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Building insurance

Quality cover to help protect your home

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What’s Building Insurance?

RACV Home Buildings Insurance covers the cost to rebuild or repair the structure of your home and other buildings – like a shed or garage – when damage is caused by an insured event.

Apart from your main structure, building insurance covers permanent fixtures that make up your home too, like kitchen cabinets and floating floorboards. You can also customise your policy and choose optional extras to suit your needs.

More than just great home insurance

Local care

Speak to our Australian-based team when you need help. They're available from 7am-11pm every day for general enquiries, and 24/7 for claims.

Cover to suit your lifestyle

Choose optional extras like accidental damage cover, and cover for valuable items inside the home, or portable items you take out of home.

Pay your way

Pay the way that suits you – annually or monthly. Plus, you may be able to reduce your premium upfront by selecting a higher basic excess.

Stay with us and save

Save on your policy with discounts the longer you’re with us.# Plus, take out two or more eligible insurance policies and save up to 10% on each.*

What does building insurance cover?

With an RACV Home Buildings Insurance policy, you'll be covered for a range of events, such as fire, theft and storm. Here's a summary of what's included:

Buildings and fixtures

Includes buildings such as garages, carports, fences and in-ground pools, and fixtures like light fittings and kitchen cupboards. 

Demolition and debris removal

And costs to make your site safe, such as temporary fencing, once reviewed and agreed to.

Building materials at your home

Things like bricks, tiles and timber are covered up to $1000 for loss or damage as a result of an insured event.

Costs to meet in-force building regulations

To repair or rebuild a part of your home damaged by an insured event.

Temporary accommodation

If you can’t live in your home as a result of an insured event. This also includes temporary accommodation for your pet, the removal and storage of your contents, and for any costs we agree are reasonable and appropriate. 

Up to $20 million in liability cover

To handle a claim made against you or your family for an incident that takes place at your home or site which causes death or injury to someone else, or causes loss or damage to someone else's property.

This is only a summary of the inclusions for RACV Home Buildings Insurance. For more information, such as conditions, limits and exclusions, please read the Product Disclosure Statement.

These are a few examples of things not covered by RACV Home Buildings Insurance. Make sure you check the Product Disclosure Statement for a full list of conditions, limits and exclusions.

Loss or damage caused intentionally by you, by someone living in your home or by someone who has been given consent to enter your home.

Subsidence or landslide unless it happens immediately as a result of an earthquake, explosion, storm, flood, rainwater run-off or storm surge.

Vermin or insects – such as termite damage.

Looking for a little extra protection? You can boost your cover by adding options to your policy. If you do this, you’ll need to pay extra. 

Accidental Damage inside the home

Mishaps happen. Get cover for unintentional damage around your home, like when you're in the roof space and accidentally put your foot through the ceiling.

Burn out of electrical motors – fusion damage

That are less than 15 years old, not covered by a warranty or used for a business, trade or profession and permanently attached fixtures, such as in a ducted air conditioning unit. 

Compare insurance products for homeowners

Home Buildings & Contents Insurance

Contents Insurance

Building Insurance

This is a summary only. Refer to the Product Disclosure Statement for a full list of conditions, limits and exclusions.

Getting started

If you’re new to buying insurance, don’t worry – it’s easier than you think. 

  • Calculate the sum insured

    This should be enough to repair or replace your home and/or contents after an insured event. If you need help, use our building calculator or contents calculator.^

  • Get a quote

    You can get a quote online or by calling us on 13 72 28 (we’re here 7am – 11pm, 365 days a year).

  • Review your quote

    Check your coverage and excess to make sure they’re right for you.

  • Buy your policy

    Once you’re ready, you can buy your policy online or over the phone.

Make a claim or manage your policy

Make or manage a claim

Lodge and manage claims online or by calling the claims team on 13 19 03.

Manage your policy

Log in to your online account to view policy documents, or update your personal details and payment methods. For other changes, call 13 72 28.

Frequently asked questions

The amount you insure your home for (we call that the ‘building sum insured’) should be enough to rebuild your home if you had to do it today.

