The insurance assessor visit for a water damage claim

The loss assessor who comes to the house works for the insurer, forms a view on cover as well as damage, and writes the report the decision is built on.

Read from primary sources · Editor-reviewed · Current as at 20 September 2026

By the waterdamagequotesau.com editorial team · Published 20 September 2026 · Last reviewed 20 September 2026 · 8 min read

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Where an insurer appoints a loss assessor to a water damage claim, the assessor is the person who comes to the house. They look at the damage, form a view about the cause, and write the report the decision is built on. It helps to know exactly who they are, what they are there to do, and what the Code of Practice says about the visit and the report.

Who the assessor is, and who they work for

The General Insurance Code of Practice defines a loss assessor or loss adjuster as a company or person who is not the insurer’s employee and whom the insurer contracts to examine the circumstances of your claim, assess the damage or loss, determine whether the claim is covered under the policy, help obtain a repair or replacement quote, and help settle the claim (General Insurance Code of Practice, Part 16 (definitions)). That list matters: the assessor is not only measuring damage, they are forming a view on cover.

The Code also says, in paragraph 35, that a service supplier providing a service to you must tell you the service the insurer has authorised it to provide and that it is acting on our behalf (General Insurance Code of Practice, paragraph 35). If the assessor does not say so, ask: “What has the insurer asked you to do today?” Under paragraph 38 the insurer may only appoint suppliers who hold any licence the law requires and are qualified to do the job and deal with you professionally (General Insurance Code of Practice, paragraph 38).

Some firms offer to act for policyholders rather than insurers. The Code’s definition, and its duties, cover the assessor the insurer contracts; anyone you engage yourself works for you, under your own agreement with them.

The deadlines around the visit and the report

Code of Practice timeframes that bear on the assessor and the report. 2020 Code as updated October 2023, read 15 October 2026.
Stage	What the Code says	Where
Claim received	Within 10 business days: what information the insurer needs, whether it will appoint an assessor, and its estimated timeframe	para 68
Assessor appointed	You are told within 5 business days, and told their role	para 72
External expert engaged	Their report is due within 12 weeks of being engaged	para 74
While you wait	A progress update at least every 20 business days	para 70
All information in	A decision within 10 business days	para 76
Outside limit	4 months from receiving the claim, unless a listed exception applies	para 77
Denied or part-paid	Reasons in writing, and copies of the reports relied on within 10 business days of asking	para 82

The Insurance Council consulted on a redrafted Code in mid-2026; the paragraph numbers above are from the 2020 Code as updated in October 2023, which was the version in force when this page was written (Insurance Council of Australia, Code of Practice).

Get the drying started before the visit

Four digits, and restoration companies advertising for your postcode call you back.

Preparing for the visit

For water damage, two provisions are in play: did a listed event happen — for instance the bursting, leaking or overflowing of a fixed pipe (Insurance Contracts Regulations 2017 (Cth) reg 19(1)(a)(vi)) — and does an exclusion such as wear and tear, rust or corrosion apply (Insurance Contracts Regulations 2017 (Cth) reg 19(2)(b))? Have the evidence for the first ready:

The failed part. The hose, fitting or section of pipe the plumber removed.
The plumber’s written cause. What failed, where, and when it was found.
Photographs from the start. Standing water, the source, the damage, with dates.
Moisture readings. If a restorer has started drying, the daily readings show what was wet and how far it spread.
What you have thrown out. A list and photographs, if anything had to go for health reasons.

Walk the assessor through the house yourself and point to everything that was wet, including cupboards, wall bases and the subfloor. Something not seen on the day is easy to leave out of the report. Ask what they will recommend about cause, and note what they say.

After the visit: the report, and disagreeing with it

You do not automatically get the report. If the claim is denied or not paid in full, the insurer must give you written reasons and tell you that you can ask for copies of the service supplier and expert reports it relied on, which it must provide within 10 business days of your request. Ask for them; the reasoning in the report is what you are answering.

If you think the assessor got the cause wrong, the answer is evidence, not argument: a plumber’s or engineer’s report of your own. The Australian Financial Complaints Authority’s approach, where expert reports conflict and neither is compelling, is that showing an insured event caused the damage is the policyholder’s job, and proving an exclusion such as wear and tear is the insurer’s (AFCA, The AFCA Approach to general insurance claims handling (July 2026), s 2.4). Complaints about the assessor’s conduct can go to the insurer or to the assessor, who must pass them on within 2 Business Days (General Insurance Code of Practice, paragraph 36). If the claim is eventually paid, interest can run on an amount that was unreasonably withheld (Insurance Contracts Act 1984 (Cth) s 57; Insurance Contracts Regulations 2017 (Cth) reg 38).

Making a water damage claim covers the steps before the visit, and if the claim is declined covers the complaint route.

Common questions

What does an insurance assessor do?

The General Insurance Code of Practice defines a loss assessor or loss adjuster as someone who is not the insurer's employee and whom it contracts to examine the circumstances of the claim, assess the damage, determine whether the claim is covered, help obtain a repair or replacement quote, and help settle the claim.

Who does the loss assessor work for?

The insurer. Under paragraph 35 of the Code, a service supplier such as a loss assessor must tell you the service the insurer has authorised it to provide and that it is acting on the insurer's behalf.

How long does the insurer have to send an assessor?

The Code says that within 10 business days of receiving the claim the insurer will, if necessary, appoint a loss assessor or loss adjuster, and that you will be told within 5 business days of one being appointed, with an explanation of their role.

Can I get a copy of the assessor's report?

If the insurer denies the claim or does not pay in full, paragraph 81 of the Code says it must tell you that you can ask for copies of the service supplier or external expert reports it relied on, and paragraph 82 gives it 10 business days to provide them.

Can I start drying before the assessor comes?

Stopping the damage getting worse is in your interest, and drying wet materials is part of that. Photograph everything first, keep anything removed, and tell the insurer what you are doing and why.

What if I am unhappy with the assessor?

Complain to the insurer, or to the assessor. Under paragraph 36 of the Code, a service supplier that receives a complaint must tell the insurer within 2 business days, and it is handled under the insurer's complaints process.

Sources cited on this page

Every figure above was read from the source it is attributed to on 20 September 2026. How we check this.