Builders risk insurance calculator
Builders risk is priced off the finished value of the project, loaded for how the structure burns and how long it stands unfinished. This shows what each of those four inputs is worth.
Pre-filled with a nine-month wood-frame build. Completed value is the finished worth of the structure, not the amount installed so far.
Policy premium estimate
- Completed value
- $650,000
- Construction type
- Wood frame
- Rate band
- 0.25% – 0.60%
- Term factor
- ×1.01
- Deductible factor
- ×1.00
- Soft costs
- not included
A band, not a quote, and before catastrophe loading. Wind, wildfire and flood zones move builders risk further than any input here, and flood and earthquake are usually separate policies in every zone.
§ 1What this estimates
The premium for a single course-of-construction policy across the whole build term. It is property cover on the project itself; liability for injury to third parties is a separate policy entirely.
§ 2How to use it
- § 1Enter the completed value — what the finished structure is worth, including labour and materials.
- § 2Set the construction type. Wood frame is materially dearer than masonry or steel because it burns.
- § 3Set the term generously. Extending a policy mid-build costs more than buying the months up front.
§ 3Worked example
The same $650,000 completed value across four construction types, on a nine-month term at a $2,500 deductible:
| Type | Rate band | Nine-month band |
|---|---|---|
| Masonry or non-combustible | 0.12% – 0.28% | $803 – $1,874 |
| Steel frame | 0.14% – 0.32% | $937 – $2,142 |
| Wood frame | 0.25% – 0.60% | $1,673 – $4,016 |
| Renovation of an occupied structure | 0.30% – 0.75% | $2,008 – $5,020 |
Figures in the third column are this calculator’s own output at those inputs, shown so the arithmetic is visible. They are estimates, not filed rates.
§ 4Two dates to line up
Builders risk ends on occupancy, acceptance or expiry — whichever comes first — and the permanent property policy has to start on that same day. A handover on a Friday with a policy incepting Monday is a real, uninsured, three-day hole.
Checked against
- CSLB — Limited Liability Company (LLC) licencesread 2026-09-04
Not legal advice. Fees, bond amounts and deadlines are set by statute and change without notice — confirm with the board that issues your licence before you file.