Remember, when we talk about your home, we don’t just mean the building itself. If you have things like fences, sheds, in-ground pools, or covered car spaces, they count too. There are a few things to think about:

  • If you underinsure your home, you may be caught short if you have to totally rebuild and replace it
  • If you insure your home for more than it costs to rebuild and replace it, you'll only be able to claim the actual cost to do so
  • Your building sum insured will be different to the market value of your home, which you might find on a property valuation, because it doesn't include the land value 
  • Make sure you include the cost of demolition and debris removal, building and planning professionals, plus any statutory or regulatory requirements

You can use our buildings calculator as a guide.*

You can. The calculator is a guide – if the figure doesn't seem right, you can change it.

It's important to make sure you're not underinsured, in case you ever need to totally rebuild your home.

But keep in mind that if you insure your home for more than it costs to rebuild and repair it, you'll only be able to claim the actual cost to do so.

RACV Insurance doesn't cover damage to your home caused by vermin, rodents or insects (including termites).

For full details of what is and isn't covered, see the Product Disclosure Statement.

If you choose to add accidental damage to your Buildings Insurance policy, you'll be covered for any unintentional damage to your home or other structures on your property.

So, if you put your foot through the ceiling while you’re in the roof space or damage a wall while moving a ladder, RACV Insurance will help you sort it out.

Keep in mind that a $300 excess will apply for accidental damage claims.

Yes, it covers all the structures on your property – including garages and carports. When you're working out how much cover you need, make sure you include these structures.

So, if your garage is damaged in an insured event, like fire, flood, storm or even from a tree falling on it, you’re protected. 

Carpets are considered part of your contents, so if they're damaged as part of an insured event, they won't be covered by Buildings Insurance.

If you want protection for your carpets as well as your building, you can check out Combined Buildings and Contents Insurance. This way you'll also be covered for rugs, curtains, appliances and other things you keep in your home.

If you're insuring an investment property that you're renting out, you may be able to use some of your buildings cover to repair or replace your contents.

It depends on the work you're doing.

If you're making internal cosmetic changes like painting or replacing your carpet, you'll be covered for all usual insured events.

If you're doing bigger work, like adding a room or storey, or renovating your kitchen or bathroom, call us on 13 72 28 so we can help you check your cover.

We may ask you for information like:

  • When you expect to start and finish the work
  • How much it’s likely to cost
  • Detailed description of the work, including which rooms are affected
  • Who will live in your home during the work.

Yes, you can. You'll be paid the fair and reasonable amount that the repairs should cost, but you'll need to manage and arrange the repairs yourself. Otherwise, you can go with a qualified and reputable supplier from the RACV network. This can help take the hassle out of researching and comparing quotes. Plus, any repairs organised by RACV Insurance will have a lifetime guarantee.

Tips and advice to keep your home secure

# RACV Years of Membership: at 5 years Bronze cardholders receive a 5% discount, at 10 years Silver cardholders receive a 10% discount, at 25 years Gold cardholders receive a 15% discount and at 51 years Gold 50 cardholders receive a 20% discount.

* The Multi-Policy Discount and Years of Membership Benefits exclude Travel, Business and Farm Insurance products. To qualify for the Multi-Policy Discount, you must hold two eligible RACV Insurance policies. For further details, see the Premium, Excess and Discounts guide at racv.com.au. Discounts will only be applied until any applicable minimum premium is reached. On renewal, any increases or decreases in your premium may be limited by factors such as your previous year’s premium. You may not save more with more eligible policies and by staying with RACV Insurance longer if a minimum premium is reached, or limits have been applied to increases or decreases in your premium.

^ The RACV Home Buildings Calculator provides an indication of rebuilding costs only and in no way guarantees the amount RACV Insurance may agree to insure your home for. It is your responsibility to check that this amount is enough to cover the rebuilding costs of your home at today’s prices. Before you decide whether to buy or continue to hold RACV Home Insurance, you should calculate the actual replacement value of your home and consider the information in the Product Disclosure Statement.

The information provided is general advice only. Before making any decisions please consider your own circumstances and the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determinations. For copies, visit racv.com.au. As distributor, RACV Insurance Services Pty Ltd AFS Licence No. 230039 receives commission for each policy sold or renewed. Product(s) issued by Insurance Manufacturers of Australia Pty Ltd ABN 93 004 208 084 AFS Licence No. 227678.