We connected up a new kitchen in Glenfield recently — new cabinetry, new sink, dishwasher, the lot. What made it satisfying is how it started: with a leak, and a long fight to get the claim recognised.
How a leak becomes a new kitchen
Water in a kitchen doesn’t stay in the kitchen. It gets into the cabinet bases, under the flooring and into the joinery, and chipboard doesn’t dry back to its old shape. Once enough of it is wet, repairing pieces stops making sense and the cabinetry has to be replaced — which is exactly the sort of damage house insurance is designed for.
Getting there wasn’t quick for these owners. Claims like this take persistence: the insurer needs to understand what leaked, when it started, what the damage is, and that it was sudden rather than a slow problem left unattended.
What makes those claims go smoother
From what we see across a lot of these jobs, the difference between an easy claim and a hard one usually comes down to evidence gathered early:
- Photos taken before anything is cleaned up or pulled out. Once the cabinets are out, the evidence is gone.
- A clear description of the cause — which fitting or appliance failed, and where the water went.
- Dates. When it was noticed, when it was reported, when someone attended.
- Acting quickly. Insurers treat sudden damage differently from damage that’s been left to develop.
We document jobs with photos as a matter of course, and that record is often what the assessor ends up relying on. Our earlier post on what insurers look for in a leak claim goes into this in more detail.
The good ending
The claim was accepted, and the owners got a brand new kitchen out of a bad few weeks. We did the plumbing side of the installation — sink, tap, waste and dishwasher connection — as the new cabinetry went in.
It’s a good reminder that a leak isn’t always just a loss. Handled properly, it can be the reason a tired kitchen finally gets replaced.
If you’ve got water damage in your kitchen
Stop the water, photograph everything before touching it, and get a plumber out who’ll document what they find. That record is worth more than it looks.
We work across Glenfield and the North Shore. Give us a call.
Common questions
Will insurance cover a kitchen leak?
It depends on the cause. Insurers generally treat sudden damage differently from damage that has developed slowly and been left, so what happened and when it was noticed matters as much as the damage itself. Your policy and your insurer decide — our part is documenting the cause clearly.
What should I photograph before anything is touched?
Everything, before it’s cleaned up or pulled out. The wet cabinetry, the floor, the failed fitting or appliance, and the extent of the water. Once the kitchen is stripped, that evidence is gone.
Why can’t damp cabinetry just be dried out?
Most kitchen cabinetry is chipboard, which swells when it gets wet and doesn’t return to shape. Doors can be re-hung and benchtops re-used sometimes, but a soaked cabinet base generally has to be replaced.
Do you deal with the insurer directly?
We provide the plumbing report, photos and a clear description of what failed, which is usually what the assessor relies on. The claim itself is between the owner and the insurer.
How long does the whole process take?
The plumbing repair is quick; the claim is the slow part. Getting a claim recognised can take persistence, which is why documenting it properly at the start makes such a difference to how fast it moves.