Size your dwelling coverage from rebuild cost, not market value.
We Are Calculator
Professional Financial Tools
8/25/2026
Finished living area. Exclude an unfinished basement or garage — they are counted separately below.
The national average is $162/sq ft per the NAHB Cost of Construction Survey ($428,215 for an average 2,647 sq ft home). High-cost coastal and Northeast markets run well above it; the South and Midwest below. A local builder can give you a real number in one phone call.
Finish level drives rebuild cost more than square footage does. Custom millwork, stone, and specialty systems all rebuild at a premium.
Rebuilt at roughly half the cost of finished living area.
Fences, sheds, detached garages. Leave at 0 to use the standard 10% of dwelling coverage.
Everything you would carry out. Leave at 0 to use the standard 50% of dwelling coverage — but walk your house and check, because that default underinsures most people.
For comparison only. Insurance never pays for your land, so replacement cost and market value are different numbers and should not match.
2,000 sq ft x $162/sq ft x 1 quality factor, plus 100 sq ft of garage/unfinished space at half rate. This is what it costs to rebuild the structure today, which is the only number your dwelling limit should be based on. This is an estimate for planning, not an insurance quote. Actual pricing is set by the insurer or, in promulgated-rate states, by the state regulator.
Standard HO-3 policies set this at 10% of dwelling coverage automatically.
Standard HO-3 default of 50% of dwelling coverage. Jewelry, firearms, collectibles and cash carry separate sub-limits that are far lower — those need scheduled endorsements.
20% of dwelling coverage — pays for somewhere to live while the house is rebuilt. A full rebuild commonly takes 9–18 months.
A standard policy pays up to your dwelling limit and no further. Extended or guaranteed replacement cost endorsements pay ticket 25-50% above it, which is what protects you when a regional disaster spikes local labour and material prices for a year or two after the loss. It is usually a small premium increase for the largest single risk in the policy.