Rebuilding cost

Conventionally in the building insurance industry rebuilding cost is taken as being the whole cost, in effect a new build with the additional costs of demolition and clearing of any remaining structure from site. The insurance industry’s income is based on charging a percentage of this cost as a premium so have an incentive to increase the cost. However it is infrequently a building get so completely destroyed that the rebuild could be considered 100%. There are therefore two consideration applicable here, the actual cost and assessment of the associated risk. Seldom, if ever does the building covered for rebuilding get rebuilt in the exact same specification and detail so therefore a clear definition of the cover provided and the minutiae of the detail of the cover for full or part rebuild is very important. The figures for rebuilding in European Construction Costs models are based on three levels of full/part demolition. • Total demolition including slab, foundations and removal from site. • Demolition to slab. This leaves the ground slab with foundations for re-use (The Netherlands conventionally has piled foundation enhancing the value of the retained slab for re-use. • Strip-out to frame which entails removing all external walls and retaining only the frame (carcass) floors and service core. The figures presented therefore offer ‘stage costs’ as there are many variations and options between the various levels. In many European cities there is a trend to retain the main structure of a building to offer reconstruction to comply with various alternatives proposals and requirements. This may be to renew the whole exterior to enhance the thermal values or to retaining the whole exterior envelop in consideration that the building has some architectural/cultural merit. The costs on the ECC site reflect the demolition only, the rebuild is treated as additional new build.