Home Rebuild Cost Worksheet

Who this is for

An estimate of what rebuilding the house would cost, checked against the sum insured. Measure each floor room by room, apply the rebuild rate you have from a published calculator or a surveyor, add the garage, outbuildings and extras, and the sheet sets the total against the buildings sum insured on your policy.

Homeowners renewing buildings insurance who want to check the sum insured rather than roll it over, and anyone who has extended or altered the house since the policy was set up.

What this helps you track

• The floor area of every room and space, floor by floor
• Your rebuild rate, where it came from and when
• Garage, outbuildings and higher-cost extras added separately
• An estimated rebuild total from your own figures
• The sum insured against that estimate, over or under

How to use it

1. Write the address, your rebuild rate, the unit it is in and where and when you got it, the buildings sum insured and the date to review it.
2. Measure each room or area on every floor the way your calculator or surveyor asks, in one unit throughout, and enter the length and width.
3. On the second page, add the garage and outbuildings with their area and rate, and any extras such as costly finishes as a lump sum.
4. Areas, costs and the summary are worked out in the browser and the workbook; on paper, multiply across each row and total.
5. Ask your insurer or surveyor the questions on the list, then compare the estimate with the sum insured.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Where does the rebuild rate come from?

From a published rebuild cost calculator for your area, or a surveyor's figure. Note the source and date, because rates change. The sheet supplies no rate; it only applies the one you enter.

Is a rebuild cost the same as the house's value?

No. Rebuild cost is what it would take to clear the site and build the house again; market value includes the land and the local market. The two can be very different, so check which one your policy asks for.

Should I measure inside or outside the walls?

Measure the way your calculator or surveyor asks, because rates are worked out for one method or the other. Write which method you used in the notes so the next review uses the same.

What if my estimate is very different from the sum insured?

Talk to your insurer or a surveyor before changing anything. This worksheet is a check from your own figures, not a valuation, and the policy terms decide what is covered.