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When flood excesses vary a lot between New Zealand home insurers, the strongest evidence is the policy wording for your actual property, combined with your flood exposure and the total amount you could afford to pay after a claim. Don't choose based on the headline premium alone.

A low annual premium can be a false saving if a flood claim triggers a large excess, a special excess for certain types of flooding, or exclusions that leave you paying for significant repairs yourself.

The evidence to use, in order of importance

1. The exact flood excess and what triggers it

Get the current policy wording, policy schedule and a written quote for your specific address. Check whether the excess applies to river flooding, surface-water flooding, stormwater overflow, or several types of water damage. Confirm whether it is a fixed dollar amount or a percentage of the sum insured, and whether it applies per event or claim.

A special flood excess is only one part of the picture: check whether any flood-related exclusions or limitations apply too.

2. Evidence of flood risk at your actual property

Prioritise your local council's flood-hazard maps, property-specific flood assessments, recorded flood history, drainage information and any previous flooding at the house.

Look for the likely depth and extent of flooding, whether access roads may flood, and whether the home has previously been inundated. A broad regional flood-risk label is less informative than evidence about your particular site.

Disclose relevant known flood history and hazards to the insurer.

3. What the insurer will actually pay for

Compare the cover for repairs to the building, foundations where covered, flooring, wall linings, built-in kitchens, electrical systems and any necessary remediation. Check cover limits, exclusions, temporary accommodation and rebuilding terms.

In New Zealand, the Natural Hazards Commission (NHC) provides limited cover for eligible residential land damaged by storms and floods, but damage to the home itself is generally dealt with under your private insurance. Don't assume NHC land cover makes up for a restrictive private flood policy. About natural hazards cover :: Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū AkeCover for storm, flood, and landslide damage :: Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake

4. Your maximum realistic out-of-pocket cost

Calculate the excess you would pay in a serious flood, then add any repairs, land damage, cleanup or temporary living costs that are not insured.

A high excess may be tolerable for a low-risk property if you have sufficient savings. It is much less attractive if flooding is plausible and paying that excess would be financially difficult.

5. Comparable premiums and claims-service evidence

Compare annual premiums for equivalent cover, the standard excess, the flood excess and other special excesses. Use current policy documents and independent comparisons, such as Consumer NZ's house and contents insurance guide, which covers costs, cover limits and customer service. How to get the best house and contents insurance

Treat customer satisfaction and claims-service reputation as supporting evidence, not a substitute for adequate flood cover.

How to compare the financial trade-off

Use this table for every insurer you are considering. The figures should come from quotes for the same property and broadly equivalent cover.

Evidence	Insurer A	Insurer B
Annual premium	$	$
Flood excess	$	$
Other relevant excesses	$	$
Flood exclusions or sublimits	Details	Details
Temporary accommodation cover	Details	Details
Maximum affordable excess?	Yes/No	Yes/No

The most useful quick calculation is:

Annual premium saving versus additional flood excess.

For example, if Insurer A costs $300 more each year but has a flood excess $5,000 lower than Insurer B, the premium difference equals $1,500 over five years, before premium changes. That is a meaningful trade-off, but it is not enough on its own to establish which policy is better.

A lower excess can be worth paying for, particularly where flooding is credible. But a policy with a low excess and a significant flood exclusion could be worse than a policy with a higher excess and broader cover.

What should break a tie?

If two policies are otherwise similar, I'd favour the one that:

• Explicitly covers the flood scenarios that are plausible at your property.
• Has a flood excess you could comfortably pay without borrowing.
• Provides adequate rebuilding cover and sensible limits for flood-damaged parts of the home.
• Has clear written answers from the insurer about exclusions, claim handling and temporary accommodation.
• Offers a reasonable premium for those protections.

One important New Zealand distinction: the NHC's natural-hazards excess and your insurer's own flood excess may be separate costs. For eligible NHCover claims arising from events on or after 1 July 2024, the standard NHC excess is generally $500 for a building claim and $500 for a land claim; both may apply when both are claimed. Your private policy may impose additional terms for damage to the home. Check the NHC's explanation of natural hazards cover for the details. About natural hazards cover :: Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū AkeCover for storm, flood, and landslide damage :: Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake

My bottom line: let property-specific flood risk and the policy's actual response to that risk determine which policies make the shortlist. Then use the flood excess, affordability and annual premium to choose between them.

If you share the insurers you're comparing, their quoted premiums and flood excesses, I can help rank the evidence and identify which policy offers the strongest trade-off.