Your project flood insurable (some are not)

Home insurance premiums in Australia have risen 51% in five years, from $1,940 to $2,938 on average (Finity data, cited by ABC News, 23 February 2026). In Sydney the average is $3,964 a year. In a flood-prone suburb of Brisbane, one homeowner was quoted $70,000. Some insurers are simply refusing to write new policies in high-risk areas.

This is a trend architects working on flood-affected sites need to understand. When a client cannot insure their finished home, or a financier demands evidence that flood risk has been properly managed before approving a loan, the consequences flow back to the design team.

The architects ahead of this are already asking the right questions: Are floor levels set against current flood benchmarks? Is overland flow modelled? Is drainage designed to perform?

The documentation that answers those questions keeps your clients insurable. And it protects your reputation.

Source: Finity analytics data via ABC News, 23 February 2026.