‘Flood’ means the covering of normally dry land by water that has escaped or been released from the normal confines of a lake, dam, river etc. We do not cover loss or damage to retaining walls, sea walls, garden borders and free standing outdoor walls. Please check the PDS for more information on what constitutes a ‘flood’.
Building Insurance
Cover your building, including permanent fixtures and fittings, from a range of damaging events with Home Building Insurance.
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First Year Online Discount*
OVERVIEW
What does Building Insurance cover?
Building Insurance covers the structure of your property. It includes cover for garages and sheds, as well as permanently attached fixtures and fittings, such as solar panels, fences and gates. A Home Building Insurance policy can provide cover for damage caused by events such as flood, storm, storm surge, fire (including bushfire), and more.
What's covered?
FOR A COMPLETE LIST SEE SECTION 3 ‘THINGS WE DON’T COVER’ IN THE PDS
10% MULTI-POLICY DISCOUNT*^
You'll be eligible for a 10% multi-policy discount if you hold three or more eligible policies with us. These include Home Building, Contents, Landlord, Car, Motorcycle, Caravan or Boat Insurance. A GIO NSW CTP Insurance policy or GIO ACT MAI Insurance policy will count as an eligible policy, but the premium for these policies cannot be discounted. View T&Cs
LEVELS OF COVER
Compare Building Insurance options
OPTIONAL COVER
Depending on the level of cover you choose these may be automatically included with your policy, or available to add on to your policy for an additional cost.
NEWGIO Home Assist (Home cover only)
Add optional GIO Home Assist to your Home or Home and Contents Insurance policy if GIO Home Assist is available at your insured address, to help support you after a home emergency — that is, a sudden and unforeseen incident that occurs to your home (but not your contents) and requires urgent attention from a plumber, electrician, locksmith, and/or carpenter. After a home emergency, we’ll send a tradesperson (for a period of up to 2 hours) to help ensure your home is safe and secure, and to help minimise further damage. GIO Home Assist provides 3 emergency call-outs during the period of insurance.
Limits and exclusions apply, please refer to the PDS and read the GIO Home Assist T&Cs.
NEWExcess-Free Glass cover (Home cover only)
This option will apply in addition to the additional cover ‘Accidental breakage of glass’ which is included in home cover and provides cover for accidental breakage of:
- fixed glass in windows, doors, skylights, shower screens
- mirrors fixed to your home.
When you have this option and the claim is only for the accidental breakage of fixed glass mentioned above, we cover the cost to replace it without you having to pay an excess, if the breakage is the only damage you are claiming.
Accidental Damage at the Home
Included with Classic Extras and Platinum. Available as an optional cover that you can pay extra for with Classic.
Cover for your home and/or contents in the event of accidental loss (e.g. losing something) or damage (e.g. breaking or damaging something) — for example, scorching a bench top or a painting accidentally falling off the wall.
CALCULATOR
How much is your building worth?
Building Insurance Calculator
This calculator has some questions included that you may not find in other calculators, which will impact the estimate that is calculated.
Not sure how much to insure your home for? The replacement cost of your home may vary depending on your home’s design, features, fixtures and fittings. Estimate the cost of replacing your home building now with our handy Building Insurance Calculator and help set your sum insured with confidence.
WHY GIO
Reasons to choose GIO
24/7 Claims
Claim at any time online or over the phone. You can also track the progress of your claim online.
Lifetime repair guarantee
We offer a dedicated 24/7 claims service and a lifetime guarantee on authorised building repairs.
Est. in 1927
We’ve been a trusted insurer for over 95 years
OFFERS
Ways to save on
Building Insurance
10% MULTI-POLICY DISCOUNT*^
You'll be eligible for a 10% multi-policy discount if you hold three or more eligible policies with us. These include Home Building, Contents, Landlord, Car, Motorcycle, Caravan or Boat Insurance. A GIO NSW CTP Insurance policy or GIO ACT MAI Insurance policy will count as an eligible policy, but the premium for these policies cannot be discounted. View T&Cs
10% FIRST YEAR ONLINE DISCOUNT*
Get 10% Off Your First Year When You Buy Online!*
FAQs
People also ask
We provide cover for carpets under GIO Contents Insurance, but not GIO Home Building Insurance.
