Reinstatement Cost Assessment | Desktop Valuations

What is a Reinstatement Cost Assessment (RCA)?

A Reinstatement Cost Assessment report, also known as an Insurance Rebuild Cost calculates the full cost to replace, repair and rebuild a property following a total loss from an event such as fire, flooding or subsidence. It provides you with the correct amount that your insurers need to insure your property for, in line with market rates.

Order Your RCA Here £125 + VAT

Why would I need a Reinstatement Cost Assessment?

It is important to obtain an accurate Reinstatement Cost Assessment of your property to ensure that it is adequately covered by your Buildings Insurance.

With build costs higher than ever, underinsurance of properties is on the increase. Therefore it is essential that your single property or property portfolio is fully insured in order to avoid significant costs if something goes wrong.

Due to escalating building costs we recommend a Reinstatement Cost Assessment is undertaken every 2 years, or earlier should significant alterations be made to the insured property.

Is my Property Suitable for a Desktop Reinstatement Cost Assessment?

Our Desktop Reinstatement Cost Assessments are suitable for standard construction properties valued at under £1 million. Properties not suitable include: Listed and pre 1720 properties. An On-Site Inspection may be appropriate if your property falls into one of these categories.

Block Reinstatement Cost Assessments

If you are responsible for arranging the building insurance for a block of flats then Desktop Valuations can provide a Reinstatement Cost Assessment for properties up to 4 storeys high. Fees for this service are on a case-by-case basis.

If you wish to discuss the suitability of your property then please contact us.

How Desktop Valuations Chartered Surveyors can help with your Reinstatement Cost Assessment

Accurate & Affordable Service

Desktop Valuations Chartered Surveyors can provide you with a fast, accurate and affordable Reinstatement Cost Assessment (Insurance Rebuild Cost) of your property.

Assessment Handled Remotely

One of our RICS registered surveyors will undertake an assessment of your property or property portfolio remotely using a number of digital resources at our disposal without the need to visit your property.

Completed Assessment Provided

Our surveyor will use all of this information along with their expert knowledge of property construction types to provide you with an accurate Reinstatement Cost Assessment of your property to give to your Building Insurers.

We are RICS Regulated

We are regulated by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and our assessments are based on data from their Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) who provide the latest cost and price information for the UK construction industry.

Order Your Reinstatement Cost Assessment Today.

Simply fill out our online form and we will provide you with your Reinstatement Cost Assessment via email within 2 working days for £125 + VAT.

Order Your RCA Here

Advantages of a desktop assessment

Our desktop Reinstatement Cost Assessments are used by both private individuals and corporate clients. They are ideal when:

Time is of the Essence

When a valuation report is urgently required – because we undertake the assessment remotely we will return the valuation report back to you within 2 working days.

Access is Limited

In some circumstances properties will have limited or no access. Because we undertake the Reinstatement Cost Assessment remotely we do not need access to the property. This is ideal for landlords with property portfolios and overseas clients.

Affordability

Our fee is just £125 + VAT making our Reinstatement Cost Assessments more affordable compared to a surveyor undertaking a physical inspection of the property.

Why choose Desktop Valuations Chartered Surveyors?

Expertise

We have been providing desktop valuations since 2007 to both private and commercial clients and our Managing Director Robert Howell MRICS has over 20 years experience working as an RICS registered valuer.

Cost

Traditionally you would instruct a local surveyor to carry out a Reinstatement Cost Assessment of your property which could cost up to several hundred pounds depending on the value of the property. However, because our surveyor undertakes the assessment remotely we can pass this cost saving on to you meaning our repots cost just £125 + VAT per property.

Convenience

Our desktop assessments are fast and convenient. You can easily instruct us from your home computer or mobile phone by completing a simple form on our website. And because a qualified surveyor carries out the assessment remotely we can return the report back to you by email within 2 working days of instructing us. Our desktop valuations are also ideal when access to the property being valued is not possible or limited.

Zero Contact

The advantages of desktop valuations became apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic and provided a vital solution for both private individuals and commercial clients who still needed formal valuations of properties despite lockdowns and movement restrictions. Since COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted the continued benefits of desktop valuations remain obvious as a cost effective, long term solution for both our private and commercial clients.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Desktop Assessment?

A desktop assessment is undertaken remotely by a surveyor using data from a number of digital resources without the need to physically inspect the property.

All you need to do is complete our simple online form which will ask you for details about your property with the option to include any additional details and photographs that you feel could be relevant to the assessment. We are always available by email or phone if you need to discuss anything prior to submitting the form.

Once you have submitted the form one of our surveyors will undertake an assessment of your property using all of the digital resources at our disposal and return the Reinstatement Cost Assessment back to you, by email, within 2 working days.

How accurate is a Desktop Valuation?

Our desktop assessments provide you with a similar level of data and accuracy as other types of physical valuations. Because our assessments are undertaken by an RICS surveyor who is a member of the Valuation Registration scheme it means you can be assured that your assessment is produced to the highest possible standard.

Our surveyors have access to data from the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) who provide the latest cost and price information for the UK construction industry.

Our assessments are enhanced by using a number of digital resources at the surveyor’s disposal. These include information from HM Land Registry, Ordnance Survey, data from previous surveys of the property, access to historic Rightmove sales details, local authority planning data, online government resources such as Energy Performance Certificates, Google maps and satellite imagery.

There may be some instances where we think a physical inspection of the property would be more suitable than providing a remote desktop assessment. This is normally when the property is an unusual build type or there is a lack of online data about the property available to us. If this is the case we will contact you and advise that you instruct a local surveyor.

In the event of a desktop assessment report not being suitable for your property then a full refund will be made.

What will my Reinstatement Cost Assessment report contain?

Your Reinstatement Cost Assessment will provide you with the cost of rebuilding your property including demolition, site clearance, professional fees, Local Authority requirements, and construction of the main building. It also includes boundary walls, gates, fences, paths, drives, garages, and outbuildings.

How soon will I receive the report?

Your Desktop Reinstatement Assessment report will be emailed to you within 2 working days from the point of instruction. Should the property require further research or if we are awaiting confirmation on important comparable evidence then we will notify you of any delay.
We can also post you a hard copy of the report by request.

How long is a Reinstatement Cost Assessment valid?

The RICS recommend a Reinstatement Cost Assessment is undertaken every three years, or earlier should significant alterations be made to the insured property.

You should make allowances each year for inflation and to reflect changes in construction costs. This is usually done by increasing the Reinstatement Cost Assessment in line with the retail price index.

Area our Reinstatement Cost Assessments cover

Because Desktop Valuations Chartered Surveyors offer desktop Reinstatement Cost Assessments we can value any residential property in England and Wales.