Home Warranty Insurance Claim Statement
Builder insolvent, dead, disappeared, or had their licence suspended or cancelled, and your home is unfinished or defective? A clear claim statement for your state's home warranty scheme or insurer (icare HBCF in New South Wales, the Building and Plumbing Commission in Victoria, the QBCC in Queensland, or the insurer on your certificate): the trigger event, the contract and payments, a numbered schedule of unfinished and defective work and your loss. You download it and lodge it with your claim.
What this document does
- Names your state's scheme or insurer: icare HBCF, the Building and Plumbing Commission, the QBCC, or the insurer on your certificate.
- Sets out the trigger event and its date, exactly as it happened.
- Tables every payment and every unfinished or defective item, numbered.
- States your loss with the quotes and costs you have.
- Notes the time limit that applies to your claim.
- Drafted in about 5 minutes. You download it and lodge it with the scheme yourself.
What we'll ask you
Plain-English questions, one at a time. No legal knowledge needed — if you don't know an answer exactly, your best estimate is fine.
- What has happened to your builder?
- Who issued your home warranty certificate? The scheme or insurer named on it, and the certificate or policy number if you have it.
- Who was the builder? The business name on the contract, plus their licence or registration number if you have it.
- Tell me what happened, in order: the job, where the work got to, and what you know about the builder's situation. (The date comes next.)
- When did that happen, or when did you find out? For example the liquidation date, the date the builder stopped work, or the date you ended the contract.
- The property address, the date you signed the contract, and the type of contract (fixed price or cost plus).
- What is the contract price?
- List every payment you made to the builder, numbered: date, amount and what it was for (deposit, stage).
- What work is unfinished, and what is defective? Number each item, with where it is and when you noticed it.
- What is your loss so far? For example quotes to complete or fix, a deposit paid for work that never started, and other costs you have paid.optional
- Roughly how much are you claiming in total? It should match the loss you listed above. Leave this blank if you do not know yet.optional
- What have you already done? For example letters to the builder, a regulator complaint, a tribunal order, a termination notice, contact with the liquidator, or a loss notification to the insurer.optional
- You review it first · Nothing is sent to anyone else
- 2 free amendments included
- All Australian states and territories
- Stripe secured · 256-bit encrypted
Your builder dispute: the regulator and tribunal in your state
Each state and territory has its own home building law and building regulator. We only ever name the regulator and the tribunal or court for your state.
New South Wales
Legislation: Home Building Act 1989 (NSW). Section 18B(1) implies into every contract to do residential building work warranties that the work will be done with due care and skill and in accordance with the plans and specifications set out in the contract (s 18B(1)(a)).
Home warranty scheme: icare Home Building Compensation Fund (HBCF)
Building regulator: Building Commission NSW
Tribunal: NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT), home building (after the Building Commission NSW step)
Victoria
Legislation: Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 (Vic). Section 8 makes part of every domestic building contract warranties that the work will be carried out in a proper and workmanlike manner and in accordance with the plans and specifications set out in the contract (s 8(a)).
Home warranty scheme: Building and Plumbing Commission (Domestic Building Insurance or Home Warranty)
Building regulator: Building and Plumbing Commission (dispute resolution service)
Tribunal: VCAT, with a certificate of conciliation (s 56, Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995)
Queensland
Legislation: Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991 (Qld), Schedule 1B. The warranties in Schedule 1B, Part 3, Division 2 are part of every regulated contract (Sch 1B s 19).
Home warranty scheme: Queensland Home Warranty Scheme (QBCC)
Building regulator: Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC)
Tribunal: QCAT, domestic building dispute (after the QBCC process)
Western Australia
Legislation: Home Building Contracts Act 1991 (WA), which applies to contracts for home building work valued between $7,500 and $500,000, and the Building Services (Complaint Resolution and Administration) Act 2011 (WA).