Safety net home protection – included in GIO Classic Extras and GIO Platinum home covers – provides a further percentage of the home sum insured toward the cost of repairing or rebuilding your home if the costs exceed your sum insured.
If you are renovating your home or unit, we will not cover any loss or damage to, or caused by, connected with or arising from those building extensions, alterations or renovations (other than the cover available under ‘Legal Liability’) including:
- damage caused by cracking, collapse, subsidence caused fully or partially by the construction work;
- damage caused by storm, flood or water entering the home through openings in the walls or roof or other parts of the home under construction, whether or not they are temporarily covered at the time of the damage;
- damage caused by storm or flood to any part of the home that is not fully built or is undergoing extensions, alterations or renovations;
- theft or damage by someone who enters or leaves through an unlockable part of the home that is under construction;
- damage caused by a malicious act or vandalism to unfinished parts of the home.
Our Home and Contents Insurance policies do not cover new buildings during construction.
Please contact us if you’re commencing building works or renovations at your home, including demolition.
No, GIO Home and Contents Insurance does not cover loss or damage caused by insects, vermin, or rodents – including termites.
Important information
*If you’re eligible for more than one discount, we apply them in a pre-set order to the discounted premium, before government taxes and charges.
^Discount not applicable to GIO Roadside Assist, GIO Home Assist, Excess-free Glass or Domestic Workers Compensation optional covers.
#Market value option is available to new policies purchased on or after 5th August 2021 or renewing policies on or after 8th September 2021.
Flood
‘Flood’ means the covering of normally dry land by water that has escaped or been released from the normal confines of a lake, dam, river etc. We do not cover loss or damage to retaining walls, sea walls, garden borders and free standing outdoor walls. Please check the PDS for more information on what constitutes a ‘flood’.
Building Insurance Calculator
This calculator has some questions included that you may not find in other calculators, which will impact the estimate that is calculated.
NEW GIO Home Assist
GIO Home Assist - currently free with a new Home Building Insurance policy (excl. Landlord) — is an optional cover that can offer you help from a plumber, electrician, locksmith or carpenter in a home emergency. So if you’ve had GIO Home Assist added to your policy for 24 hours or more and you come home to something unexpected, like a burst pipe or blown fuse, we can help get it sorted ASAP.
Sum Insured
This is the amount you choose to insure for. It's important that your sum insured reflects the value of what you want to insure as it’s the maximum we'll pay for any one incident if you need to make a claim. You should regularly review your sum insured to ensure it remains accurate.
Motor Burnout
Cover for electric motors in household equipment and appliances under 11 years old when they burnout or fuse. This includes things like the motor in your fridge, air conditioning unit or swimming pool pump.
Leak Exploration
We'll pay for the reasonable cost of searching for the source of leaks in pipes and water containers at the insured address and restoring damage caused by the exploration work.
Legal Liability
Provides up to $20 million to pay compensation for death or injury to other people, including all associated legal costs, for loss or damage to their property. For example, with property cover, if someone's injured falling down your stairs, which you’re held legally liable for, we cover damages (money paid to the victim as compensation) including all associated legal costs up to $20 million.
Legal Liability
Provides up to $20 million to pay compensation, including all associated legal costs, for death or injury to other people, or loss or damage to their property. For example, with home cover, if someone's injured falling down your stairs, which you're held legally liable for, we cover damages (money paid to the victim as compensation) including all associated legal costs up to $20 million.
Legal Liability
Provides up to $20 million to pay compensation, including all associated legal costs, for death or injury to other people, or loss or damage to their property resulting from an incident anywhere in Australia or New Zealand.
