Replacement Cost Estimator for Homeowners Insurance | Bankrate (2024)

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Updated Sep 01, 2024

Key takeaways

• A home’s replacement cost is calculated by considering various characteristics, such as its age, square footage, features and foundation type.
• Buying homeowners insurance at replacement cost value helps ensure your home can be rebuilt following a covered loss.
• Extended replacement cost increases your home’s dwelling coverage, which can help guard against inflation and increasing repair and construction costs.

What is the replacement cost of a home?

The term replacement cost refers to the total expense involved in reconstructing your home to its original state prior to any damage, utilizing materials and craftsmanship of like kind and quality. Distinct from the market value or purchase price of your home, the replacement cost centers around the costs of construction, including labor, building materials and any additional costs relevant to the rebuilding process.

It can be beneficial for homeowners to have a dwelling coverage amount that aligns closely with potential rebuilding costs. Home insurance calculator tools like a replacement cost estimator can help provide a more accurate indication of these expenses, ensuring that the chosen coverage reflects the actual needs for rebuilding.

Estimating this cost takes into account several factors, such as the home's size, unique architectural features and prevailing local construction rates. Utilizing tools like a replacement cost estimator can potentially aid in this assessment. These tools enable homeowners to input specific details about their property to receive a more tailored and accurate estimate, which can be helpful in ensuring their insurance policy provides sufficient coverage to rebuild their home without the risk of being over- or under-insured.

Read more: How much homeowners insurance do I need?

Replacement cost estimator: calculating the replacement cost of your home

Calculating the replacement cost of your home may appear daunting, but numerous resources are available to assist in this task. If you aren’t using a dedicated replacement cost estimator tool, a practical starting point could be obtaining an estimate from a local contractor or referring to your property inspection report.

Collaborating with a licensed insurance agent can also be beneficial. Agents, especially those familiar with your area, might have a deeper understanding of construction costs. Additionally, many insurance companies utilize a cost to rebuild a house calculator to determine this figure. The replacement cost is significantly influenced by various characteristics of your home, some of which include:

• Age of the home: The year your home was built is a big influence since there are different building standards based on the time period when your home was built. The age of your home can give insight into what type of exterior construction you have, such as solid brick or brick veneer, or even what type of electrical equipment your home has, such as knob and tube wiring or circuit breakers.
• Square footage: The size of your home will determine the materials needed, the labor involved and more. The larger your home, the more expensive it will likely be to replace. With rarer and costlier materials, square footage can profoundly impact replacement costs.
• Home features: This encompasses everything from the type of flooring (like carpet, tile or hardwood) to roofing materials. These features, particularly the quality of the materials used, affect the replacement cost.
• Fixtures quality: The replacement cost is also influenced by the quality of fixtures in your home, including items like countertops, cabinets and lighting fixtures. Higher-quality fixtures typically lead to a higher replacement cost.
• House style and foundation type: Complex home designs or styles and the type of foundation your home is built on (such as a slab, crawlspace or basem*nt), can also affect the replacement cost. For example, homes with basem*nts, particularly finished ones, might have different cost considerations.

Once your dwelling coverage amount is determined, this becomes the coverage A of your homeowners insurance policy. Multiple other policy coverage options on your homeowners policy will be affected by this amount. For example, your coverage B, also known as other structures coverage, is usually 10 percent of your coverage A amount, and your coverage C, also known as personal property coverage, is usually 50 percent of your coverage A.

Read more: How to read a home insurance policy

Dwelling insurance at actual cash value or replacement cost value

The calculation of dwelling coverage in an insurance policy can be based on either actual cash value (ACV) or replacement cost value (RCV), with a key difference being how depreciation is considered in each method. ACV accounts for the depreciation of your home, meaning it covers the rebuilding cost at the current market value, reflecting the wear and tear over time. On the other hand, RCV focuses on the cost of rebuilding your home with current building materials, without factoring in depreciation.

Your home insurance policy will detail whether the coverage is calculated based on ACV or RCV. It's important to understand these distinctions, as they could significantly influence the coverage amount and consequently, the rebuilding process in case of a loss. The policy should also clarify any possible adjustments and the implications they have on the overall cost. Understanding these aspects can help in choosing the right coverage option that aligns with your needs and expectations for home insurance.

Types of replacement cost policies

It’s important to realize that replacement cost coverage uses an estimate, and is not a guarantee that the calculated amount will fully cover a total loss of your dwelling. To further offset your financial risk, a homeowners insurance company usually offers replacement cost policies and extended dwelling coverage. You will then need to decide which option is best for your budget and preferences.

• Standard replacement cost: The typical homeowners insurance policy will include standard replacement cost, which offers the most basic financial protection. It will pay to repair or rebuild your home without any depreciation factored in.
• Extended replacement cost: To add additional protection against rising costs, you can choose the extended replacement cost option. It increases your home’s coverage A value by a certain percentage above your dwelling limit. Most policies offer a 25 percent or 50 percent option. So, if your dwelling limit is $200,000, a 25 percent option would insure the rebuild cost of up to $250,000 instead.
• Guaranteed replacement cost: This option, often the priciest, ensures reimbursem*nt for the full amount required to replace or completely rebuild your home, regardless of the current building expenses. If considering guaranteed replacement cost, it's advisable to verify its availability both in your specific state and with your insurance provider, as not all regions or companies offer this type of coverage.