ACV vs RCV Calculator
Replacement cost value is what it costs to put the property back as it was, at today’s prices. Actual cash value is that figure reduced to account for the age and condition of what was lost. The difference between them is depreciation. It is where most property loss disputes actually live, not in the scope, but in how much of it was written down and whether it should have been.
This calculator builds a multi-trade repair scope, applies depreciation by age and useful life, layers on soft costs such as general contractor overhead and profit, permits and design fees. It then shows ACV and RCV side by side, with the recoverable depreciation holdback identified separately.
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Property Defect, Loss & Scope Estimating Calculator
Calculates Actual Cash Value vs. Replacement Cost Value with depreciation, plus a full multi-trade scope with soft-cost multipliers for adjusters, forensic inspectors and property managers. This calculator uses the replacement-cost-minus-depreciation approach; some states define ACV differently, a growing number restrict depreciating labor cost specifically and a few regulate how and when withheld replacement-cost depreciation must be paid out once repairs are complete. Check your state's ACV rule ↓
Step 1: What Kind of Property Is It?
Step 2. The four numbers we need
Example figures. Edit them or clear them.
Step 3. Refine this estimate. 0 fields, all with defaults applied. These change the result significantly.
Replacement Cost & Depreciation
Multi-Trade Scope & Soft Costs
Value Breakdown Chart
Full Line-Item Breakdown
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The full line-item breakdown is available with a paid ClaimDuke unlock: visit claimduke.com to purchase a report.
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How Actual Cash Value and scope are calculated
A first-party property claim is assessed on two separate questions: what it costs to put the property back and what the policy owes today. Replacement Cost Value answers the first, as affected square footage multiplied by replacement cost per square foot. Actual Cash Value answers the second.
The most common ACV method is straight-line age/life depreciation: effective age divided by total useful life, capped at 100%, applied to RCV. Effective age is an assessed condition, not the calendar age of the building. It is the input most often disputed. Document how it was determined and which life-expectancy tables you relied on.
Whether labour may be depreciated is a genuine jurisdictional split and it moves the number materially. Several states prohibit it outright, so only the materials portion depreciates and ACV comes out higher. Others permit it. In many states the question is unsettled and turns on policy wording and case law rather than statute. ClaimDuke applies the rule for the state you select and states the authority, flagging jurisdictions where the position is arguable rather than quietly picking a side.
Some states define ACV differently again, as fair market value or under the broad evidence rule, in which case age/life is one input among several rather than the formula itself. The scope estimate runs in parallel: hard cost by trade, plus soft costs for engineering, permits and contingency as a percentage of hard cost.
How to cite this calculation in a brief or demand letter
When presenting a valuation to a carrier, the supporting authorities are jurisdiction-specific:
- The governing state's ACV statute or regulation, linked with its citation on the matching state-rules page
- The policy form and declarations page, policy wording controls where no statute defines ACV
- Life-expectancy tables relied on for effective age, the basis for the depreciation percentage
Where a state bars depreciating labour, say so explicitly in the submission and cite the provision. It is a frequent and material adjustment that carriers do not always apply unprompted.
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Labor depreciation is the contested piece
Whether an insurer may depreciate the labor portion of a repair, as opposed to the materials, is one of the most actively litigated questions in property insurance and the answer genuinely differs by state. A growing number of states prohibit it by statute, regulation or bulletin; others permit it subject to disclosure; in many it remains unsettled and turns on policy language. The calculator has a labor-percentage input so depreciation can be applied to materials alone where that is the rule.
The 50-state + DC property loss reference gives the current position for each state with the citation and a link to the official source. It is worth checking before depreciating anything, because getting this wrong moves the ACV figure materially in one direction or the other.
Recoverable depreciation and the holdback
On a replacement cost policy, the withheld depreciation is generally recoverable once repairs are actually completed. Several states set a minimum window in which the insured must complete those repairs to collect it, sometimes extended after a declared disaster. The calculator reports the holdback as its own line so the two payment stages are visible rather than netted together.
Soft costs
General contractor overhead and profit, permits, engineering and design fees and code-upgrade costs are frequently omitted from a first estimate and then disputed later. Entering them as explicit percentages or amounts, rather than absorbing them into unit prices, makes each one reviewable on its own. The property loss document checklist covers the supporting records.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ACV and RCV?
Replacement cost value is the cost to repair or replace the damaged property at current prices with no reduction for age. Actual cash value reduces that figure for depreciation. Under a replacement cost policy the insurer typically pays ACV first and releases the withheld depreciation once repairs are complete.
How is depreciation calculated?
Most commonly on a straight-line basis: the age of the item divided by its expected useful life, applied to the replacement cost. A roof with a 25-year life that is 10 years old would be depreciated 40%. Some adjusters apply a condition adjustment on top, which is a judgement call rather than arithmetic and should be documented separately.
Can an insurer depreciate labor?
It depends on the state. Some prohibit it outright and some permit it with a disclosure requirement. In others, no statute or controlling case resolves the question. The state rules reference on this site sets out the current position and citation for each state.
Does the calculator handle multiple trades?
Yes. Each trade line carries its own replacement cost, age, useful life and labor percentage, so a roof, siding and interior finishes can each be depreciated on their own schedule rather than at one blended rate.