Home warranty scheme: Home indemnity insurance: the insurer on your certificate
Building regulator: Building Commissioner, Building and Energy (after a Notice of proposed complaint)
Tribunal: State Administrative Tribunal (SAT), on referral from the Building Commissioner or review of an order
Money claims: Magistrates Court of Western Australia, when the Commissioner or SAT is not dealing with it
South Australia
Legislation: Building Work Contractors Act 1995 (SA). Section 32(2) implies into every domestic building work contract warranties that the work will be performed in a proper manner to accepted trade standards and in accordance with the plans and specifications agreed by the parties (s 32(2)(a)).
Home warranty scheme: Building indemnity insurance: the insurer on your certificate
Building regulator: Consumer and Business Services (CBS), building disputes
Money claims: Magistrates Court of South Australia
Tasmania
Legislation: Residential Building Work Contracts and Dispute Resolution Act 2016 (Tas). Regulator and dispute step: the Director of Building Control, part of Building Standards Tasmania (within the Department of Justice).
Home warranty scheme: No scheme described on the Tasmanian Government pages
Building regulator: Director of Building Control (Building Standards Tasmania), notice of dispute and mediation
Tribunal: TASCAT, Civil and Consumer stream (after the notice of dispute; contracts of $20,000 or more)
Money claims: Magistrates Court of Tasmania (Civil Division)
Australian Capital Territory
Legislation: Building Act 2004 (ACT).
Home warranty scheme: Residential building work insurance or fidelity certificate
Building regulator: Access Canberra
Tribunal: ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT)
Northern Territory
Legislation: Building Act 1993 (NT). Section 54B(1) sets consumer guarantees for prescribed residential building work (for example a new home, a unit in a complex of up to three storeys, or a renovation or extension that increases floor area above the threshold).
Home warranty scheme: Fidelity Fund NT (fidelity fund certificate)
Building disputes: NT Consumer Affairs; Commissioner of Residential Building Disputes (fidelity fund work)
Tribunal or court: NTCAT up to $25,000; Local Court up to $250,000
From your answers to a finished Home Warranty Claim in three steps
Answer 12 quick questions
Who it’s about, what happened and what you want. Plain English, one question at a time.
We draft it for your state
Your Home Warranty Insurance Claim Statement is drafted to the legislation, regulator and tribunal for your state or territory, then formatted as a professional PDF. Usually ready within about five minutes.
Review, confirm, receive
The draft lands in your dashboard for you to read. Change anything that isn't right (two free amendments), confirm it, and we email you the final PDF. Nothing is sent to anyone else.
Ready? Start now.
No card required until the end. No account needed to start.
Start My Home Warranty Claim — $49 →$49 flat fee · You review it first · edit it yourself any time, plus 2 redrafts
Everything about the Home Warranty Insurance Claim Statement
How much does the Home Warranty Claim cost?
A flat $49 AUD, including GST. There is no card required to start, no subscription and no hourly rate — you see the full summary of your answers before you pay.
How long does it take?
There are 12 questions, which take a few minutes to answer. You see a full summary of your answers before you pay; your document is drafted once your payment is confirmed.
When do I get the document?
The draft of your Home Warranty Insurance Claim Statement is usually ready in about 5 minutes. You read it on your dashboard and can change the wording; once you confirm it, the final PDF is available to download and emailed to you.
What if I need changes?
You read the full Home Warranty Claim on your dashboard first. You can change the wording or ask for a redraft, with unlimited edits and 2 redrafts included, then confirm it and the final PDF is yours to download and keep.
Does it work in my state?
Yes. The Home Warranty Insurance Claim Statement is drafted to the law of the state or territory the matter is in — NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA, SA, Tasmania, the ACT and the NT — citing the right Act, regulator and tribunal or court for that state.
Can I claim if my builder is still trading?
In most states the scheme only pays once the builder has become insolvent, died or disappeared, or in some states had their licence suspended or cancelled. In Victoria, Home Warranty for contracts signed on or after 1 July 2026 may also apply where the builder fails or refuses to complete or fix eligible work, after a complaint notice to the builder.
Is there a home warranty scheme in Tasmania?
The Tasmanian Government pages do not describe one. If you have a private policy, the statement can be addressed to that insurer.
Read up before you send
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Put it in writing today.
A few quick questions and your Home Warranty Insurance Claim Statement is drafted for your state. No card required until the end.
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