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When your home is damaged, life is suddenly upended. There’s the immediate stress of staying safe, looking after your family, and protecting your belongings from further harm. The last thing you feel like doing is dealing with paperwork.

It’s east to feel unprepared when dealing with your insurer. However, when damage strikes, it’s crucial to understand your policy and collect the right evidence. This will help protect your rights and give your insurer the information they need to assess your claim.

Understand your policy terms

Before taking action, take a moment to review your home building policy. That includes checking what is – and isn’t – included in your cover and make a list of questions for your insurer.

For example, it’s essential to know how your policy treats emergency works, mitigation duties and excluded events, as repairs not authorised by your insurer may not be covered. They may also be able to arrange for temporary accommodation to keep you safe and ease the financial burden.

Most policies require you to notify the insurer ‘as soon as practicable’ rather than within a fixed number of days. This means you should contact the insurer once you are safe and have a reasonable understanding of what has occurred – not necessarily immediately, but without unnecessary delay. Clear and timely communication helps avoid disputes about unauthorised repairs or whether late notice affected your insurer’s ability to assess the damage.

Gather and preserve evidence

Collecting the evidence to support your claim is one of the most important steps after property damage occurs:

• Photograph and video all affected areas and items, and record key details such as dates, times and the sequence of events.
• Where possible, don’t get rid of damaged items before the insurer has had an opportunity to inspect it, as this could affect your claim.
• Keep receipts from any urgent expenses, especially if temporary accommodation or emergency safety works are required.

Once you have secured the property and gathered the necessary information, contact your insurer to discuss next steps. They can guide you through the claims process and explain what further documents they will need.

Make a note of each time you contact your insurer and the key information. This will help if your claim is questioned or delayed.

Don’t be afraid to ask for expert help

When your home is damaged, you deserve support – not more stress. If your claim is complex or you’re not sure how to proceed, seek advice from an experienced lawyer. They can help you interpret your policy, gather the right evidence, and communicate effectively with your insurer.

The best time to resolve a dispute with your home building insurance claim is before it gets denied by your insurer. Seeking legal advice early in the process from a specialist who understands the process, the language and the key issues can help you navigate the claims process smoothly and with confidence.

It’s important to stay informed and proactive throughout the claims process, but you don’t have to go it alone. Taking a structured approach by understanding your policy, gathering evidence and communicating clearly and regularly, with expert help if needed, helps ensure a smoother claims process and protect your rights.

Our previous article looked at how to prepare for a home building claim before damage occurs.

This article was published on 15 April, 2026 by Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers and is based on the relevant state of the law (legislation, regulations and case law) at that date for the jurisdiction in which it is published. Please note this article does not constitute legal advice. If you ever need legal advice or want to discuss a legal problem, please contact us to see if we can help. You can reach us on 1800 059 278 or via the Contact us page on our website (www.codea.com.au).