Emergency Make Safe
The work that happens before anything is approved: securing a property, stopping water getting in, propping what is unsafe. It is the cheapest work on any claim and it saves the most money.
What "Make Safe" Actually Means
It is not the repair. It is the work that stops the situation getting worse between the moment something happens and the moment the claim is approved — which can be a fortnight, and in a wet fortnight that is the difference between a roof claim and a whole-house claim.
Nobody waits for approval to do it, and no insurer wants you to. Make safe is normally accepted as part of the claim precisely because it costs them far less than the damage it prevents.
Typical Make Safe Work
- Tarping and temporary roofing where the roof is damaged or gone
- Board-up and temporary glazing for broken windows and forced doors
- Re-securing the building — temporary locks, screens, fixing what will not latch
- Propping for damaged or unstable structure
- Isolating services — water off at the toby, power isolated at the board where it is unsafe
- Water extraction and drying equipment set up on day one rather than day five
- Temporary fencing to keep people away from an unsafe area
- Clearing debris that is itself a hazard
- Photographing and documenting the damage before anything is disturbed
Why the Documentation Matters as Much as the Tarp
Make safe work necessarily changes the scene. If the damage is not photographed properly first, the assessor is looking at a tarped roof and taking somebody's word for what was underneath. We photograph everything before we touch it, and that record goes with the claim.
Does It Commit Me to Anything?
No. Having us make a property safe does not mean we do the repair, and it does not affect your ability to use a different builder. It is emergency work, it stands on its own, and if the permanent repair goes somewhere else that is entirely fine.
When to Ring Rather Than Wait
If any of these are true, it is not a tomorrow job: the building is open to the weather, water is still getting in, the property cannot be locked, there is unstable structure, or people cannot safely stay away from the damaged area.
Make Safe — Common Questions
Do I need my insurer's approval first?
No. Emergency work to prevent further damage is normally covered without waiting for approval — insurers would much rather pay for a tarp than for a ceiling. Let them know it has happened as soon as you reasonably can, and we will document what we did and why.
Who pays for it?
Make safe is normally handled as part of the claim — ask us and we will explain how it works with your insurer.
Will you do the permanent repair too?
We can, and often we do because we are already there and we have photographed everything. But there is no obligation. Make safe stands on its own.
How long does temporary work last?
A properly fitted tarp will hold for weeks rather than days, and board-up will hold indefinitely. If a claim is going to be slow — after a major storm, for instance — tell us, because a longer wait is worth a more robust temporary fix.
Can you make safe a property I manage but do not own?
Yes, and we do this constantly for property managers and body corporates. We will need authority from whoever can give it, but that does not have to hold up the securing work in a genuine emergency.
When It Can't Wait Until Morning.
Answered and managed by our own team — not an outsourced answering service. We get there, make it safe and stop the damage getting worse.