Fraud Protection
Provides cover if your funds are misused or stolen as fraudulent embezzlement or theft, misappropriation or conversion by an office bearer or your employee.
Unit Fittings
If contents are insured in a unit we cover the fittings that aren’t legally part of the building according to the relevant state law such as lino, floating wooden floors, air conditioners and wall paint and paper for New South Wales.
Loss of rent - property
If we agree the property can't be lived in after an event, we'll pay the weekly rental amount for the reasonable amount of time we decide it should take to repair or rebuild the property so it can be lived in again. Up to 52 weeks or 10% of your property sum insured (the amount you insured your property for).
Loss of rent - contents
If we agree the unit can't be lived in after an event, we'll pay the weekly rental amount for the reasonable amount of time we decide it should take to repair or rebuild the property so it can be lived in again. Up to 52 weeks or 10% of your contents sum insured (the amount you insured your contents for).
Tenant default
This covers you if your tenant leaves the property without notice or stops paying the rent while in the property. It provides up to $5,000 for up to 14 weeks, if you have a written rental agreement, or 2 weeks with a periodic rental agreement.
Temporary Accommodation
For tenants or strata title owners. If your home is unliveable after an event, we'll pay for your reasonable temporary accommodation costs, up to 10% of your sum insured (the amount you insured your general contents for), until your home is rebuilt or repaired to a liveable condition.
Temporary Accommodation
If your home is unliveable after an event, we'll pay for your reasonable temporary accommodation costs, up to 10% of your sum insured (the amount you insured your home for), until your home is rebuilt or repaired to a liveable condition.
Safety Net Property Protection
This provides a buffer if the cost of repairing or rebuilding exceeds the amount you insured your home for, due to an unexpected building price surge, up to 25% of the property sum insured.
For example:
- With up to a further 25% Safety Net, if your sum insured is $400,000 you'll be covered for up to an additional $100,000.
Safety Net
This provides a buffer if the cost of repairing or rebuilding exceeds the amount you insured your home for due to an unexpected building price surge.
For example:
- With up to a further 25% Safety Net, if your sum insured is $400,000 you'll be covered for up to an additional $100,000.
- With up to a further 30% Safety Net, if your sum insured is $400,000 you'll be covered for up to an additional $120,000.
Security Call-Out Fees
We’ll pay the fee (no excess applies) charged by your security provider to respond if your monitored alarm is activated by an illegal or attempted break in, malicious damage or act of vandalism providing you supply evidence that it triggered the alarm. False alarms, like those triggered by a pet, and unknown triggers are not covered. Also referred to as security attendance fees.
In Transit
If you're permanently moving to a new address in Australia, we'll cover your contents while they're being moved, for loss or damage caused by: fire; flood; collision, overturning, accident or theft of the vehicle carrying them.
Portable Valuables (Contents cover only)
These are items normally carried with you away from home like your mobile phone, jewellery, camera, tablet or laptop. It also includes sports equipment when not in use except for your bicycle which is covered when in use providing you aren't pace-making or racing. Max $1,000 per item, and total up to your sum insured.
Legal Liability
Provides up to $20 million to pay compensation, including all associated legal costs, for death or injury to other people, or loss or damage to their property including all associated legal costs.
Motor Burnout
Covers electric motors in household equipment and appliances under 11 years old when they burnout or fuse. This includes things like the motor in your freestanding fridge.
Motor Burnout
Covers electric motors in household equipment and appliances under 11 years old when they burnout or fuse. This includes things like the motor in your air conditioning unit or swimming pool pump.
Motor Burnout
Covers electric motors in household equipment and appliances under 11 years old when they burnout or fuse. This includes things like the motor in your fridge or air conditioning unit.
Free Safety Net Home Protection
If you need to repair or rebuild your home after an insured event, you won't be limited by your sum insured - if the costs exceed that figure, we'll pay you up to 25% more. Offer ends 12/01/2023. Terms and Conditions apply.