If you notice new cracks, movement or a changed roofline after a storm, tell your home insurer exactly what you have observed and ask whether a structural engineer needs to assess the damage. Do not diagnose the cause yourself or enter an unsafe building to gather proof. An insurance assessor, builder and structural engineer can have different roles; ask who is answering the particular structural question.
This is general information for Australian readers, not personal financial advice or legal advice. Cover depends on your policy, Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), exclusions and the assessed circumstances. A specialist inspection does not guarantee acceptance of a claim.
Put safety ahead of documenting the claim
Follow emergency authority directions and stay clear of unstable walls, ceilings, damaged electrical equipment and fallen materials. If there is an immediate threat, use emergency assistance rather than waiting for an insurer response. Do not climb into a roof space, remove linings or test whether a cracked section moves.
Tell the insurer if you cannot safely enter or occupy the property. Ask what urgent safety assessment or make-safe arrangements it can authorise. Keep safety work distinct from permanent repairs and ask how costs will be assessed; do not assume any contractor you appoint will automatically be reimbursed.
Describe changes without guessing their cause
Start a short observation log from a safe location. Record the room or exterior elevation, when you first noticed the issue, and what changed after the event. Describe a door that no longer closes as that observation, rather than declaring that foundations have failed.
- Take an overview photograph showing the location and a closer image only where safely accessible.
- Keep original files and note when each image was taken.
- Locate earlier property photographs, inspection reports or maintenance records that may show the previous condition.
- Clearly identify old cracking, uncertainty and any previous repairs rather than presenting every defect as new.
This record helps frame the inspection. Photographs alone generally cannot establish structural safety or whether storm damage, pre-existing movement or multiple causes explain the changes.
Ask a specific question about the assessment
Legal Aid NSW’s Insurance claims after a disaster says to ask the insurer to send a structural engineer if you are worried about the structure of your home. It also explains that different experts may assess different kinds of damage. This October 2023 publication supports the practical request here; it is not being used to state current claim deadlines or universal entitlements.
A useful written request might say: “Since the storm, the bedroom door catches and a diagonal crack is visible above its frame. I have attached photographs taken from a safe location. Please confirm whether the planned inspection will address structural safety and the cause of these changes, whether an engineer is required, and what we should do about access until assessed.”
Ask who will appoint the specialist, what questions they will investigate and whether insurer approval is required before you commission your own report. If the insurer proposes only a general building inspection, ask how it will resolve your particular structural concern. The professional’s appropriate scope depends on the actual issue.
Keep safety, causation and repair scope separate
In a fictional example, a homeowner notices cracking above a window after wind damage to the roof. Three questions need answers: is the area safe, what caused the cracking, and what work is necessary? A quote to repaint the wall does not necessarily answer the first two. Equally, a safety concern by itself does not prove an insured event caused the defect.
Ask for the relevant report and check whether it addresses the location and observations you raised. If it discusses an unrelated room or relies on the wrong event date, identify that precisely. Do not change technical conclusions yourself. Ask the insurer to explain any gap between the specialist findings and its proposed repair scope.
If further damage becomes visible during approved work, use a documented repair variation request rather than relying on a verbal promise that everything will be covered.
Checklist before the next claim conversation
- Have you explained any immediate access or occupancy concern?
- Does the insurer have clear locations, dates and safe photographs?
- Do you know who will assess structure and what they will investigate?
- Have you requested written approval before independently incurring report costs?
- Is there a named contact and agreed next update?
Does requesting an engineer force the insurer to pay? No. The request is a way to obtain appropriate assessment and a clear explanation. Coverage and payment still require a decision under the policy. If a material concern remains unanswered, put it in writing and consider independent professional or legal advice before agreeing to a settlement.
