Storm, flood and landslip damage: What we cover
On this page:
If your property has been affected by a storm, flood or landslip, it’s likely to be a very stressful time as you start the clean-up of your property.
We recognise the process of making an insurance claim can sometimes feel overwhelming.
Your insurer will manage your entire insurance claim, including any EQCover portion on our behalf. Contact your insurer to start the claims process.
To find out who to lodge a new claim with, go to Make or manage an EQCover claim.
Information for response organisations and stakeholders
EQCover community information – North Island severe weather has information and messages around EQCover insurance to support communities.
What we cover
EQCover provides insurance for a range of natural hazards, including damage from landslips, floods and storms. EQCover applies to:
- landslip damage (to your home and insured residential land)
- debris and silt inundation from floodwater and high winds (to insured land only)
- land scour or evacuation, where soil is loosened and carried away by overland waterflow (to insured land only).
EQCover depends on the type of damage and whether it has damaged your home or your residential land.
Landslip damage
We cover the cost to repair, replace or reinstate your:
- home up to the EQCover building cap
- insured residential land, up to the EQCover land cap.
Debris and silt inundation from flood water
Silt and debris inundation (deposit of soil, sand or other items) is commonly caused by materials swept up and moved by water and/or wind during a storm or flood, and are deposited and remain on any insured residential land.
Residential land
EQCover covers the cost of removal of:
- silt that is 15mm or deeper from your insured residential land, up to the EQCover land cap
- debris inundation (that on covered residential land, up to the land cap.
Home
EQCover does not cover floodwater damage to residential buildings. This is generally covered by your private insurer, along with your contents. They may also provide additional cover (above any EQCover entitlement) for some land structures (such as retaining walls). Contact your insurer directly about this.
Land scour from overland waterflow
Land scour is the evacuation of land caused by water flowing over land or in a watercourse. EQCover will cover the cost to repair evacuation of land from your insured residential land up to the EQCover land cap.
Land scour can affect any insured land area, although it more commonly affects main access ways and can generally be repaired by applying coarse inorganic fill (e.g. gravel).
Artificial surfaces (e.g. paving, concrete or asphalt) are not covered. Contact your private insurer about these.
Damage to neighbouring or shared land
If you have been impacted by damage to neighbouring or shared land, such as an accessway to your home, talk to your insurer to understand your options for managing these impacts.
What you’re covered for has more information on what’s covered.
How much is covered
There are limits to what EQCover is available, defined by the EQC Act. The maximum amount of EQCover available for your insured home or residential land is limited to the EQCover land cap and building cap.
Amount covered for residential land
The maximum amount of EQCover for your insured residential land is capped at the market value of damaged land and indemnity value of land structures (the EQCover land cap). EQCover can’t pay more than the value of the insured land that has been damaged.
Land Cover has more information on the EQCover land cap, as well as the process and who’s involved in a land claim.
Amount covered for your home
The EQCover building cap is the maximum amount of EQCover available for your house. Your private insurer usually provides cover above that cap.
The maximum amount of EQCover available for your home will increase from $150,000 + GST to $300,000 + GST after 1 October 2022. The EQCover building cap will change for you when either:
- your existing insurance policy reaches its first anniversary date after 1 October 2022
- or you enter into a new insurance policy on or after 1 October 2022.
Before then, the current EQCover building cap will remain $150,000 + GST for your home, if you have an existing policy.
Building Cover has more information on the EQCover building cap, and what’s included.
Excess
Each EQCover claim is subject to an excess, which is deducted from the settlement amount before it is paid. Information about the relevant EQCover excess can be found on the Land Cover and Building Cover pages
Claim process
Insurers are the best point of contact for updates or questions on your claim process and timing, as they know your claim best and will be managing it end-to-end.
EQCover claims for damaged residential land can often take longer to work through than other types of insurance claims because of complexities involved. There are four general steps for settling more complex EQCover land claims, such as for landslip damage:
- Assessment: A site visit from an assessor, who will prepare an assessment report.
- Engineering: A site visit from a geo-technical engineer, who will prepare a geotechnical engineering report.
- Valuation: A site visit from a valuer, who will prepare a valuation report.
- Settlement: Your insurer prepares estimated repair documentation and a settlement letter.
Where flood and storm damage to insured residential land can be assessed without a geotechnical assessment, it can sometimes be settled more quickly.
Insurers work as fast as they can to help people get back on their feet. However, after a large weather event many communities suffer extensive damage. Working through insurance claims in those cases may unfortunately take some time. Contact your insurer for updates and to understand where they are in the process.
Cash settlement
Most insurance claims, including EQCover, are cash settled. This means insurers assess the damage and pay the homeowner in cash to make repairs. Once paid, homeowners can make decisions around repairs and how to best manage those.
It is important to use this payment to repair or reinstate your damaged property. Future entitlements to EQCover may be affected if payments are not used for this purpose.
More information
Information sheet: EQCover claims for storm, flood and landslip damage [PDF, 427 KB] summarises the information on this page includes more information about the Council responsibility.
The EQCover Land Claims factsheet [PDF, 647 KB] has more information on the land cap, as well as the process and who's involved in a land claim.
The Land Cover Storms and Floods factsheet [PDF, 992 KB] summarises information relating to land claims on this page and includes types of land damage.
Householders' Guide to Residential Land [PDF, 907 KB]