Who We Are Not

Disaster Recovery is a network of independent, IICRC-certified restoration contractors operating across Australia and New Zealand. When you contact us, we match you to a contractor in your area whose scope of works documents the full extent of your damage to the current IICRC standards — S500:2025 for water, S700:2025 for fire and smoke, S520:2025 for mould.

The contractor you engage works to your brief and bills you directly. We do not invoice clients for restoration work, we do not bill on behalf of insurers, and we do not hold client funds.

We are not an insurer. We are not an insurance broker, agent, or authorised representative. We are not a claims advocate, a public adjuster, or a legal service. We do not approve, deny, or guarantee insurance claims.

We are not a managed repair program. Insurer panels exist; this is not one. Our contractors are not selected by your insurer and their scope of works is not set to an insurer's authorised budget. The commercial relationship is between you and your contractor, not between your insurer and us.

We are not financial advisers. Where finance is available through a referral partner, that referral is made under Regulation 25 of the NCCP Regulations 2010. Rates, eligibility, and credit decisions are entirely between you and the credit provider.

After a loss, two structurally different models exist for how your property gets restored. The choice you make in the first 48 hours often shapes what happens next.

Both models exist legitimately. We run the second one. This page exists so you can tell the two apart before you commit.

Under the General Insurance Code of Practice and the Insurance Contracts Act 1984, you have rights about how your claim is handled. AFCA (the Australian Financial Complaints Authority) accepts complaints from policyholders at no cost.

AFCA has published determinations covering recurring patterns in restoration disputes — scope undervaluation, repair quality below industry standard, and premature claim closure. Where an independent IICRC scope of works has documented additional damage that the insurer's scope missed, AFCA has required insurers to pay additional amounts or arrange re-assessment.

Source: AFCA published case studies. Individual outcomes vary; this is general information, not legal advice.

“Who First” is a stance, not a guarantee. It describes whose interests drive every decision on your job:

• Your contractor is yours. Selected by you, working to your brief.
• Your scope is independent. Documented to the current IICRC standard, regardless of any insurer's authorised budget.
• Your record is portable. If your claim ends up in dispute, the scope of works you commissioned is admissible evidence in any insurer review or AFCA complaint.
• Your call. If you would rather use your insurer's assigned builder, that is a legitimate choice. We just want you to know there is a second one.

This page is general information about restoration models in Australia and New Zealand. It is not legal advice and it is not insurance advice. For advice about your specific policy, contact your insurer or a licensed insurance broker. For advice about disputing a claim, contact AFCA or a legal practitioner.