Published 3 November 2025
How much would it cost to rebuild my house?
If you’ve ever tried to get a home insurance quote, you may have been asked to provide an estimated rebuild cost. We’ll help explain exactly what that means and how you can work it out.
- A home’s rebuild price is the estimated cost of any labour and materials needed to rebuild it from scratch.
- An accurate estimate is required for your insurance to make sure the provider can cover all the costs if it needs to be completely rebuilt.
- The BCIS Public Rebuild Calculator allows you to work this out quickly if you have a standard home without any architectural features.
What’s an estimated rebuild cost?
Whenever you apply for building or home insurance, the estimated rebuild cost is something you may have to specify. It depends on the size, age and style of your home. Usually, the figure is less than your home’s market value or sale price.
If you have a home built using standard construction methods, you can usually use a rebuild calculator to get an accurate figure. Flats, maisonettes, and homes with more striking architectural features, usually require a visit from a chartered surveyor to assess the property and work out the costs.
What sort of thing can affect my estimated rebuild cost?
To work out how much your home would cost to rebuild, you’ll need to account for a few different factors:
- cost of the materials
- cost of the materials labour costs
- cost of the materials your home’s surface area
- cost of the materials property type
- cost of the materials age of the property.
If your home’s made from non-standard materials, it could be more expensive to rebuild than a standard property. Other materials, like asphalt roofs, can also result in a higher cost.
How can I work out the cost of rebuilding a house?
To accurately estimate the rebuild cost of your house, you’ll need to work out its square footage before using the rebuild calculator.
Measure the length and width of the ground floor walls and multiply them together.
Then, if the upstairs is the same size, simply double the figures. If not, measure the upstairs separately and add the two figures together.
If you’ve had an extension on your home or a loft conversion, it’s important to update the amount with your home insurer to make sure you’re fully covered.
How can I calculate rebuild costs if I live in a flat?
Rebuild costs when you live in a flat versus a house differ for a number of reasons, and will vary from the market value or purchase price of the flat, so let's take a look.
If you own your flat and you're the freeholder, you'll need to insure the building. To calculate the rebuild cost, you can use the BCIS Public Rebuild Calculator. This allows you to work out rebuild costs quickly but it's only applicable if you have a standard home without any architectural features and know the square footage of the flat.
If you own the flat on a leasehold basis, you're leasing this from the owner of the land. The leaseholder often pays towards their share of the building insurance through a service charge, so although you don't own the flat, it may be the landowner's responsibility to arrange rebuild.
Whichever way it's owned, please do check your cover to make sure you're clear on what it does and doesn't cover.
If you rent the flat, it will be your landlord's responsibility to insure the building and organise the rebuilding.
Why is the cost to rebuild my house different to the market value?
The estimated rebuild cost of your home is often cheaper than its market value because the figure is based on the cost of materials and labour alone.
When your property is valued for the market many other factors are considered, including the geographical area. This is why it can work out cheaper to rebuild your home than to move house or renovate in some cases.
It’s important to get an accurate estimate of the costs as this is what determines your home insurance price and prevents you from over or underinsuring your home.
Check out our home insurance policies to find out more and see what else is covered as well as the cost of rebuilding your home.
Will I need to update my rebuild costs if I've renovated my house?
Yes, it's a good idea to update your insurer if there's been an increase in size and spec of the property, such as an extension.
How do I estimate rebuild costs if I'm a landlord?
Again, you can use the BCIS Public Rebuild Calculator to work out a rough estimation of rebuild costs. This works if you know the square footage of the property and are sure it has no architectural features.
