A building insurance claim after storm, hail, fire or water damage follows a fairly predictable path. Knowing the steps — and what evidence each step consumes — is the difference between a claim that settles cleanly and one that stalls in dispute. This guide walks the process for Australian property owners and managers, and explains where independent documentation earns its keep.

The process, step by step

  1. Make the property safe and mitigate further loss. Your policy requires reasonable steps — tarping, isolation, temporary fencing. Keep receipts; mitigation costs are usually claimable.
  2. Document before you disturb. Photograph and record everything before repairs, trades or clean-up alter the scene. This is the step most claims get wrong — see below.
  3. Lodge promptly. Policy number, date of event, description of damage, your documentation.
  4. Assessment. The insurer appoints an assessor or loss adjuster to inspect, scope the damage and test it against the policy. Large or complex losses may involve engineers or builders.
  5. Decision and scope of works. Accepted claims produce a repair scope — check it against your own record before agreeing.
  6. Repair, cash settle, or dispute. If you disagree, internal dispute resolution first, then AFCA. Both run on evidence.

Why the documentation step decides the rest

Every later stage — assessment, scope, dispute — is an argument about the state of the building at a point in time. A dated, independent, comprehensive record made before disturbance removes most of the argument. The gaps that cause trouble: no record of the roof (where most storm and hail damage lives), no record of undamaged areas (so pre-existing-damage debates run unchecked), and photos with no metadata or context.

Where aerial capture fits

An aerial record solves the roof problem outright: the full roof plane, every elevation and the site context, captured safely in one visit, delivered as metadata-intact originals plus a measurable orthomosaic. It documents damage and condition — useful to owners lodging claims, builders pricing scopes, and adjusters testing them. We provide exactly that as a fixed-format documentation pack; we don’t assess claims, interpret policies or estimate repairs — the record is independent of everyone’s conclusions, which is precisely why each party can rely on it.

Practical timing

After a major weather event, assessors are stretched and inspections queue for weeks. An independent aerial record made in the first days protects your position while you wait — conditions change, tarps fail, and secondary damage blurs the picture. If a storm has just gone through your suburb, get the record made now; the claim can catch up.

General information only — not legal or financial advice. Check your policy and, for disputes, consider advice from a solicitor or claims professional.