Home Retrofit | Resilient Homes Program
This section outlines the process of retrofitting a home to make it more flood resilient as part of the Resilient Homes Program.
Retrofitting to increase your home's flood resilience
Home Retrofit is a Resilient Measure available through the Resilient Homes Program. It provides funding for eligible works to retrofit and or repair liveable areas with flood resilient materials.
Under the Resilient Homes Program, a home retrofit provides funding for works to retrofit and or repair liveable areas with flood resilient materials.
For homes that are eligible for home retrofit, the NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) will provide a grant of up to $50,000 (GST inclusive) to homeowners to support the modification of homes using flood resilient design techniques and materials to improve resilience to future floods.
RA will also match contributions provided by the homeowner for eligible activities (called a co-contribution) up to a maximum 100 per cent of the available grant value. The maximum grant available for Home Retrofit is $100,000 (GST inclusive).
A free Home Assessment by a flood resilience expert is provided for properties that are prioritised for Resilient Measures. This assessment will identify resilience options that may be appropriate for the home.
Homeowners will receive a Home Assessment Report that can be shared with licensed building professionals or other suitable consultants to help establish a clear scope of works and cost for the relevant building works.
Homeowners are responsible for directly engaging building professionals and contractors (for example architects, builders, engineers) to provide advice and quotes for flood resilience works at their home.
Homeowners will be required to enter a contract, using an RA approved form of contract, with a licensed building professional to coordinate and complete the building works.
Process for Home Retrofit stream
Homeowners who have registered for the Resilient Homes Program and have been advised they are prioritised pending eligibility assessment, will generally follow this process.
Eligibility assessment
- Homeowner completes online application and provides documentation to determine preliminary eligibility.
Home Assessment and Home Assessment Report
- RA carries out Home Assessment to understand more about the property and to talk with the homeowner about their individual circumstances and flood resilient options.
- RA provides Home Assessment Report to the homeowner. If the homeowner decides they would like to proceed.
Exploring options and determining preferred scope of works
- The homeowner engages with licensed building professional/s to develop a quoted scope of works and the homeowner submits it to RA for review.
Scope of works review and grant offer
- RA reviews quoted scope of works and completes assurance checks of the contracted building professional/s. RA may request more information.
- If approved, RA provides a Letter of Offer and Agreement (Deed Poll) to homeowner.
- If accepted, the homeowner returns signed Agreement (Deed Poll) to RA and enters into standard form of RA contract with their licensed building professional. The homeowner provides a copy of the executed contract to RA for review, before works commence.
Works commence
- RA conducts an Early Works On-Site visit, to verify works have commenced and resolve any queries on site.
- The homeowner submits Milestone Payment Claim Form, authorising payment of submitted invoices.
- RA (and homeowner if co-contribution) makes Milestone payment directly to the contracted building professional after RA completes assurance checks.
- The homeowner submits Milestone Payment Claim Form (PDF 182.23KB) authorising payment of submitted invoices.
- RA (and homeowner if required by contract) makes Milestone payment directly to the contracted building professional, after RA completes assurance checks.
Works completed
- Once works are completed – the contracted building professional provides the homeowner a Certificate of Practical Completion as evidence, and a final invoice.
- The homeowner submits to RA a Milestone Payment Claim form (PDF 182.23KB) authorising payment of submitted invoices with RA Certificate of Completion (PDF 137.65KB) attached.
- RA will conduct a site visit to verify works are completed.
- RA (and homeowner if required by contract) makes final Milestone payment directly to the contracted building professional.
- RA sends a completion email with a Statement of Works Completion to the homeowner.
Fact sheets and guidance
Find resources about the Resilient Homes Program in our publications and reports library
