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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.
Key benefit
Impact damage from fallen trees and branches, and the removal of debris.
More than just great home insurance
What does building insurance cover?
- Included
- Not included
- Optional extras
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:
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.
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.
Compare insurance products for homeowners
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.
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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.~
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Review your quote
Check your coverage and excess to make sure they’re right for you.
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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 a claim
You can make a claim 24/7 in the app, online or by phone.
Find a policy document
You can view policy documents, or update your personal details and payment methods online.
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.
We can also help you with...
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 Cordell Sum Sure Estimate is an estimate of the cost to rebuild the improvements on your property and is generated by the Cordell Sum Sure Calculator which uses available property attribute information (including information you input or confirm) and/or information collated by CoreLogic about the subject property (from insurers and other third party sources) and analyses them against construction industry data to statistically derive a rebuild estimate through a series of computer implemented algorithms (Cordell Sum Sure Estimate).
The Cordell Sum Sure Estimate does not take into account individual design features, site specific conditions, structural conditions and materials, local planning laws or any other regulations and may not be suitable for your particular circumstances. The Cordell Sum Sure Estimate is an indicative guide only and must not be relied upon as an accurate representation of the costs associated with rebuilding your property or in lieu of appropriate professional advice.
While CoreLogic uses commercially reasonable efforts to ensure the Cordell Sum Sure Estimate is current, CoreLogic does not warrant the accuracy, currency or completeness of the Cordell Sum Sure Estimate and to the full extent permitted by law excludes all loss or damage howsoever arising (including through negligence) in connection with the Cordell Sum Sure Estimate.
~ Typical home contents replacement costs are provided by Sum Insured. Whilst all reasonable care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information as a guide for costing building contents replacement costs, no responsibility is accepted by Sum Insured for its accuracy. Please check with a Valuer or other suitably qualified professional for an accurate costing estimate. Insurance Australia Limited (A.B.N. 11 000 016 722) takes no responsibility for the costs provided by Sum Insured nor any liability for the accuracy of or reliance upon or use of, the costs.
This service is licensed to Insurance Australia Limited (A.B.N 11 000 016 722) for use by its customers.
© 2003 - 2025 Sum Insured is a trading name of Land Services SA Operating Pty Ltd (ACN 618 229 815) as trustee for Land Services SA Operating Trust (ABN 86 836 650 939). The building contents replacement cost calculator is registered under Australian Patent Number 2010202987.
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.