Improving hailstorm recovery processes has become more important given escalating risks and limited options for building owners to minimise the threat, Axa XL says.

The insurer says hailstorms are forecast to become more frequent and severe in Australia, while for property owners there are often few practical options for eliminating or lessening the risk.

An article published on the Axa XL website says aged care facility exposures are an example of potential costs and effects on people from the storms.

Many structures haven’t been designed to withstand today’s severe hail events, materials and construction costs can be 30-50% higher than average following a natural disaster, residents may need to be relocated due to damage, and routine medical treatments may be disrupted.

The insurer says it can typically take six to eight weeks before physical work starts after natural disasters and in difficult scenarios extended recovery timelines are likely to increase adverse impacts.

Claims Manager for Property and Construction in Australia Francis Row says the insurer has developed a Hail Damage Playbook in collaboration with adjusters Crawford and its Contractor Connection network to streamline the recovery process.

“The playbook aims to accelerate the recovery effort by conducting some activities simultaneously and eliminating others,” he says.

Contractors are able to start work right away and charge afterwards, subject to pre-agreed parameters around profit margins, general scope of work, provisions for undertaking extraordinary repairs and related issues.

“In essence, the playbook can be described as a collaborative process focussing on speed and efficiency, relying on a set of pre-screened, selected contractors operating on a ‘managed cost plus, basis,” Mr Row says.

“Although that description sounds relatively modest, the benefits can be substantial. The cost savings we have realised by following the playbook in some instances have been considerable.”