BCIS-driven · RICS-aligned annual valuation

Reinstatement Cost Assessments — rebuild cost for buildings insurance

The annual rebuild-cost valuation insurers and brokers expect. BCIS-driven, RICS-aligned, with itemised cost breakdown, professional fees uplift, demolition allowance, inflation provision — drafted from your measurements in minutes.

Start Free Trial See Pricing

14-day free trial · All 15 templates included · £35/month

Our approach to Reinstatement Cost

Built for the annual rebuild-cost valuation that protects clients from average-clause underinsurance. Aligned to RICS guidance: BCIS-driven per-element rebuild rates, locality and quality factors, all standard allowances (demolition, fees, VAT, contingencies, inflation provision), Day-One and Index-Linked totals, section-aware image manager, signed surveyor declaration with BCIS data version recorded for traceability.

New to the assessment itself? Start with our plain-English guide: What is a reinstatement cost assessment? — declared value vs market value, the average clause, what goes into the figure, and who can prepare one.

BCIS

Industry-standard cost data

Per-element rebuild rates from RICS BCIS rebuilding cost data — the industry-standard source for UK rebuild costs by building type, location, and quality. Locality and quality factors applied.

Photo manager

Section-aware image manager

Bulk-import from your camera roll. Drag photos to elevations, internal areas, or specification evidence. Annotate with arrows and labels. No more renaming files or dragging into Word folders.

Day-One + IL

Day-One and Index-Linked totals

The surveyor produces the declared value — today's full rebuild cost, before inflation. The policy then protects it either by a Day-One percentage uplift or by index-linking at renewal; the template shows both totals so you can match the policy basis. BCIS data version recorded for replicability.

Your measurements

GIA 142 m² over 2 storeys, std spec solid brick, slate roof, Birmingham demolition typical, fees 14%, VAT recoverable

AI draft — surveyor sets the £

Building description

Two-storey property with a gross internal area of 142 m². Solid brick construction with slate roof covering. Standard residential specification…

Cost build-up — surveyor sets factors BCIS-driven

£ figures, locality factors, and quality factors come from BCIS data via deterministic calculation — not AI. Surveyor sets the factors, signs the declared value.

AI · BCIS-aware

AI drafts the methodology. The £ figure is BCIS, not AI.

Type your measurements and specification notes. AI drafts the building description, methodology narrative, allowances rationale, and the signed declaration block.

What AI does not do: calculate the rebuild value. The £ figure comes from BCIS rebuilding cost data via deterministic calculation — the surveyor sets the locality factor, quality factor, and allowance percentages. Strict-literal mode means AI never invents materials, measurements, or specification.

Read our full AI compliance position

What's in the assessment

Sections A–F — from inspection to total declared value.

AProperty & instruction detailsAddress, instructing party, insurer/broker, valuation date, basis (Day-One / Index-Linked), policy currency.
BBuilding descriptionConstruction, age, accommodation schedule, gross internal area (GIA), gross external area (GEA), specification (basic / standard / quality / luxury).
CCost build-upPer element rebuild rate from BCIS rebuilding cost data: superstructure, internal finishes, services, externals. Locality factor applied. Quality factor applied.

DAllowancesDemolition (typically 4–7%), site clearance, professional fees (typically 12–15%), VAT (recoverable / irrecoverable), contingencies, inflation provision.
ETotal declared valueSum of build cost + allowances. Day-One value (today's rebuild) plus Index-Linked value (forward-projected to next renewal).
FSurveyor's declarationRICS-aligned attestation, BCIS data version, methodology summary, qualifications, AI disclosure.

Example

See a finished Reinstatement Cost Assessment example

Scroll the report — the notes alongside explain each part as you go. Fictional content; photos are placeholder slots.

Loading example…

Reinstatement Cost FAQs

How is RCA different from market value?

Market value is the price the property would sell for in the open market today. RCA is the cost to rebuild it from scratch if it were destroyed — including demolition, debris clearance, fees, and VAT. The two figures are unrelated. A £400k market value house in central London might have an £800k rebuild cost.

What's the difference between Day-One and Index-Linked?

Both are ways of protecting the same figure — the declared value (today's full rebuild cost, before inflation), which is what the surveyor produces. On a Day-One basis the insurer adds a fixed percentage uplift (commonly 15%, sometimes more for long or complex rebuilds) on top of the declared value to absorb inflation during the year and the rebuild. On an index-linked basis the sum insured is instead adjusted at each renewal by a building-cost index. They are alternative structures, not both required — the surveyor's job is to get the declared value right.

What data source drives the cost rates?

RICS BCIS (Building Cost Information Service) rebuilding cost data — the industry-standard source for UK rebuild cost rates by building type, location, and quality. Rates are applied per square metre with locality and quality factors. The BCIS data version is recorded in the report so reviewers can replicate the calculation.

Are professional fees included?

Yes. The Allowances section adds professional fees on top of the build cost — typically 12–15% covering architect, structural engineer, M&E, project management, planning, building control. Demolition (4–7%) and contingencies are also captured.

Who can produce an RCA?

A chartered surveyor with relevant building cost experience — typically MRICS or FRICS in Building Surveying or Quantity Surveying. The signed declaration includes the surveyor's qualifications and PII statement, which insurers may request as supporting evidence.

Is the AI aligned with the RICS 2026 AI Standard?

Yes. SurveyorSuite is designed around the RICS Professional Standard Responsible use of artificial intelligence in surveying practice (in force from 9 March 2026). The RCA template specifically keeps £ figures out of AI output — the rebuild value comes from BCIS data via deterministic calculation, never from AI. The named surveyor signs off under s.4.2. See our full AI position.

What happens to my notes? Are they used to train AI models?

No. Your measurements and notes are sent to Anthropic's commercial API for descriptive drafting only. Anthropic explicitly commits in their Commercial Terms that customer inputs and outputs are not used to train their models. 30-day Trust & Safety retention then deleted.