What to expect when you’ve made a Home Buildings Insurance claim with NRMA Insurance

Whether you’ve submitted your claim online or over the phone – you’ll receive a confirmation email with a claim number. Keep this handy as this number helps us identify you and your claim in case you have any questions or concerns. Your confirmation email should also include a link to your Online Account, where you can track the progress of your claim and add any new details that are relevant to your claim, such as photographs or police reports. 

Your safety is our first priority which is why we will always ask if the claim you are submitting requires emergency or 'make safe' repairs. If so, we'll arrange for someone from our Partner Repairer network to contact you within 24-48 hours. 

If you don't need emergency repairs, we'll typically be in touch with you within 1-2 business days to update you on the progress of your claim. 

We'll arrange a convenient time for an assessor to inspect the damage to your home. During the visit, they’ll take some photos and write a report to help us determine:  

• what repairs are required

• how much of the damage is covered by your policy

• whether we can accept your claim in part or in full.

In some situations, we’ll need other specialists to provide expert advice on the cause or extent of the damage. For example, we might need an engineer to assess any suspected structural damage. 

We use a range of information to help us determine the outcome of your claim. This process is usually within 10 business days and includes reviewing sources such as:  

• any evidence you have provided  

• reports from the assessor and any other experts like engineers or hydrologists and 

• information from public sources, such as the Bureau of Meteorology’s weather data. 

If we accept your claim, we’ll send a list of what property damage is covered by your insurance policy. We may revise this if more damage is found after the repair work has started. This is not unusual, since some damage may be difficult to notice, document or assess until later. 

Ahead of settling your claim, a consultant will confirm whether you’re happy for us to arrange a builder from our Partner Repairer network to start repair works. The builder will arrange all the necessary tradespeople. They will give you a schedule and manage approvals.  

When we manage your repair works, we provide a lifetime guarantee on the workmanship of all repairs for as long as you own your home. If you sell your home, standard building warranties for your state apply. We may, in certain circumstances, offer a cash settlement for some or all your claim, for example if:  

• it’s unsafe to repair or rebuild your home 

• your council won’t allow you to repair or rebuild your home 

• the cost to repair or rebuild your home is greater than your sum insured 

• you’ve requested a cash settlement 

• you prefer to use your own builder 

• only part of your claim is accepted because there’s damage that isn’t covered by us. 

With a cash settlement, you take on the responsibility to rebuild or repair the damage to your home. This means you’ll need to find and use a licenced builder and follow regulations and codes to help make sure you’ll be able to insure your home again in the future.