Homeowners Insurance Coverage Calculator
Every homeowners policy is built around one number: Coverage A, the amount it would cost to rebuild your home. This calculator estimates that Coverage A figure from your home’s rebuild value, and explains how the rest of an HO-3 policy is sized around it. It is a coverage estimate only — not a price or a quote.
Estimate your dwelling rebuild value
Insure your home for what it costs to rebuild, not its market price. Land isn’t rebuilt, so it’s excluded.
Estimated dwelling coverage (Coverage A)
$0
- Main living area$0
- Finished basement (≈50%)$0
- Detached structures$0
- Upgrades factor×1.00
A common rule is to also confirm contents (Coverage C) at 50–70% of this figure. This is a rebuild estimate for general guidance — get a replacement-cost appraisal or insurer estimate to confirm.
Formula & assumptions
Assumes basements & detached structures rebuild at ~50% of finished living-area cost. Excludes land value. Per-sq-ft figures are illustrative US ranges, not a quote.
Coverage A is where a homeowners policy begins
On a standard HO-3 homeowners policy, Coverage A (Dwelling) is the keystone. It’s the limit that rebuilds your house if it’s destroyed, and almost every other coverage on the policy is sized as a percentage of it. The calculator above estimates Coverage A from the cost to rebuild — square footage, local construction cost, basements, detached structures and finish quality — rather than from a market price that includes land and neighborhood demand.
How the rest of the policy stacks on Coverage A
| Coverage | What it pays for | Typical default |
|---|---|---|
| A — Dwelling | Rebuild the home structure | Your rebuild cost |
| B — Other structures | Detached garage, fence, shed | 10% of A |
| C — Personal property | Belongings inside the home | 50–70% of A |
| D — Loss of use | Living costs while displaced | 20% of A |
| E — Personal liability | Injury/damage you’re liable for | $100k–$500k |
| F — Medical payments | Minor guest injuries | $1k–$5k |
Set Coverage A accurately and these defaults usually follow sensibly. If you own a lot of high-value belongings, you can raise Coverage C above the default; if you have significant assets, raise Coverage E liability and consider an umbrella policy.
A worked example
A 2,400-square-foot home in a region with $210-per-square-foot rebuild costs has a base Coverage A of about $504,000. With a standard 50% personal-property setting, Coverage C becomes roughly $252,000; loss of use at 20% is about $100,800; other structures at 10% is about $50,400. The homeowner then picks liability limits and a deductible — but every property coverage scales from that $504,000 Coverage A.
Replacement cost vs. market value — don’t confuse them
The most expensive mistake homeowners make is insuring to market value. If you paid $600,000 for a home but it would cost $480,000 to rebuild, insuring for $600,000 wastes coverage you can never collect — you don’t rebuild the land. Conversely, in high-construction-cost areas a modest home can cost far more to rebuild than it would sell for, and insuring to the lower market figure leaves a dangerous shortfall. The calculator deliberately targets rebuild cost so your Coverage A reflects what your policy actually has to do: put your house back.
Once you have an accurate Coverage A, ask insurers for extended replacement cost, which can pay above your limit if a widespread disaster spikes local rebuilding costs. That’s how you turn a sound coverage number into a policy that actually holds up. This tool gives a coverage estimate for general guidance, not a price or a quote — confirm the right amount with a licensed agent.
Frequently asked questions
What is Coverage A on a homeowners policy?
Coverage A is the dwelling coverage — the limit that pays to repair or rebuild the physical structure of your home after a covered loss. It’s the largest coverage on the policy and the basis for sizing most of the others.
How do I calculate Coverage A?
Estimate the cost to rebuild your home: living area in square feet × local rebuild cost per square foot, plus finished basements, detached structures and upgrades. The calculator above does this. It’s based on construction cost, not your home’s market price.
What type of homeowners policy is most common?
The HO-3 is the standard owner-occupied policy in the U.S. It covers the dwelling on an “open perils” basis (everything except named exclusions) and personal property on a “named perils” basis. Knowing your policy form helps you read what’s actually covered.
How are the other coverages sized?
From Coverage A: other structures are typically about 10% of it, personal property 50–70%, and loss of use around 20%. Liability and medical payments are set independently based on what you need to protect.
Does this give me a homeowners price?
No. It estimates Coverage A and explains how a policy is structured. It does not calculate or quote a price — that needs an insurer. Use this number to make sure any quote is built on a realistic rebuild cost.
Sources & references
Figures and methodology on this page are drawn from the following public sources. Insurance data changes — we note when this page was last reviewed above, and we encourage you to check the latest figures directly.
Related calculators & guides
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Estimate the rebuild value to insure your home for, from size and local build cost.
Open →Home Insurance Coverage Calculator
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Work through home insurance from rebuild cost to contents, liability and deductible.
Open →Estimating Home Insurance Costs
What drives home insurance costs, and how to estimate your needs from rebuild value.
Open →How to Calculate Home Insurance Coverage
Set each coverage (A–F) on a homeowners policy, starting from dwelling rebuild cost.
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