What does Tower house insurance cover in New Zealand?
General information, not advice on your situation. Buying through Tower's online quote is direct, without advice. QuoteHub is a Tower partner and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission from Tower.
Tower sells house insurance in New Zealand at three levels, Standard, Plus and Premium, and all three pay to rebuild your house up to the sum insured on your certificate (Tower). So the sum insured sets the main limit, and the level mostly changes the extras around it, such as temporary accommodation of $15,000, $25,000 or $30,000 (Tower). The policies are written for owner-occupiers, so a rented-out house needs a landlord policy instead (Tower), as QuoteHub's landlord versus house insurance guide explains.
The three levels side by side
Tower's current wordings (code 09-24) share the same core. Replacement is to the sum insured, and a fire that destroys the house can pay up to a further 20% of it when the rebuild costs more, but not for fire following a natural hazard (Tower's Standard wording). Liability protection is up to $20,000,000 in total for the period, with up to $100,000 for bodily injury to a person per event, and sustainability upgrade pays up to $15,000 after a covered total loss, except where a natural hazard caused it (Tower's Plus wording). Tower also charges one excess, the highest, when one event leads to claims on its house, contents, car or boat policies (Tower).
The levels separate on the extras:
| Maximum benefit | Standard | Plus | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary accommodation, per event | $15,000 (wording) | $25,000 (wording) | $30,000 (wording) |
| Hidden gradual water damage, per event | $1,000 (wording) | $2,000 (wording) | $3,000 (wording) |
| Garden retaining walls included, in total | $15,000 (wording) | $25,000 (wording) | $50,000 (wording) |
| Landscaping after fire or vehicle impact, per event | $1,000 (wording) | $2,000 (wording) | $5,000 (wording) |
| Keys and locks, no excess | $500 (wording) | $1,000 (wording) | $2,000 (wording) |
| House under minor alteration, per event | $10,000 (wording) | $20,000 (wording) | $50,000 (wording) |
| Demand surge protection, share of sum insured | Not included | Up to 10% (wording) | Up to 15% (wording) |
| Stress lump sum if the house is destroyed | Not included | $1,000 (wording) | $2,000 (wording) |
| Excess on a glass-only claim | Not included | $200 (wording) | $100 (wording) |
Only Premium sets out a carpets extended replacement benefit, which replaces identical carpet in other rooms if a match cannot be found (Tower's Premium wording). Demand surge is at Tower's sole discretion and needs widespread loss from a natural hazard, flood or storm that pushes building costs up (Tower's Plus wording). The retaining wall row matters most on a sloping section, because the limit is a cap on walls included automatically, and Tower covers walls above that limit only if they are on your certificate (Tower's Standard wording).
Sum insured and how Tower settles a claim
Tower says the sum insured should cover the whole rebuild, including demolition, debris removal, professional fees and council fees, and that it differs from market value because land is not insured (Tower). Tower adjusts the figure before each renewal using the Cordell Sum Sure calculator or the building components of the consumer price index, and asks you to check it yearly (Tower). The same page lists what drives the figure, from floor area, slope and access to cladding, number of storeys, design style and extras such as pools, solar panels and outbuildings. QuoteHub's sum insured guide has a worksheet for it.
On a claim, Tower pays the least of the actual repair cost, the cost to replace the floor area the house had before the loss or the area on your certificate, and the sum insured. After a partial loss the sum insured drops by the repair amount until the house is repaired, and cover is not restored after a total loss (Tower's Plus wording). In practice, if the certificate says 140 square metres but an extension has since taken the house to 165, the extra area is not what Tower's formula pays for, even when the dollar figure looks adequate.
Some houses sit on present day value cover instead. Tower says these are generally pre-1950s houses not fully re-lined, re-wired or re-roofed, and the claim is then the market value of the house without the land or the sum insured, whichever is less (Tower). Your certificate shows which basis applies, and Tower can say whether upgrades could move a house to full replacement.
Natural hazards and the NHC layer
Home policies that include fire cover come with natural hazards cover from the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake (NHC, formerly EQC), whose levy is built into the premium. NHC says the building cap is generally $300,000 plus GST per event and the maximum levy is currently $480 plus GST a year (NHC).
Tower's wordings follow that structure: you must claim from NHC first, then Tower pays the difference between NHC's cover and your sum insured, less any excess (Tower's Standard wording). It adds a $5,000 excess for natural hazard damage to a driveway, path, fence, swimming pool or spa pool (wording). New policies also have a 72-hour stand-down for storms, floods, wildfire, tsunami, volcanic activity or landslide, and for cyclones named before the start date, unless the policy follows straight on from another or was taken out when you bought the house. See our guide to natural disaster insurance and, when buying, insurance on settlement day.
Tower also prices some natural hazard risk by address. Its risk ratings cover earthquake, river and rainfall flood, landslide and sea surge, they are not always lined up with the premium, and a hazard with no address data shows as "unknown" (Tower). If a rating looks wrong, or you have made changes to manage a risk, Tower says to tell it, and a quote shows the ratings before you buy (Tower).
