deductible of 200 francs. If your showcase were to break, your insurance would not pay out any benefit at all because the value of the vase is lower than your deductible. If your expensive glass table were damaged, you would receive a 600-franc benefit from your insurer (800 francs minus the 200 franc deductible).

More on this topic:
Swiss household insurance compared
Swiss liability insurance compared
What does Swiss household insurance actually cover?