Home › Calculators

Dwelling coverage calculator: estimate your replacement cost

Dwelling coverage (Coverage A) should be enough to rebuild your home, which isn't the same as what it would sell for: the land isn't rebuilt, and building costs can jump after a big disaster when everyone rebuilds at once. This calculator multiplies your home's size by a local rebuild cost and adds the extras you choose.

Finished living area sq ft

Rebuild cost per square foot $

Use a figure for your area: your insurer's replacement-cost estimate (ask for it), a local builder, or an appraiser. Costs vary widely by region, materials and finishes, so we don't fill in a number for you.

Attached garage, porch or other area sq ft …at this share of the full rate %

Allowance for code upgrades and debris removal %

Your current dwelling coverage (optional) $

Extended replacement cost, if your policy has it (optional) %

Compare with a last-resort plan's maximum (optional)

Estimated cost to rebuild—

Full breakdown

Before you change your coverage

Ask your insurer or agent how they estimated your current dwelling limit, and for a copy of the replacement-cost estimate.
Ask whether your policy has extended or guaranteed replacement cost, which pays above the limit by a set percentage or in full, and whether your limit is updated each year for inflation.
Check the limits for other structures (Coverage B), belongings (Coverage C) and additional living expenses (Coverage D) too.
Last-resort plans can have dwelling caps lower than a big home's rebuild cost; our FAIR plan guide and plan pages give each plan's limits.

What this calculator leaves out

A real rebuild estimate depends on materials, finishes, the shape of the house, labor costs where you live and, after a disaster, demand for builders. Your insurer's estimating tool or a local builder can price these.
Other structures, belongings, living expenses and your land, none of which are part of dwelling coverage.
Your policy's limits for ordinance-or-law and debris removal, which may be lower than the allowance you enter.

Questions people ask

How much dwelling coverage do I need?

Enough to rebuild your home if it were completely destroyed, based on construction costs in your area and your home's features. That is almost always different from what the home would sell for: dwelling coverage doesn't cover your land, and after a widespread disaster building costs can rise sharply because contractors, supplies and labor are in high demand ("demand surge").

Is replacement cost the same as market value?

No. Market value is what a buyer would pay for the house and land. Replacement cost is what it would cost to build the same house again. Dwelling coverage should be based on replacement cost.

What is extended replacement cost?

An option on some policies that pays more than your dwelling limit, up to a set percentage above it, if rebuilding costs more than the limit. Guaranteed replacement cost, where offered, pays the full rebuild cost. Your declarations page shows whether you have either.

Do FAIR plans and other last-resort plans have a maximum dwelling limit?

Most do, and the cap can be lower than a large home's rebuild cost. Each plan sets its own limits; each plan's page on this site gives its limits; see the FAIR plan guide for every state.

This calculator does simple math in your browser. Your numbers are kept only in this browser (so they're there next time) and in a link if you copy one; nothing is sent to us. It's a rough estimate, not an appraisal or an insurance quote.