Bushfire insurance

What is bushfire insurance?

'Bushfire insurance' is not an insurance product on its own. Rather, home insurance policies exist and they can provide cover for bushfires.

All home insurance policies include cover for fire as standard. This includes bushfires or other accidental fires The exact definition of what kinds of fires your insurer covers will be available in your product disclosure statement (PDS).

Typically, you will not be covered for bushfires in the first 72 hours of purchasing your policy. Additionally, damage as the result of scorching or melting will not be covered under 'fire' if there were no flames. See your PDS for a full list of exclusions, terms and conditions.

Compare home insurance with bushfire cover

1 - 7 of 106

Name	Product AUFHO	Finder score
Youi Building and Contents Insurance Youi Building and Contents Insurance 4.5/5★★★★★ Finder score Best Rated Brand	Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features	4.5/5★★★★★ Finder score	Our verdict: Finder’s 2022 Insurer of the Year for Customer Satisfaction and our Top Pick for Fire Damage cover. It’s good if you want a tailored quote over the phone.	Get a quoteView details Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Budget Direct Home & Contents Insurance Budget Direct Home & Contents Insurance 4.5/5★★★★★ Finder score Best Rated BrandBonusFinder Award Finalist	Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features	4.5/5★★★★★ Finder score	Our verdict: The most popular insurer on Finder, Budget Direct prioritises low-cost cover and gives you up to 30% off your first year's premium for new combined Home & Contents policies purchased online.	Get a quoteView details Compare	loading Fetching your data...
QBE Home & Contents Insurance QBE Home & Contents Insurance 3.5/5★★★★★ Finder score Green CompanyBonus	Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features	3.5/5★★★★★ Finder score	Our verdict: Finder's Top Pick for Floods plus cover for other common claims such as fire and theft). Its discount is better than most – 20% off your first year with a combined policy.	Get a quoteView details Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Qantas Home and Contents Insurance Qantas Home and Contents Insurance 4.5/5★★★★★ Finder score BonusFinder Award Finalist	Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features	4.5/5★★★★★ Finder score	Our verdict: Earn up to 40K Qantas Points for joining by 29 January. Plus save 30% on your 1st year’s premium for purchasing a combined home and contents policy online. T&Cs apply.	Get a quoteView details Compare	loading Fetching your data...
ALDI Home & Contents Insurance ALDI Home & Contents Insurance	Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features	N/A	Get a quoteView details Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Huddle Comprehensive Home and Contents Insurance Huddle Comprehensive Home and Contents Insurance	Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features	N/A	Our verdict: Save up to 10% on your policy in the first year.	Get a quoteView details Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Honey Home & Contents Insurance Honey Home & Contents Insurance 4.5/5★★★★★ Finder score Bonus	Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features Storm Fire Theft Flood Accidental Damage (e.g TV falls) Impact to home (e.g falling trees) Escaped water (e.g burst pipe) Portable contents (e.g dropped laptop outside of home) + more insured events and other features	4.5/5★★★★★ Finder score	Our verdict: Honey gives you $250 smart sensors to reduce accidents and estimates your rebuild costs for you. Honey was a finalist for the comprehensive category in this year’s Finder Awards.	Get a quoteView details Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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What are you covered for with bushfire insurance?

This depends on what kind of policy you’ve purchased. See some examples below.

• Home building insurance. If just your building is insured with home insurance then your building will be covered for damages or loss as the result of fire.
• Contents insurance. If you have contents insurance only and they become damaged by fire, then your belongings will be covered.
• Home and contents insurance. If you have a combined home and contents insurance policy then both your home building as well as your belongings inside will be covered under the policy if they become damaged by fire.

Exactly how you're covered will depend on the specifics of the policy you took out. You can choose to be covered up to a specific sum or for total replacement. In the event of a loss, for example — your house burns down as the result of a bushfire — your insurer will settle your claim based on what you've selected.

What to keep in mind when buying home insurance in bushfire prone areas

If you're in a bushfire prone area, buying home insurance may be difficult. Because of the increased risk, insurers will likely charge you a higher premium, or some may refuse to offer you cover at all.

If you are able to get cover, here's a few things to consider when you're taking out a policy.

• Underinsurance. Underinsurance is a big issue facing Aussies. This is when the sum insured on your home insurance policy isn't enough to cover the cost of repairs or an adequate replacement for your home in the event of a loss. When taking out a home insurance policy, be sure to appropriately calculate the cost of a rebuild. Many insurers have a calculator to help you estimate this amount.
• Total replacement policies. Some insurers offer a total replacement option. This can be preferred over a 'sum insured' option as it ensures your home can be rebuilt as it was, or you can be paid out for the cost to do this. It can be a great way around concerns about accidental underinsurance.
• Contents value. When assessing the value of your home, be sure to consider the value of your contents if you're taking out a combined home and contents insurance policy. Your contents doesn't just mean your TVs and computers. It's also your oven, washing machine, vacuum. These items are expensive and can be costly to forget.

Other insurance to be mindful of for bushfire prone areas

Our expert says

"If you're in a bushfire prone area then you may want to assess more than just your home insurance. If you own a car, then it's worth checking what level of car insurance you have on it. Only a comprehensive or a third party fire & theft policy will cover you in the event of a bushfire."

Peta Taylor

Publisher of Insurance

FAQs

• Is home insurance more expensive in bushfire prone areas?

  It can be. This is because the insurer is taking on more risk to insure you and will therefore increase your premiums.

• What is the waiting period for claiming on home insurance for bushfires?

  In most cases, this will be 72 hours. This can change between providers so it's worth checking your product disclosure statement (PDS) or checking with your insurer directly. They'll likely have this information on their website.

Written by

Gary Ross Hunter

Editor, Insurance

Gary Ross Hunter was an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio

Gary Ross's expertise

Gary Ross has written 648 Finder guides across topics including:

• Health, home, life, car, pet and travel insurance
• Managing the cost of living

Co-written by

Peta Taylor

Publisher of Insurance

Peta Taylor is a publisher at Finder, working across all of insurance. She's been analysing product disclosure statements and publishing articles for over 2 years. Peta is passionate about demystifying complex insurance products to help users make well educated decisions with confidence. Peta is part of Finder's insurance awards team and works alongside editorial and insights experts to bring users the best insurance products every year. See full bio