What Bushfire Cover Actually Includes
Fire cover is included as standard in virtually every home and contents policy in Australia — it's one of the few risks insurers can't opt you out of. Cover generally extends to your home's structure, permanent fixtures like garages and sheds, and your contents, plus additional costs like temporary accommodation, demolition and debris removal.
The Exclusions That Catch People Out
- Damage from heat, ash or smoke without actual flames is excluded by some insurers unless fire directly reached the property
- Items designed to handle heat — cooking appliances, heaters — are typically excluded even if they're damaged by a fire elsewhere in the home
- A standard 72-hour waiting period usually applies before a new policy's bushfire cover becomes active, so buying insurance as a fire approaches won't help
The Sum-Insured Problem
After a major bushfire, rebuild costs typically spike due to a surge in demand for tradespeople and materials across the affected region — meaning a sum insured that looked adequate last year can fall well short during an actual rebuild. Some insurers offer a 10–30% buffer above your stated sum insured, or automatic inflation adjustments, specifically to guard against this.
For Homes in High-Risk Zones
- Get your Property Disclosure Statement and Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rating checked — insurers use this to price bushfire risk directly
- Get a professional rebuild valuation rather than relying on your home's purchase price or an outdated estimate
- Photograph and inventory your contents now, room by room — it's far easier to prove a claim before a loss than after
This page is for educational purposes and isn't personalised financial advice. Premiums, terms and eligibility vary by insurer, state and individual circumstances — always check the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) before buying.