Insuring your safe: how to get full protection
What requirements insurers really impose, which amounts apply without a safe, and how certification, anchoring, and alarm systems affect your coverage.
by Tim Herberger, Fachredaktion bei Bremer Tresor
A safe provides physical protection first and foremost. To ensure it also serves its purpose for insurance purposes, certain conditions must be met. Knowing these conditions can secure you significantly higher coverage for the same device.
Your insurance policy is always the deciding factor, not general market practice. The insurance-related requirements for the safe are explicitly stated therein. Everything you read here serves as a guideline to help you prepare for the conversation with your insurer.
Four steps to insurance coverage
- Check insurance terms. Find the requirements for your safe in your insurance policy. It will state the required resistance grade, weight, and anchoring method.
- Purchase a certified safe. Look for the certification label on the inside of the door. Without it, the safe is considered uncertified, regardless of how solidly it is built.
- Collect documentation. Receipts, bank statements, or photos of the contents. For high-value items, also include a professional appraisal from a jeweler. In the event of a claim, this is the difference between a payout and a debate.
- Get it insured. Once the conditions are met, the insurance company will cover theft of and damage to the safe.
What insurers typically require
- Certification
- All insurers require official certification that guarantees the resistance grade. Recognized testing institutes include VdS, ECB-S, VSÖ, and IMP.
- Combination lock
- Some insurers explicitly require an electronic lock. The reason is logical: there is no key that a burglar could find nearby. Learn more under safe locks.
- Professional anchoring
- For safes weighing under 1,000 kilograms, many insurers require professional anchoring. Our technicians can perform this upon request and issue a certificate; see delivery and installation.
- Minimum weight
- Some insurers specify a minimum weight in addition to the security level. This does not conflict with the anchoring requirement but acts as a second hurdle to prevent the safe from being carried away.
What is covered without a safe
Home contents insurance also covers valuables without a safe, albeit only up to comparatively low limits. These are typical market guidelines:
| Valuable item | Typical limit without a safe |
|---|---|
| Cash | €1,000 to €10,000 |
| Securities | €3,000 to €5,000 |
| Jewelry | up to €20,000 |
Guidelines of the insurance industry. Your insurer decides on a case-by-case basis.
Higher amounts require a certified safe/secure storage unit. You can calculate which grade corresponds to which amount using the calculator in our guide: Safe Security Levels.
If the safe is connected to an intruder alarm system, many insurers significantly increase the recognized coverage amount, often doubling it. Only some of our models are prepared for this; it does not depend on the resistance grade. Feel free to ask us about it.
