What Documents Does the Insurer Need?

An insurer needs enough reliable information to identify the policy, understand the contract, verify the project history, inspect the loss and assess a reasonable rectification or completion cost. The exact request differs from claim to claim, but the following structure makes the record easier to use.

1. Policy and identity documents

• Certificate of Insurance and any policy schedule;
• property address and owner details;
• builder’s legal entity, ABN or ACN and licence details;
• evidence of the insolvency, death, disappearance or licence-suspension trigger relied on;
• liquidator or external administrator notices and contact details.

2. Contract and approved scope

• signed building contract and tender;
• specifications, inclusions, exclusions and prime-cost or provisional-sum schedules;
• approved architectural plans, engineering and consultant documents;
• development consent, CDC or other approval and relevant conditions;
• all signed variations and evidence of any disputed variations.

The insurer must be able to distinguish the original contractual work from later owner upgrades or requests.

3. Payment evidence

• deposit receipt and every progress claim;
• bank statements or transfer receipts showing payments;
• builder invoices and credit notes;
• a simple payment ledger matching each payment to a contract stage or variation;
• records of materials or work paid directly by the owner.

Do not send only a total amount. A reconciled payment trail helps explain what the builder claimed, what the owner paid and what work was physically present.

4. Project history and correspondence

• a dated project timeline;
• emails, messages and meeting notes about delay, defects and outstanding work;
• notices to remedy, termination documents and dispute records;
• certifier, council, consultant, lender and subcontractor correspondence;
• programmes, site reports and progress photographs.

5. Site-condition evidence

• current wide-angle and detailed photographs;
• room-by-room or elevation-based incomplete-work schedule;
• separate defect schedule with location, observation and proposed investigation;
• marked-up floor plans, elevations and photographs;
• inspection reports, test results and consultant advice;
• records of temporary protection and emergency work.

6. Rectification and completion pricing

• costed scope divided by trade or work package;
• quantities, rates, allowances and assumptions;
• trade quotations and supplier pricing where appropriate;
• proposed rectification methodology;
• access, demolition, protection, testing and reinstatement allowances;
• consultant, approval and certification costs identified separately.

Where concealed conditions are unknown, the document should state the investigation step and the pricing assumption rather than presenting certainty that does not exist.

7. An index and consistent file names

Use a document register with date, title, author and version. Name files consistently, for example 2026-08-08 Site Inspection Report or Item 014 – Ensuite waterproofing – photo 03. Keep the original file and issue controlled revisions.

What ARK Houses prepares

Depending on the project, ARK Houses can prepare the site condition record, incomplete-work schedule, defect schedule, marked-up plans, location schedule, trade-based completion scope, rectification methodology, quotations and technical responses. The insurer decides what it accepts and whether further evidence is required.

Discuss the construction scope