- 13/979 Albany Hwy, East Victoria Park WA 6101
Insurance broking since 1978
Getting cover north of the 26th parallel is harder than it is in Perth. Insurers and reinsurers treat that line as the boundary for cyclone exposure, and Karratha sits well north of it. Some will not quote the postcode. Others will, with cyclone excesses and sub-limits worth reading before you rely on them.
We place property, business, construction and personal insurance for clients in Karratha, Dampier, Wickham, Roebourne and across the West Pilbara, and we know who is currently writing what.
If you have tried to insure a Karratha property or business online, you may have found the quote form simply stops. A number of insurers restrict or decline property cover north of the 26th parallel, and Karratha is well north of it.
Others will write it, but on different terms to a Perth risk.
A separate cyclone excess, often calculated as a percentage of the sum insured rather than a flat dollar amount, and sub-limits on things you would assume were fully covered.
Knowing which insurers are currently writing Pilbara risks, and on what terms, is most of the job. That is what we do.
Insurer appetite north of the 26th parallel changes, and the online forms never tell you why they stopped. We track who is writing Karratha risks and what terms they are applying.
The excess, the sub-limits, and the difference between wind, rainwater, storm surge and flood. We go through what your policy actually says before the season, not after a claim.
Assessors and trades are limited and often flown in. We lodge, present and chase the claim so it is not sitting waiting on someone who has not arrived yet.
Homes, rentals and commercial property in the Pilbara, where insurer
appetite and cyclone terms vary more than anywhere else in WA.
Home Indemnity Insurance through our direct access to the QBE scheme, plus contract works for projects where your period of insurance has to survive a
wet season.
Property, interruption, liability, plant and cyber, including the specific
limits and named insured requirements that resources contracts impose.
Assessors and trades are thin on the ground up here. We lodge the claim, present it and chase it, so it is not sitting waiting on someone who has
not flown in yet.
Cyclone season runs from about November to April. Three things are worth knowing before it starts.
Embargoes
Once a cyclone is named and tracking toward the coast, insurers stop binding new cover and stop accepting increases to sums insured in the affected area. If your renewal falls in January and you leave it, you may find you cannot place it. Deal with renewals early.
Cyclone excesses
These are usually higher than your standard excess and are frequently expressed as a percentage of the sum insured. On a $1,500,000 building, a 2% cyclone excess is $30,000 before the insurer pays anything. Check what yours is.
What counts as what
Wind damage, rainwater entering through a damaged roof, rainwater entering an undamaged building, storm surge and flood are treated differently by most wordings, and some are excluded. After a cyclone these distinctions decide whether you are paid. We go through them with you before you need to know.
As your broker we act for you, not the insurer.
In the Pilbara that matters more than most places. We know which insurers are currently writing north of the 26th parallel, and on what terms.
A sum insured set on Perth build costs will not rebuild a Pilbara property. Freight, accommodation for trades, contractor availability and the demand surge that follows any significant weather event all push the real figure higher.
If your building is insured for less than it costs to rebuild, most policies let the insurer reduce your payout proportionally, even on a partial claim. Insure for $600,000 what costs $1,000,000 to replace, and a $200,000 claim can be settled at $120,000.
We flag sums insured that look out of date and can point you to a valuer who works in the region.
Often, yes. A number of insurers restrict cover north of the 26th parallel, and their online systems simply will not quote the postcode. Brokers have access to insurers and underwriting agencies that do write Pilbara risks, and we can approach them on your behalf.
A separate, higher excess that applies to cyclone damage. It is commonly a percentage of the sum insured rather than a fixed amount, so it can run to tens of thousands of dollars on a commercial building. Check the figure on your schedule.
Early. Once a cyclone is named and heading for the coast, insurers impose embargoes and will not bind new cover or accept increases to sums insured in the affected area. A renewal you leave until the last week may not be placeable.
It depends entirely on the wording, and flood, storm surge and rainwater are often treated as three different things. This is one of the most common sources of dispute after a Pilbara weather event, and it is worth knowing the answer before the season rather than after.
Yes. Principal contracts commonly specify minimum limits, require the principal to be named, and require a waiver of subrogation. We read those clauses against your actual policies and tell you where you do not comply, which is generally cheaper to find out before you sign than after.
One conversation tells you what the cover actually does, whether the price is fair, and what the rest of the market says about both. No jargon and no sales pitch.
Call us now, most enquiries are settled in one conversation.
Answered 24 hours a day: a broker in office hours (8am–6pm Mon–Fri), and after hours we take your details and a broker rings you back from 8am on the next business day.
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The information on this website is general in nature and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It is not a recommendation to acquire, hold or dispose of any insurance product. Consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement, policy wording and Target Market Determination, and seek advice from us about your own circumstances, before making a decision. Cover is subject to the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions of the policy issued by the insurer.
