Calculators
ACV / RCV claim value estimator
The adjuster's estimate to replace
At the date of loss
Often 20-30 for asphalt
Flat, or the dollar value of a % deductible
- Replacement cost
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- Depreciation applied
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- Actual cash value
- —
- Likely first check
- —
- Recoverable depreciation
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Shows why the first insurance check is smaller than the estimate: how depreciation produces actual cash value, and what recoverable depreciation is left to claim.
The formula
depreciation = RCV x (age / expected life) ; ACV = RCV - depreciation ; first check = ACV - deductible ; recoverable = RCV - deductible - first check
Assumptions
- This is policy arithmetic, not a prediction. It does not and cannot tell you whether a claim will be approved, and this site never predicts claim outcomes.
- It models straight-line depreciation. Carriers use their own schedules, which may be non-linear and which may treat some components differently from others.
- On an RCV policy the recoverable depreciation is released after the work is completed and documented. On an ACV policy it is not recoverable at all — the first check is the whole payment.
- A percentage deductible is a percentage of the DWELLING coverage limit, not of the claim. Two percent on a $400,000 dwelling is $8,000 before you see a dollar.
- Filing has tradeoffs beyond the money, including the possibility of non-renewal. We explain them; we do not encourage or discourage filing.