The first priority is safety. If there is visible structural damage, ground movement, gas or electrical concerns, flooding, or a placard restricting entry, stay out of the affected area and follow the direction of emergency services, your council or other relevant authorities.

Once it is safe, document the damage before clean-up or temporary repairs. Take photos and videos from a safe distance, keep records of what happened, and contact your insurer to lodge a claim and ask what information they need. If the damage relates to a natural hazard, your claim may also involve the Natural Hazards Commission.

Be cautious about committing to permanent repairs before the cause is understood. Damage can be a symptom of something deeper, such as ground movement, structural movement or subsurface conditions. An independent engineering assessment can help identify what happened, why it happened, what it means for safety and repair, and what evidence may support your claim. 

A red placard usually means a building has been initially assessed as unsafe to occupy after an event such as an earthquake, landslide, flood or other damaging event. 

Removing a red placard is not a single action and cannot be done by an engineer alone. It usually requires the identified safety risks to be addressed and accepted by the relevant council or authority. Depending on the situation, this may involve an engineering assessment, repair or stabilisation works, supporting documentation from a suitably qualified engineer, and review by the relevant authority. 

The exact requirements depend on the nature of the damage and why the placard was issued. We can assess the damage, advise what engineering work may be required, and provide documentation to support the process. Final decisions on placard removal sit with the relevant authority. 

For more detail on what placards mean and how they are used, see our Insights article on building placards.  

Our independence comes from how we work. Our role is to assess the damage, review the evidence and report what the evidence shows, regardless of who requested or paid for the assessment. 

Our assessors have worked with property owners, insurers, legal advisers and repair contractors, so we understand what each party needs without being aligned to any one of them. Several Cook Costello engineers are members of the Natural Disaster Recovery Panel, and our reports are prepared to be clear, traceable and defensible for insurers, councils and dispute processes. 

Not always. For minor, clearly cosmetic damage, your insurer may be able to assess the claim without an engineer’s report. 

An independent engineer’s report becomes more valuable when the damage is significant, the cause is unclear, the repair method is disputed, or the visible damage may be a symptom of something deeper. A good report documents the damage, identifies the likely cause, explains the implications for safety and repair, and sets out practical next steps. 

This can be especially important where the claim depends on whether damage was caused by a natural hazard, a pre-existing issue, construction defect or another factor. If you are unsure whether a report would help, get in touch and tell us what has happened. We will give you an honest view of whether an assessment is likely to add value. 

Insurance disagreements commonly relate to whether damage is covered, what caused it, how extensive it is, or what repair method is appropriate. The first step is to clarify exactly what is in dispute, because that determines what evidence will help. 

Where the disagreement involves cause, extent of damage or repair strategy, independent engineering evidence can be useful. An impartial assessment gives you a clear technical basis for discussions with your insurer, rather than relying on competing opinions. 

If the issue cannot be resolved directly, you can use your insurer’s internal complaints process and, where applicable, escalate the matter to the relevant dispute resolution scheme. For complex or high-value matters, some owners also seek legal advice. We can assess the damage, explain the technical issues clearly, and prepare evidence-based reporting to support claim discussions or dispute resolution. 

The timeframe depends on the scale, urgency and complexity of the damage. For straightforward cases, an assessment and report can often be completed within 2 to 4 weeks. More complex matters involving monitoring, specialist testing, multiple parties or staged investigation may take longer. 

We will outline likely timeframes at the start, including what information we need, when a site visit can occur, and when you can expect reporting or next-step advice. 

If your situation is urgent, contact us and explain what has happened so we can advise what should happen next.