{
  "slug": "home-insurance-cost-estimator",
  "title": "Home Insurance Cost Estimator",
  "heading": "Homeowners Insurance Cost Estimator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/home-insurance-cost-estimator",
  "summary": "Rebuild cost, deductible, and risk factors turned into an annual premium range.",
  "description": "Homeowners premiums are driven by replacement cost, not market value — insurers price the cost to rebuild the structure with today's labor and materials, which is why a home that sells for $600,000 in a city might insure on a $320,000 dwelling limit while an identical build in a remote area costs more to insure. This estimator starts from square footage and local build cost per square foot, applies your deductible choice, adjusts for roof age and construction type, adds the separate wind or hurricane deductible common in coastal states, and returns an annual premium range plus the out-of-pocket you would face on a total loss and on a typical partial claim. Use it before you renew: raising an all-peril deductible from $1,000 to $2,500 usually cuts 8-15% of the premium, while under-insuring the dwelling limit can trigger a coinsurance penalty that reduces payment on every claim, not just large ones.",
  "formula": "Dwelling Limit = Sq Ft × Build Cost/Sq Ft. Premium ≈ Dwelling Limit × Base Rate per $1,000 × Roof Factor × Deductible Factor × Region Factor.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-06",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=home-insurance-cost-estimator",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "sqft",
      "label": "Home size",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 2000,
      "unit": "sq ft",
      "min": 400,
      "max": 12000
    },
    {
      "id": "buildCost",
      "label": "Local rebuild cost",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 180,
      "unit": "$/sq ft",
      "min": 80,
      "max": 600
    },
    {
      "id": "rate",
      "label": "Base rate per $1,000 of coverage",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 4.2,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 1,
      "max": 20
    },
    {
      "id": "roofAge",
      "label": "Roof age",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 8,
      "unit": "years",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 40
    },
    {
      "id": "deductible",
      "label": "All-peril deductible",
      "kind": "select",
      "hint": null,
      "default": "1000",
      "options": [
        {
          "value": "500",
          "label": "$500"
        },
        {
          "value": "1000",
          "label": "$1,000"
        },
        {
          "value": "2500",
          "label": "$2,500"
        },
        {
          "value": "5000",
          "label": "$5,000"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "windPct",
      "label": "Wind / hurricane deductible",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0,
      "unit": "% of dwelling",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 10
    },
    {
      "id": "claimSize",
      "label": "Typical claim you want to model",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 15000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 500000
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "annual",
      "label": "Estimated annual premium",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "monthly",
      "label": "Per month (escrow)",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "dwelling",
      "label": "Dwelling limit you need",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "windDeductible",
      "label": "Wind / hurricane deductible",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "claimPaid",
      "label": "Insurer pays on modelled claim",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "claimOutOfPocket",
      "label": "You pay on modelled claim",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Home size: 2000 sq ft",
      "Local rebuild cost: 180 $/sq ft",
      "Base rate per $1,000 of coverage: 4.2 $",
      "Roof age: 8 years",
      "All-peril deductible: $1,000",
      "Wind / hurricane deductible: 0 % of dwelling",
      "Typical claim you want to model: 15000 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Estimated annual premium: $1,512",
      "Per month (escrow): $126",
      "Dwelling limit you need: $360,000",
      "Wind / hurricane deductible: $0",
      "Insurer pays on modelled claim: $14,000",
      "You pay on modelled claim: $1,000"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter home size (sq ft).",
      "Enter local rebuild cost ($/sq ft).",
      "Enter base rate per $1,000 of coverage ($).",
      "Enter roof age (years).",
      "Enter all-peril deductible.",
      "Enter wind / hurricane deductible (% of dwelling).",
      "Enter typical claim you want to model ($).",
      "Read your estimated annual premium on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "sqft": 1200,
        "buildCost": 110,
        "rate": 4.2,
        "roofAge": 5,
        "deductible": "1000",
        "windPct": 0,
        "claimSize": 9000
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "sqft": 2000,
        "buildCost": 180,
        "rate": 4.2,
        "roofAge": 8,
        "deductible": "1000",
        "windPct": 0,
        "claimSize": 15000
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "sqft": 3200,
        "buildCost": 290,
        "rate": 4.2,
        "roofAge": 13,
        "deductible": "1000",
        "windPct": 0,
        "claimSize": 24000
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Should the dwelling limit match my home's market value?",
      "a": "No. Market value includes land and location premium; the dwelling limit should cover reconstruction of the structure. In hot markets the rebuild figure is often well below the sale price, and in rural areas it can be above it."
    },
    {
      "q": "What is a coinsurance penalty?",
      "a": "Most policies require insuring to at least 80% of replacement cost. Insure below that and the insurer can reduce every partial claim payment proportionally, so under-insuring to save premium quietly cuts your payout on small claims too."
    },
    {
      "q": "Why does roof age matter so much?",
      "a": "Roof claims dominate homeowners losses. Many carriers switch to actual cash value settlement on roofs past 15-20 years, or decline the risk outright, which is why the factor here rises steeply with age."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is flood included?",
      "a": "No. Standard homeowners policies exclude flood, which requires a separate NFIP or private flood policy. This estimate covers the standard package only."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/car-insurance-premium-estimator",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/renters-insurance-coverage-calculator"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Home Insurance Cost Estimator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/home-insurance-cost-estimator)"
}