Tool · Insurance Information
Personal Property Coverage Calculator
Add up what it would cost to replace your belongings, category by category, then size the personal property coverage (Coverage C) on a Florida home, renters or condo policy.
How much personal property coverage do I need?
Enough to replace your belongings at today's prices — not what you paid for them. A common rule of thumb sets personal property coverage at 50% to 70% of your dwelling coverage, but your real number comes from an actual inventory, which this calculator builds one category at a time.
Personal property coverage is Coverage C on a homeowners, renters, or condo policy. It pays to repair or replace the things inside your home: furniture, clothing, electronics, appliances, and everything else you would have to buy again after a fire, theft, or covered storm. It's easy to underestimate. Most people price a room's worth of belongings at a glance and land far below the real figure. Years of clothing, a kitchen's worth of small appliances, a garage of tools, and the quiet pile-up of electronics all add up fast. Going room by room, category by category, is the only way to see the true number.
Build Your Home Inventory for Insurance
Enter a whole-dollar estimate for each category — the replacement cost today. Leave a row blank if it doesn't apply. Your running total updates as you type; nothing is saved or sent.
What this means for your coverage. A common rule of thumb sets personal property coverage at 50% to 70% of your dwelling coverage. Compare your total above against your policy's personal property (Coverage C) limit to see whether it is in range.
Watch the special-limit categories. Jewelry, watches, furs, firearms, and silverware often carry special per-category limits on a standard policy. If your totals in those rows are significant, ask about scheduling them or adding an endorsement so they're fully protected.
Prefer to read first? See our Florida home insurance coverage guide.
Actual Cash Value vs. Replacement Cost
How your policy values your belongings decides how much you actually get back after a loss — and the two methods can be worlds apart.
Actual Cash Value (ACV) pays what an item is worth today, after subtracting depreciation for age and wear. A five-year-old television is reimbursed at its used, depreciated value — not what a new one costs.
Replacement Cost Value (RCV) pays what it costs to buy a new equivalent at today's prices, with no depreciation deducted. It's the coverage that actually lets you rebuild your household after a total loss, and it's usually worth the modest difference.
When you shop, ask which method the policy uses for personal property — and enter replacement-cost numbers in the calculator above so your estimate lines up with RCV coverage.
Special Limits — the Categories That Need Extra Care
Standard policies cap how much they'll pay for certain categories, even when your overall Coverage C limit is high. Common special-limit categories include:
- Jewelry and watches — often limited for theft specifically.
- Furs — a separate theft sub-limit.
- Firearms — capped, especially for theft.
- Silverware and goldware — a distinct theft limit.
- Business property kept at home — typically limited.
If your totals in those rows are meaningful, the fix is simple. Schedule the items, listing them individually with agreed values, or add an endorsement that raises the category limit. Either way, keep photos and receipts — the habit that turns a claim from an argument into a formality.
The 15-Minute Inventory That Pays for Itself
The fastest way to a real number, and to a claim that goes smoothly, is a phone-video walkthrough. Walk every room with your phone recording: open closets and drawers, capture serial numbers on electronics and appliances, and narrate what things are. Store the video in the cloud so it survives the event you're insuring against. Fifteen minutes now becomes the backbone of your personal property claim later.
It's part of hurricane readiness, too — see our Florida hurricane home insurance guide for what to do before and after a storm.
Who can review my personal property coverage limit in Florida?
A licensed agent at American US Insurance can check your calculator total against the Coverage C limit on your home, condo or renters policy and quote the change with several carriers. Jewelry, watches, firearms and other items above their special limits can be scheduled on the same visit, so the whole inventory is covered.
Common Questions