What Tower's house wordings leave out
These are the situations people most often assume are covered. They are the main exclusions, not the full list (Tower's Standard wording).
| Situation | How the house policy treats it |
|---|---|
| A pipe leaks slowly inside a wall for weeks | Only the hidden gradual water damage benefit in the table above applies. Other gradual damage such as rot, mould or rust, and wear and tear, is excluded (Tower's Standard wording). |
| Pets chew the carpet or scratch the floors | Not covered (Tower). |
| Laptop, furniture or jewellery is stolen | Contents, not house. You need a contents policy such as Tower contents insurance (Tower). |
| Non-structural renovation with no building consent | Covered under the minor alteration benefit, including materials stored at the house (Tower's Plus wording). |
| Renovation needing a building consent, load bearing walls, foundations or roof or cladding changes | Outside that benefit. Tower sells separate contract works renovation cover (Tower), and our renovation insurance guide covers when it matters. |
| Asbestos found while repairing a claim | Clean-up is part of the claim, but liability for asbestos harm to others is excluded (Tower). |
| House left empty for 90 days or more | From day 91 cover narrows to natural hazards, non-deliberate fire and storm or flood, with an extra $1,000 excess, unless the certificate shows a holiday home (Tower). |
Also excluded are mechanical or electrical breakdown, settling, cracking or soil movement, trees, shrubs and land as part of the house, a house that becomes dedicated tenanted property, controlled drug contamination, and any loss another insurer's policy also covers (Tower's Standard wording). Pools, spa pools, solar systems and tennis courts are only covered if specified on your certificate. Tower will also not pay the extra cost caused by a part of the house lacking a building consent it legally needed (Tower's Plus wording), which matters for older extensions.
Tower's wording says you must tell it immediately if the house becomes tenanted or a holiday home, is used for a business purpose, is structurally altered or is identified as at risk from a natural hazard. Tower may then change the terms or premium, or cancel the policy if there is a substantial change in risk. The business exclusion does not apply to a home office or occasional renting (Tower's Plus wording).
Excess and what moves the price
Tower says its standard house excess starts at $400, a higher excess can lower the premium and paying annually is another option it lists for lowering cost (Tower). Your certificate lists the excess and any additional excess, such as the natural hazard and unoccupied ones above. This page gives no premiums, because Tower does not publish them and they depend on the address, sum insured, level, excess and natural hazard ratings. QuoteHub's house insurance cost guide covers the drivers, and the home and contents guide covers pairing the two.
Getting a quote from Tower online
Have the address, build year, construction type, floor area and your sum insured figure ready, along with any pools, solar systems or retaining walls you want listed. QuoteHub's link opens Tower's online quote, Tower's own tool, where you see Tower's terms, price and risk rating. Other insurers sell house cover too, and each quote comes with its own wording. Our guide to getting a Tower quote has the steps.
Questions people ask
Does Tower house insurance cover earthquakes?
Yes, through NHC first and Tower second. Tower pays the difference between NHC's cover and your sum insured, less excess, and says you must claim from NHC first (Tower's Plus wording).
Does house insurance cover the stuff inside the house?
No. Tower says house cover is for the property itself, possibly including permanently plumbed-in fixtures such as a dishwasher, while furniture, electronics, jewellery and clothes need contents cover (Tower). See our home and contents guide.
Is Tower a financially strong insurer?
AM Best, as reported in Tower's own announcement, affirmed Tower Limited's financial strength rating at A- (Excellent) with a stable outlook on 28 April 2026 (Tower's rating announcement). QuoteHub is a Tower partner, and other insurers publish their own ratings and wordings.
Does Tower house insurance cover rental properties?
No. Tower's Standard, Plus and Premium policies are for owner-occupiers, and rented houses need its landlord policy (Tower).
Do I need house insurance if I have a mortgage?
It is not a legal requirement in New Zealand (Tower), but Tower says most lenders require it for the life of the loan, with the bank listed as an interested party (Tower). Our first home buyer insurance guide covers the timing.
Can I cancel Tower house insurance if I change my mind?
Yes. Within 15 days of the start date, if you have not claimed, Tower refunds your premiums and treats the policy as never started. Later you can cancel online, by email or phone for a refund of the unused premium (Tower's Plus wording).
Adviser's view
QuoteHub's read: all three Tower house levels rebuild up to the sum insured, so that figure sets the main limit and the level mainly changes the extra benefits.
Get a Tower quote online
Tower’s own quote opens in a new tab. House, contents, landlord, car and boat cover can be quoted together in one go.
Tower Easy Save: save $400*
- $200 off house or landlord
- $100 off comprehensive car
- $100 off contents
*$400 is made up of individual policy discounts, each available separately. New, eligible policies only with promo code EASYSAVE. Excl. contract works. Ends 30 Jan 2027. Ts&Cs apply. Tower’s Easy Save terms, checked 6 October 2026.
QuoteHub is a Tower partner. If you buy through this link, Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission from Tower. Buying online is not financial advice.
Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Tower House Insurance NZ: Standard, Plus, Premium. www.quotehub.co.nz/tower-insurance/tower-house-insurance. Updated 2026-10-07.
References
- Tower, house insurance
- Tower, how to work out your sum insured
- Tower, house and contents bundle
- Tower, Standard cover wording (09-24)
- Tower, Plus cover wording (09-24)
- Tower, Premium cover wording (09-24)
- Tower, your property risk profile
- Tower, financial strength rating announcement, April 2026
- Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake, about natural hazards cover
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