What does it cost to rebuild your home?

What this calculator does#

Most homeowners are under-insured on Coverage A — the dwelling structure line on a standard HO-3 policy — and most never find out until a total loss. The carrier sets Coverage A using an internal Replacement Cost Estimator (RCE) such as CoreLogic Marshall & Swift or Verisk 360Value, then re-prices it at renewal using proprietary inflation curves. Those tools are reasonable in stable years and routinely diverge from real construction-cost data — Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index for new residential construction, NAHB regional cost studies, ICC Building Valuation Data — during periods of high materials or wage inflation. The calculator above runs an independent stress-test using only public construction-cost data, so a homeowner can compare a methodology-transparent number against the single number on a declarations page. See methodology for the full source map.

How it computes your rebuild cost#

The engine builds the estimate in five multiplicative layers, each traceable to a primary source.

1. Base $/sqft. A regional baseline from the NAHB Cost of Constructing a Home study (nine Census divisions), adjusted by construction-type ratio (frame, masonry, log, manufactured) drawn from ICC Building Valuation Data and cross-checked against RSMeans where RSMeans is publicly cited in state DOI replacement-cost worksheets.
2. Metro modifier. A per-MSA multiplier derived from BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages NAICS-23 (construction) wage data for the top 50 metros, cross-referenced with Census ACS 5-year B25077_001E metro median home value for sanity. Boston, Seattle, and San Francisco run 1.25–1.45×; Birmingham and Memphis run 0.85–0.95×.
3. High-cost-area uplift. HUD 24 CFR §891 high-cost uplifts apply a fixed +50% to Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam. Coastal wildfire-zone and barrier-island uplifts are documented at the states and metros level rather than baked into a single multiplier.
4. Inflation adjustment. A monthly factor from the BLS Producer Price Index for new residential construction (FRED series WPUIP2311001 for materials, WPUIP2311102 for labor), refreshed by a scheduled cron against the FRED API so the displayed number tracks current input prices rather than a stale baseline.
5. Range envelope. The result is shown as low / typical / high (±12% for easy cases, ±15% typical, ±20% for custom/luxury, log, manufactured, or pre-1940 builds) — because carrier estimators routinely disagree by 15–25% on the same property, and a single point estimate creates false precision.

Coverage A vs Coverages B / C / D#

On a standard HO-3 policy, Coverages B, C, and D are not separately underwritten. They are derived as ratios of Coverage A:

• Coverage B (other structures — detached garage, shed, fence, pool) ≈ 10% of A
• Coverage C (personal property / contents) ≈ 50–70% of A
• Coverage D (loss of use / additional living expense) ≈ 20–30% of A

The cascade is what hurts. A Coverage A figure that is 25% too low means the detached garage is 25% under-insured, the contents limit is 25% under-insured, and the rent-a-house-while-yours-is-rebuilt budget is 25% under-insured — all at the same time, all unnoticed until a claim. The calculator above shows the implied B / C / D limits at the typical estimate so a homeowner can read all four lines side-by-side against the declarations page.

The standard hedge against an under-sized Coverage A is an Extended Replacement Cost endorsement at +10%, +25%, or +50%. After the 2018 California wildfires and the 2021 Marshall Fire, state regulators documented that roughly 40% of total-loss homeowners came in over their Coverage A limit even when the policy was priced correctly the day it was bound — which is why ERC is now considered table-stakes in wildfire-prone counties.

What the calculator approximates#

The estimate is a benchmark to question your carrier's number with — not a substitute for a formal Replacement Cost Estimator, contractor bid, or independent appraisal. Honest edge cases:

• Within-metro variance. The metro modifier averages across an entire MSA. A waterfront parcel on the Outer Banks and an inland lot in the same county do not actually rebuild for the same $/sqft, and the calculator does not model parcel-level variation.
• Custom finishes and architectural design. The base $/sqft assumes standard production-grade construction. Custom millwork, reclaimed materials, slate or copper roofing, designer kitchens, and architect-stamped plans can add 30–100%. Historic homes with period-correct material requirements can run higher still.
• Site and foundation conditions. Slope, rocky soil, basement vs. slab, septic vs. sewer, well vs. municipal water — all material to the actual rebuild bid and none modeled here.
• Demolition and debris removal. Statutorily driven and typically covered separately by an Ordinance & Law endorsement (commonly 10–25% additional). Not in the base estimate.
• Code upgrades on rebuild.A 1962 house rebuilt to 2025 code typically needs new electrical, plumbing, insulation, wind/seismic bracing, and accessibility compliance the original structure did not have. Ordinance & Law is again the endorsement that pays for the delta. The calculator estimates like-for-like reconstruction, not code-current reconstruction.

Worked example#

A 2,100-sqft single-family ranch in Austin, Texas, frame construction, standard finishes, built 1998. Walking through the layers:

• NAHB West-South-Central baseline: ≈ $235/sqft
• Quality multiplier (standard): 1.00
• Construction type (frame): 1.00
• Austin metro modifier (BLS QCEW NAICS-23): ≈ 1.18
• BLS PPI inflation factor to current month: ≈ 1.17
• Typical $/sqft ≈ 235 × 1.18 × 1.17 ≈ $325/sqft (range $290 low, $365 high)
• Typical rebuild: $325 × 2,100 ≈ $682,500

Derived coverage lines at the typical estimate:

• Coverage B (10%): ≈ $68,250
• Coverage C (50–70%): $341,250 – $477,750
• Coverage D (20–30%): $136,500 – $204,750

Suppose this homeowner's current declarations page shows Coverage A of $510,000. That is $172,500 below the typical estimate — a 25% gap. In a total loss, most policies trigger a co-insurance penalty when Coverage A falls below ~80% of replacement cost, and partial losses are paid pro-rata. The action is not to panic; it is to request a current RCE from the carrier (free, in writing), compare line-by-line against the figures above, and consider adding an Extended Replacement Cost endorsement at +25% as a post-disaster buffer. See the scenarios page for additional walk-throughs.

What this is not#

This calculator is not insurance advice, not a quote, not an appraisal, and not a contractor's bid. The site does not sell insurance, accept commissions from carriers or brokers, or recommend a specific carrier, agent, or coverage amount. For binding decisions, a homeowner should work with a licensed insurance broker in their state, request a formal Replacement Cost Estimator from the carrier in writing, and — for homes over roughly $750,000 of Coverage A or with custom features — commission an independent replacement-cost appraisal. Disputes with a carrier go to the state Department of Insurance (every state runs a free consumer-complaint process). The site's editorial standards, funding model, and corrections policy are documented on the about page. Terminology is defined in the glossary; the replacement-cost vs. depreciated-value distinction is on the RCV vs ACV page.