Home and Contents Insurance

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What is Home Buildings and Contents Insurance?

RACV Home Buildings and Contents Insurance covers both your home and its contents when they’ve been damaged as a result of an insured event, such as fire, theft or storm. It can also cover the cost to repair:

  • Unintentional fire damage regardless of where it occurs – including fireplaces.
  • Water damage caused by a faulty washing machine or dishwasher.
  • Impact damage from a vehicle accidentally reversing into your garage door.

Key benefits include:

  • Comprehensive fire and flood damage.
  • Temporary accommodation for you and your pets.
  • Theft, even when you forget to lock your door.

Customer care

No query is too hard to handle. Our Australian-based consultants are always here to help. 

Exclusive savings

RACV Members save with discounted attraction tickets, Woolworths WISH gift cards, special prices on local travel, day trips, and more.  

Multi-Policy discounts

The more RACV Insurance policies you hold, the more you can save. Get 10% off when you take out two or more eligible policies.1 

What does building and contents insurance cover?

With an RACV Home Buildings and Contents 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 such as light fittings, cupboards, floors and carpet. Includes your home, garage, carport, fences and in-ground pools.
  • New for old cover if an insured item is stolen, damaged or destroyed by any event listed in your insurance policy.
  • Rebuilding costs if a listed event causes loss or damage to your home and you need to pay certain fees to repair or rebuild it, you’ll be covered for the reasonable fees for architects, engineers or surveyors and other trades.
  • Demolition and debris removal and costs to make your home and the surrounding area safe, such as temporary fencing, once reviewed and agreed to.
  • Costs to meet in-force building regulations to repair or rebuild a part of your home damaged by an insured event where fixes might require a permit to meet State and National codes.
  • 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 (Buildings), or outside the site (Contents) which causes death or injury to someone else or causes loss or damage to someone else's property.

Read the Product Disclosure Statement for a full list and description of items covered in building, contents and combined policies. The Premium, Excess and Discounts guide (PED) provides further details on how we calculate your premium, excess levels and discounts.

Here are some examples of what’s not covered by RACV Home Buildings and Contents 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.
  • Loose or unset gemstones.
  • Plants, trees or shrubs growing in the ground of your property (however potted plants are covered).
  • Trailers, caravans, motor vehicles, golf buggies or carts. Visit RACV Motor Insurance to learn more about insuring a vehicle.
  • Stock used in any business, trade or profession.

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
Get cover for unintentional damage around your home and to your contents, like accidentally knocking over your TV or you’re in the roof space and accidentally put your foot through the ceiling.

Burn out of electrical motors – fusion damage
This type of damage can be caused by power surges or sudden fluctuations in electricity supply, which can cause the motor in appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines to burn out. This cover applies to appliances that are less than 15 years old, and are not covered by a warranty or used for a business, trade.

Portable Items
Insure items you or your family might take with you when you leave your home, such as phones or laptops. Covered up to $10,000 (unless you list it separately for more). If you take your items outside Australia or New Zealand, the most payable is $10,000 for all items.

Valuable Items inside the home
The standard policy provides cover for $2,500 under each category (for example, works of art and jewellery and watches). You can increase your level of cover for any of these categories by calling us and letting us know what amount above $2,500 you’d like to insure your valuables for.

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Summary of Cover

Summary of Cover

Home Buildings & Contents Insurance

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Contents Insurance

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Building Insurance

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Up to 12 months temporary accommodation
Demolishing and removing debris
Rebuilding fees
Cover for damage to the building e.g. roof, shed
Cover for damage to your contents e.g. TV, clothes
Kitchen cupboards and benchtops
Floating floorboards, carpets & rugs
Window furnishings e.g. curtains
Spoiled food or prescription medication (due to an insured event)
Credit card theft

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

Getting started

New to buying insurance? Here’s the basics. Once you choose the cover you need – buildings, contents or combined buildings and contents – you'll need to:

  1. Calculate the sum insured

    The sum insured is the maximum amount allocated to repair your home or replace your contents following an insured event. You can estimate these values using our calculators below.

  2. Get a quote

    You can get a quote for an RACV Home Insurance policy you’ve decided is right for you online or by calling us on 13 72 28.

  3. Review your quote

    Check all the details to understand your level of cover and the excess you’ve selected.

  4. Purchase your policy

    Once you’re happy with the level of cover, you can finalise your payment online, or by calling us and providing your quote number.

Helpful tools

Frequently asked questions

What does Accidental damage cover in my home insurance policy?

Accidental damage covers unintentional damage that occurs in your home.

For example, if your child accidentally knocks over your TV and the screen breaks, or if you’re in your roof and you accidentally put your foot through the ceiling. Whether your building or contents are covered (or both) depends on your policy.

Can I choose my own repairer for my home repairs?

Yes; but keep in mind that if you choose your own repairer, the repairs will need to be arranged and managed by you and anything that goes wrong (like faulty workmanship) will not be covered by your policy.

You’ll also only be paid the fair and reasonable amount that the repairs should cost.

What is the difference between General, Valuable and Portable contents?

General contents are items you keep in and around your home that aren't permanently attached or fixed to the home's structure, like furniture, furnishings, carpets, electrical items and clothes.

Valuable contents are covered as part of your general contents, but only up to $2500 and for these categories:

  • works of art
  • music, games and movies
  • collections
  • jewellery and watches

Under Valuable contents, you can choose to insure these items for more than what would normally be paid out.

Portable contents are items you or your family own that you might take outside of your home. Items may include:

  • camping and sporting equipment (when they're not being used)
  • prescription glasses or hearing aids
  • electronic devices like a smart watch, phone or laptop
  • baby capsules and luggage.

Will my contents be covered if I put them in storage?

Some of your General Contents can be covered by your policy while they’re in storage in Australia. However, you need to let RACV Insurance know about your intention to move the items into storage before they can be covered. This includes letting RACV Insurance know:

  • the value of the items
  • where you intend to store the contents to make sure it meets acceptance criteria.

Keep in mind that valuable contents aren’t covered in storage. Check the Product Disclosure Statement for information what’s not covered in storage.

How will my claim for contents items be settled?

It depends on the item.

Contents items such as fridges, washing machines and electrical items, can be referred to a specialist supplier to assist the replacement process.

Sometimes your claim may be settled with a store credit or cash settlement and where possible, repair or restore content items.

Can I insure for more than your online building and contents calculators say?

Yes. The calculation is only a guide. It's up to you to make sure your home and contents are insured for their full replacement value.

However, if you insure your home or contents for more than the cost to repair, replace or rebuild, you will only be covered for the actual costs of repairing, replacing or rebuilding.

Explore other RACV products

More information you may be interested in...

1 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 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. Insurance product(s) issued by Insurance Manufacturers of Australia Pty Ltd ABN 93 004 208 084 AFS Licence No. 227678.

* The RACV Home Buildings and Home Contents Calculators provide an indication of rebuilding or replacement costs only and in no way guarantees the amount RACV Insurance may agree to insure your home or contents for. It is your responsibility to check that this amount is enough to cover the rebuilding costs of your home or replacement costs of your home’s contents 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 contents and consider the information in the Product Disclosure Statement.