After a quake, look from a distance
Keep everyone well clear of chimneys and the ground beneath them, because an aftershock can bring a cracked one down. Don't go into the roof space or up a ladder to inspect the damage while the shaking is still going. If you smell gas, or see damaged wiring or water near power, get out and call 111.
What changed when EQC became NHC
On 1 July 2024 the Natural Hazards Insurance Act 2023 replaced the Earthquake Commission Act 1993, and EQC became the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake at the same time.
Which rules apply depends on when the damage first happened. Damage from before 1 July 2024 is an EQCover claim under the old Act. Damage on or after that date is an NHCover claim under the new one.
You get NHC cover automatically if your home insurance includes fire cover, which most policies do. The levy is already built into your premium, and the most it can currently be is $480 plus GST a year.
Who covers what after a natural hazard
| Your house and roof | Your land | |
|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | NHC up to its cap, then your insurer | NHC, within set limits |
| Landslide | NHC up to its cap, then your insurer | NHC, within set limits |
| Volcanic or hydrothermal activity, tsunami | NHC up to its cap, then your insurer | NHC, within set limits |
| Storm or flood | Your private insurer | NHC, within set limits |
| Rust, wear and old age | Not NHC, and usually not your insurer either | Not a natural hazard |
How much NHC pays, and the excess
For each natural hazard event, the most NHC pays to repair or rebuild your home is generally $300,000 plus GST. Anything above that comes from your private insurer.
The cap can be lower, for example if your replacement sum insured is less than that, or if the damage came from an event before 1 October 2022.
For damage on or after 1 July 2024, the NHC excess is $500 per home for a building claim and $500 for a land claim. For older EQCover claims, the building excess is 1% of the settlement, with a minimum of $200 and a maximum of $3,450.
For a roof claim, the bigger risk is usually missing damage, not hitting the cap. Cracked tiles, shifted flashings around a chimney and water getting into the roof space can all go unnoticed in the first look.
Where earthquakes hit roofs hardest
Chimneys and heavy tiles. After the Canterbury earthquakes, BRANZ found damage to sheet roofing and metal tiles in Christchurch was mainly from falling chimneys, and tended to be minor. Concrete and clay tile roofs in the hill suburbs often had tiles knocked off their battens, because they weren't tied down or their ties had corroded.
NHC says homes built before 1970 most likely have unreinforced brick or masonry chimneys. For an old masonry chimney, it says the safest option is removing it from the top all the way down to floor level. A chimney that's still in use can have the part above the roof swapped for a lighter metal flue. Removal may need a building consent.
NHC's Quake Safe Your Home guide also points out that a single roof tile can weigh up to 4.5 kg. It suggests replacing concrete or slate tiles with lighter options such as corrugated iron or metal tiles, or making sure tiles are well secured to the framing. Our guide to chimneys and earthquakes goes further.
How to make a claim for roof damage
Stop more damage first
If the roof is letting water in, get a roofer to put a temporary cover on once it's safe. Keep the invoice and any photos they take.
Record what you can see
Photograph the roof and chimney from the ground, any fallen bricks or tiles, and cracks or water marks inside. Write down the date and time of the event.
Start with your home insurer
Most insurers assess and manage the whole claim, including the NHC part, on NHC's behalf. Tell them it's earthquake or landslide damage so it's handled the right way.
Don't leave it too long
You have up to two years to lodge a claim after the event, but NHC encourages claiming within three months. A longer delay may affect the assessment and could lead to the claim being declined.
Get the roof looked at properly
A roofer's written report with photos helps make sure nothing is missed, especially loose tiles, cracked ridges and damage around the chimney that you can't see from the ground.
If more damage turns up later
Stop any work in that area and contact your claim manager straight away. That's NHC's own advice for damage found after a claim has been settled.
What NHC won't cover
If there was no valid home insurance policy with fire cover in place at the time of the event, there's no NHC cover. It also doesn't pay consequential losses such as theft, vandalism or the cost of staying somewhere else.
If your record of title carries a section 72 notice saying the property is affected by a natural hazard, NHC can fully or partly decline a claim for damage from that same type of hazard.
Rust and general wear aren't natural hazards, so problems a roof already had before the event aren't something NHC pays to put right. A roofer's report that separates old wear from new damage helps everyone.
Damage that hasn't happened yet
NHC may also cover imminent damage, meaning damage that hasn't happened yet but is more likely than not to happen in the 12 months after the event.
A chimney that's cracked right through and leaning over the roofline is the kind of thing worth raising with your insurer under that heading. Let them and the roofer judge it, and keep well away from it in the meantime.
What you can do, and what to leave
You can
- Photograph damage from the ground and inside the house
- Note the date and time of the quake or landslide
- Keep people and pets away from a damaged chimney
- Find your policy and check it includes fire cover
- Lodge the claim with your insurer early
- Keep receipts for any emergency work
Leave to a roofer
- Anything on the roof after an earthquake
- Checking tile fixings, ridges and chimney flashings
- Temporary covers to keep water out
- A written report separating new damage from old wear
- Chimney removal or a metal flue, which may need a building consent
What we'd do after a quake
Keep everyone clear of the chimney, take photos from the ground, then call the insurer and get the claim lodged well inside the three months NHC suggests. Have a roofer record the roof damage in writing while it's fresh. And if you've got an old brick chimney that came through intact, we'd talk to a roofer about taking it down or swapping the top for a metal flue before the next one.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.