What To Do After Storm Damage To Your Home
Melbourne's storms can cause significant property damage — from roof leaks and fallen trees to flooded rooms and structural failures. Knowing exactly what to do in the hours and days after a storm determines how well your home is repaired and how smoothly your insurance claim proceeds.
Immediate Safety First — Do This Right Now
- If structural damage is severe or the home feels unsafe — evacuate immediately
- Do NOT enter rooms with ceiling damage — water-logged ceilings can collapse without warning
- Turn off electricity at the switchboard if water has entered near electrical fittings
- Do NOT enter a flooded room if the power is still on
- If gas is suspected to be leaking — leave immediately and call 000
- Call SES (State Emergency Service) on 132 500 for emergency make-safe assistance
Melbourne Storm Damage — The Complete Response Guide
Melbourne's storm season produces some of Australia's most severe localised weather events — hail, high winds, intense rainfall, and lightning strikes. The eastern and southeastern suburbs are particularly prone to severe convective storms that cause significant property damage each year. Knowing how to respond quickly and correctly protects your property from further damage and maximises your insurance outcome.
Hour-by-Hour: What To Do After Storm Damage
Within 1–2 hours
Ensure safety
Check for structural damage, water near electrical points, and gas leaks. If in doubt, evacuate and call emergency services (000) or SES (132 500).
Document everything — immediately
Begin photographing and filming ALL damage as soon as it's safe to do so. Wide shots showing context AND close-ups of specific damage. This documentation is critical for your insurance claim — do this before any clean-up begins.
Do minimal emergency make-safe
If water is actively entering, place buckets, use tarps to cover roof openings, and move valuables away from affected areas. Keep any debris — it proves the damage occurred.
Within 24 hours
Contact Brownlow Building FIRST
Call us on (03) 8351 5753 before contacting your insurer. We'll assess the damage, advise you on your rights, and begin preparing your cash settlement quotation — ensuring you're not forced into the panel builder system.
Lodge your insurance claim
Contact your insurer to register the claim. State clearly that you intend to engage your own licensed builder and request a cash settlement. Have your policy number ready and your photo documentation prepared.
Get emergency repairs done if required
If water is still entering the property, emergency temporary repairs may be needed. Ensure these are done by a licensed builder and keep receipts — these costs should be covered by your insurer as emergency expenses.
Within 48–72 hours
Complete your damage documentation
Go through every room systematically. Document damage to ceilings, walls, flooring, windows, contents, and external areas. Video walk-throughs are particularly valuable.
Prepare for the insurer's assessment
Your insurer will send an assessor (loss adjuster) to inspect the damage. Request to have your builder present during this inspection. Brownlow Building can attend assessments to ensure all damage is properly recorded.
Keep all damaged materials
Don't throw away damaged materials until your insurer has confirmed they're not required. Some insurers request to inspect or retain samples of damaged materials.
Within 1–2 weeks
Review the insurer's scope and assessment
When the insurer provides their damage scope and repair estimate, review it carefully against Brownlow Building's quotation. Dispute any items that have been missed or undervalued.
Request your cash settlement
Submit your formal cash settlement request with our professional quotation attached. This is your legally supported right as a Victorian homeowner.
Plan your repairs
Once settlement is agreed, Brownlow Building will provide a detailed repair plan and commencement timeline. We typically begin storm damage repairs within 2–4 weeks of settlement.
Common Types of Storm Damage We Repair in Melbourne
Roof Damage
Missing or cracked tiles, damaged ridge capping, failed flashing, gutters and downpipes, and membrane damage on flat roofs — all common after Melbourne's hail and high-wind events.
Water Ingress & Ceilings
Water entering through damaged roofs causes ceiling collapse, plasterboard damage, and mould. Damaged ceilings must be fully stripped and replaced — not just patched — to prevent ongoing mould issues.
Window & Door Damage
Broken glass, damaged frames, failed seals, and window and door surround damage from impact and wind pressure — all requiring licensed builder repair.
Structural Damage
Fallen trees, high winds, and severe hail can cause structural damage to walls, roof trusses, pergolas, and carports — requiring engineering assessment and certified repair.
External Cladding & Rendering
Hail damage to external cladding, render, weatherboards, and fascias — often more extensive than it appears, requiring full replacement rather than spot repair.
Flooding & Water Damage
Flash flooding can cause extensive water damage to subfloors, flooring, cabinetry, walls, and insulation — requiring professional water extraction, drying, and full restoration.
Why You Should Choose Your Own Builder for Storm Damage Repairs
After a major Melbourne storm event, insurers are typically inundated with claims — and panel builder networks become severely overstretched. This is when the problems with the panel builder system are most visible:
- Wait times extend to 6–12+ months during peak post-storm periods
- Panel builders prioritise volume over quality — each job is rushed
- Multiple trades from different subcontractors with no single point of accountability
- Patch repairs rather than proper rectification — problems often recur
- Minimal communication and no respect for your timeline
By contacting Brownlow Building immediately after storm damage and requesting a cash settlement, you bypass all of this. We can typically commence storm damage repairs within weeks — not months — and we carry out all work to a standard that lasts.
Storm Damage Documentation Tips — What to Capture
Emergency Contacts for Melbourne Storm Damage
Brownlow Building
(03) 8351 5753
Storm damage assessment & cash settlement quotes — call before your insurer
SES (State Emergency)
132 500
Emergency make-safe assistance — tarping, tree removal, temporary boarding
Emergency (Life Threatening)
000
Police, Fire, Ambulance — for immediate life safety emergencies
Storm Damage to Your Melbourne Home?
Call Brownlow Building now — before contacting your insurer. We'll assess the damage, advise on your rights, and prepare a professional cash settlement quotation.
Licensed Builder CDB-U 100870 · VMIA Approved · All Major Insurers · Melbourne & Victoria