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Home replacement cost calculator

How much would it cost to rebuild your house, at today's labour and material prices, if it burned to the slab? That is what dwelling coverage has to equal — not what the house would sell for, and not what you paid for it.

Everything stays in your browser. Nothing is sent to us, and the result is an estimate, not a quote or advice.

Above-grade living area (sq ft)Heated, finished space — exclude basement and garageLocal build cost per sq ftDefault $175 is a placeholder; it varies hugely by market, from well under $150 to well over $400. Ask a local builder or your agent.Construction qualityMultiplier applied to the rate aboveBasement and garage (sq ft)Counted at half the rate aboveBathrooms beyond the first twoEach one adds about $12,000 in fittings and plumbingDetached structures (value)Shed, detached garage, fence, deck, pool shellPersonal property (% of dwelling)Policies commonly set 50–70%Other structures (% of dwelling)Commonly 10%; we use whichever is higher, this or your detached figureLoss of use (% of dwelling)Rent and meals while the house is rebuilt; commonly 20–30%

How this works

Replacement cost is a construction estimate. It is not market value, and it is not your purchase price. Land, location and the state of the market set the sale price; none of that burns down. A house can be worth far less than it costs to rebuild, or far more.

Dwelling = living area × cost per sq ft × quality multiplier.
Add basement and garage area × cost per sq ft × 0.5 × the same multiplier.
Add $12,000 for each bathroom beyond the first two.
Personal property = dwelling × your contents percentage.
Other structures = the higher of (dwelling × your percentage) and your detached-structures figure.
Loss of use = dwelling × your loss-of-use percentage.
Total policy picture = all four added together.

The multipliers (1.00 / 1.15 / 1.35), the half rate for below-grade space and the $12,000 per extra bathroom are rules of thumb we have chosen so the arithmetic is visible — they are not carrier figures. Change the cost per square foot to a local number and the estimate improves far more than tuning the rest.

Not modelled: demand surge after a regional disaster, code-upgrade costs on an older house, custom millwork, or hillside and access problems. Extended or guaranteed replacement cost endorsements exist precisely because estimates run short.

Next step

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