Burst pipe, leaking roof or dead hot water system? Here's the fast money plan

Water through the ceiling at 2am. A tree branch where the roof used to be. Cold showers for the third day running. Houses pick terrible moments to fall apart.

Here’s the fastest route: make it safe, take photos, and call your insurer before paying anyone. Many insurers arrange emergency make-safe work themselves. If you’re uninsured, or you need the excess and gap money right away, equity in the property is usually the quickest way to fund a bigger repair.

What should I do in the first hour after the damage?

Safety first, money second. Then evidence, because it decides how smoothly the claim runs.

1. Turn off the mains water, power or gas if you can do it safely.
2. Photograph and film the damage before you move or bin anything. Moneysmart recommends keeping your own photos and videos as a record.
3. Do only what’s needed to stop it getting worse, such as boarding a broken door or pulling out soaked carpet.
4. Call your insurer, or lodge online, as soon as practical. Some policies have time limits for lodging claims.
5. Ask whether the insurer will send someone to make the property safe before you call a tradie yourself.

Hang on to receipts for anything you do buy, like tarps or a pump hire. Keeping that paperwork tidy helps whichever way the claim goes.

Will my insurer pay for emergency repairs, and how fast?

Often, insurers arrange emergency work such as a roof tarp or debris removal. The permanent repair comes after the claim is assessed, and that’s where the waiting starts.

Under the General Insurance Code of Practice, as summarised by the Financial Rights Legal Centre and Moneysmart:

What happens	Code timeframe
Insurer’s first response to your claim	Within 10 business days
Progress updates while it’s assessed	At least every 20 business days
Decision once it has all the information it needs	Within 10 business days
Overall decision (no exceptional circumstances)	Within 4 months of the claim
Advance payment if you prove urgent financial need	Can be paid within 5 business days

That last row is the one most people never ask about. If the damage has left you in genuine financial strife, say so and ask for the claim to be fast-tracked.

Cash settlement or insurer-managed repairs?

You can sometimes take a cash settlement and organise the builder yourself. Moneysmart warns there are risks: check that the amount actually covers the repair, and that you have the time to manage the job. The excess is taken off a cash settlement.

What if I’m not insured, or the payout won’t cover it?

That’s when a fast loan earns its keep. Common gaps include the excess, items the policy excludes (wear and tear, gradual leaks, some types of flood cover), upgrades the council now requires, and the plain uninsured job like a hot water system that has simply died of old age.

Where the funding usually comes from:

• Home equity. If there’s room in your property, a top-up or a second loan is usually the most direct path to a large amount. Read how to borrow against your home fast.
• A property-secured business loan. Landlords and business owners can borrow between $20,000 and $5,000,000 with a house, unit, shop or warehouse as security; for $20k to $250k, same-day money is possible when the file is complete.
• Unsecured business finance. A trading business repairing its own premises may tap cash-flow funding of about $5,000 to $500,000, with the size set by what the business turns over.
• Personal options. For a homeowner without much equity, we look at what’s realistic and point you to it, without promising a personal-loan amount or speed up front.

Renting? This one may not be your bill

If you rent and the hot water, roof or plumbing fails, tell your landlord or property manager straight away, in writing. Urgent repairs to the building are generally the landlord’s job under state tenancy laws, and your state’s tenancy or fair trading body explains what to do if nobody responds. Borrowing to fix someone else’s house is rarely the right move, so check before you spend.

Not sure which route is quickest for you? Start the 60-second check → and tell us what broke and roughly what it’ll cost. Our explainer on whether secured or unsecured is faster also helps.

How do I speed up a loan for urgent home repairs?

Lenders move faster when the story and the numbers match. Before you enquire, gather:

• a written quote from the tradie (or two, if time allows)
• your claim number and the insurer’s latest email, if you’ve claimed
• your latest mortgage statement and a rates notice
• recent payslips or bank statements, plus BAS if you’re in business
• photos of the damage, which help explain the urgency

Run through the Tomorrow-o-meter to see how close to “ready” you are. And if the damage is turning into a bigger job, our page on finishing a renovation covers funding a full rebuild.

Is there anything to avoid when you need repairs fast?

Disaster-chasing tradies are the classic trap. After storms, door-knockers offer cheap fixes for upfront cash and then vanish. Check the tradie’s licence with your state’s building authority and never pay the whole lot before work starts.

Also be careful with:

• signing an insurer’s cash settlement before you’ve had an independent quote
• maxing out credit cards on a big repair you may later be reimbursed for
• borrowing the full repair cost when insurance will cover most of it; borrow the gap and a buffer instead

Can you get emergency repair money sorted by tomorrow?

If the insurer is slow, the excess is hefty, or there’s simply no cover, a short enquiry shows you fast what’s on the table.

Making contact triggers no credit check. Your details stay put rather than being passed down a long line of lenders, so your mobile stays calm. A person, not a bot, studies the situation and rings back with the quickest workable route. Answer the questions honestly, including the actual quote and any equity, so you’re matched to the right lender first time and the tradie can get started.

Check if you qualify for repair funding and get the roof back over your head.