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Rebuild costs, by state

Average Cost to Rebuild After a House Fire, by State (2026)

What it actually costs to rebuild a home in 2026, state by state — plus the insurance data that explains why so many homeowners come up short.

September 18, 2026 · 9 min read

If your house burned and you're trying to decide whether to rebuild or sell as-is, the first real number you need isn't an insurance estimate — it's what construction actually costs where you live in 2026. Below is a state-by-state breakdown, plus the two insurance facts that catch the most fire-damaged homeowners off guard.

What these numbers are (and aren't)

The figures below come from HomeGuide's 2026 state construction-cost database (updated October 24, 2025), which tracks two tiers: builder-grade (a standard, production-builder finish) and custom (higher-end finishes, custom floor plans, more complex designs). Both are shown as cost per square foot, and both exclude land, lot preparation, permits, and demolition of the existing structure — all of which add to a real rebuild budget on top of these numbers.

To make the ranges concrete, the last column multiplies each state's low and high per-square-foot figures by 2,176 square feet — the U.S. Census Bureau's median size for a new single-family home as of Q3 2025. That's an illustrative estimate for a typical-sized home, not a quote for your specific house. Your actual rebuild cost depends on your home's exact size, damage extent, finish level, and local permitting and labor costs at the time you build.

Rebuild cost by state (2026)

StateBuilder-Grade $/Sq FtCustom $/Sq FtEst. Cost to Rebuild a 2,176-Sq-Ft Home
Alabama$150–$300$300–$500$326,000–$1,088,000
Alaska$180–$300$300–$500$392,000–$1,088,000
Arizona$200–$300$300–$550$435,000–$1,197,000
Arkansas$150–$220$220–$300$326,000–$653,000
California$200–$400$400–$600$435,000–$1,306,000
Colorado$200–$300$300–$500$435,000–$1,088,000
Connecticut$230–$300$300–$500$500,000–$1,088,000
Delaware$200–$300$300–$500$435,000–$1,088,000
Florida$180–$250$250–$400$392,000–$870,000
Georgia$150–$270$270–$350$326,000–$762,000
Hawaii$250–$400$400–$750$544,000–$1,632,000
Idaho$150–$220$220–$350$326,000–$762,000
Illinois$250–$350$350–$550$544,000–$1,197,000
Indiana$150–$250$250–$350$326,000–$762,000
Iowa$175–$220$220–$400$381,000–$870,000
Kansas$150–$250$250–$350$326,000–$762,000
Kentucky$170–$280$280–$400$370,000–$870,000
Louisiana$170–$220$220–$300$370,000–$653,000
Maine$250–$350$350–$450$544,000–$979,000
Maryland$250–$350$350–$450$544,000–$979,000
Massachusetts$280–$350$350–$600$609,000–$1,306,000
Michigan$170–$260$260–$350$370,000–$762,000
Minnesota$230–$350$350–$500$500,000–$1,088,000
Mississippi$150–$200$200–$300$326,000–$653,000
Missouri$180–$300$300–$500$392,000–$1,088,000
Montana$220–$300$300–$400$479,000–$870,000
Nebraska$160–$250$250–$400$348,000–$870,000
Nevada$180–$280$280–$450$392,000–$979,000
New Hampshire$220–$300$300–$500$479,000–$1,088,000
New Jersey$200–$350$350–$600$435,000–$1,306,000
New Mexico$220–$280$280–$400$479,000–$870,000
New York$220–$300$300–$500$479,000–$1,088,000
North Carolina$180–$250$250–$450$392,000–$979,000
North Dakota$170–$250$250–$400$370,000–$870,000
Ohio$130–$220$220–$300$283,000–$653,000
Oklahoma$170–$200$200–$300$370,000–$653,000
Oregon$250–$350$350–$550$544,000–$1,197,000
Pennsylvania$200–$320$320–$450$435,000–$979,000
Rhode Island$180–$250$250–$400$392,000–$870,000
South Carolina$200–$250$250–$400$435,000–$870,000
South Dakota$180–$250$250–$400$392,000–$870,000
Tennessee$180–$250$250–$350$392,000–$762,000
Texas$180–$280$280–$400$392,000–$870,000
Utah$180–$280$280–$600$392,000–$1,306,000
Vermont$220–$300$300–$500$479,000–$1,088,000
Virginia$250–$325$325–$500$544,000–$1,088,000
Washington$220–$350$350–$550$479,000–$1,197,000
West Virginia$150–$200$200–$300$326,000–$653,000
Wisconsin$220–$350$350–$500$479,000–$1,088,000
Wyoming$220–$350$350–$500$479,000–$1,088,000

Source: HomeGuide, "How Much Does It Cost to Build a House?" (updated Oct. 24, 2025); home-size basis: NAHB Eye on Housing, U.S. Census Bureau Quarterly Starts and Completions, Q3 2025 (2,176 sq ft median). Figures exclude land, site prep, permits, and demolition.

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Why the insurance payout so often falls short

Look at your policy's dwelling coverage limit against the numbers above before assuming you're covered. Two data points explain why so many homeowners find out too late that they aren't:

  • 7 in 10 insured homeowners haven't adjusted their coverage for rising building costs. A 2022 survey of over 1,000 U.S. homeowners by the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) and The Harris Poll found only 30% had increased their coverage limits or added extra protection to keep pace with construction inflation — and 64% weren't sure, or mistakenly believed, that their coverage was based on their home's market value rather than what it would actually cost to rebuild it.
  • Underinsurance is common even after a major fire loss. A January 2025 University of Colorado Boulder study (Cookson, Gallagher, and Mulder) of homeowners who filed claims after Colorado's 2021 Marshall Fire found 74% were underinsured, and 36% were severely underinsured — carrying coverage below 75% of their home's actual replacement cost. Underinsured homeowners in the study were also 25% less likely to pull rebuilding permits within a year of the fire.

If your dwelling coverage limit is meaningfully below the estimated rebuild cost for your state and home size above, that gap is money you'd need to cover yourself to rebuild to the same size and finish — and it's worth knowing that number before you commit to a contractor.

Rebuild vs. sell: how to use this table

Once you know roughly what a full rebuild would cost — and what your insurance actually covers — the decision usually comes down to three things: how big the gap is between the two, how much time and stress you're willing to spend managing a construction project, and whether you want to stay on this specific property long-term. We wrote a full breakdown of that decision, with real cost and timeline factors, in Sell As-Is or Rebuild After a House Fire? A Real Cost Comparison.

If the math points toward selling, you don't need to wait for a rebuild quote, a finished claim, or a repair timeline to get a real number for the house as it sits today. See how our process works, or find your state on the locations page.

This article is for general information only, not financial, insurance, or construction advice. Construction costs vary by market conditions, home design, materials, and labor availability, and can change from the figures shown here. Confirm current pricing with local licensed contractors and speak with a licensed insurance professional about your specific coverage.

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