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Agent and homeowners on the porch of an old clapboard house in Syracuse on a snowy evening

Rebuild Cost Is Not Market Value

A Syracuse agency for homes built before 1950. We compare several carriers and price the plaster, slate and trim you would have to replace.

Price Your RebuildCall (315) 555-0152

What Would It Cost to Rebuild Your House?

Tell us about the house. The worksheet gives a sample rebuild range for Onondaga County and sets it next to the dwelling coverage on your policy.

Count every finished floor. Leave out the basement unless it is finished.

When it was built
Stories
What the house has
Look for Coverage A on the first page of your policy, called the declarations page. That is the most the carrier pays to rebuild the house itself.

What an Old House Needs on the Policy

The claims we see most in houses from the 1890s to the 1940s. Tap a photo to see it bigger.

Plasterer patching an old plaster wall with the wood lath showing

Plaster and Trim

After a leak, matching old plaster and trim is slow, careful work. We make sure the policy pays to match, not just to patch.

Homeowner raking snow off an old slate roof with ice dams on the gutter

Ice Dams

Water that backs up under slate in February is the claim we get most.

Plumber soldering new copper pipe in an old stone basement

Frozen Pipes

Stone basements get cold. Sudden bursts are usually covered, slow leaks usually are not.

Agent measuring the stone foundation of an old brick house

We Measure It Ourselves

Before we quote, we walk the house with a measuring wheel. A guess from a tax record can miss a whole third floor.

Snowy Syracuse street of old porch front houses at first light

Built for Lake Effect Winters

Syracuse gets well over a hundred inches of snow in a normal year. We explain what a heavy roof load, a frozen pipe or a fallen limb means for your policy before the first storm.

What Old House Owners Say

4.9
★★★★★156 Google reviews

Our old policy had the house at what we paid for it. Meg walked every room and showed us the rebuild was nearly double.

Tom R. Strathmore

Two carriers turned us down for the wiring. She found one that would write it once the electrician signed off.

Aisha B. Eastwood

An ice dam wrecked the dining room ceiling. She knew which plaster crew the adjuster would accept and it matched perfectly.

Greg M. Tipperary Hill

Sample reviews written for this demo. Your site shows your real Google reviews, word for word.

We cover Syracuse, Liverpool, Cicero, Camillus, DeWitt, Manlius, Fayetteville, Baldwinsville, Skaneateles and Solvay, and anywhere in Central New York by phone.

Old House Questions

Why is my rebuild cost higher than what the house would sell for?

Market value is what a buyer pays for the house and the lot. Rebuild cost is what crews charge to put the same house back. In much of Syracuse, an old house with plaster walls, slate and real wood trim costs more to rebuild than it would sell for. Your dwelling coverage should follow rebuild cost.

Will a carrier insure a house with knob and tube wiring?

Some will and many will not. Most carriers want to know if any is still live. We ask the carriers we work with before you apply, so you are not turned down for a surprise.

What is ordinance or law coverage?

When an old house is rebuilt, the city makes the new work meet today's code. That can mean new wiring, stairs or egress windows. Ordinance or law coverage helps pay for that extra work. Many base policies include only a little of it.

Does my policy cover ice dams?

Many policies pay for water that gets inside from an ice dam, like a stained ceiling or wet plaster. Most do not pay to fix the roof or gutters from wear. It depends on the carrier and the policy, so we read yours with you.

Do you only insure old houses?

Old houses are what we know best, but we insure newer homes, condos and rentals too. As an independent agency we compare several carriers, and quotes depend on the carrier and underwriting.

Ask for a Rebuild Review

Leave a first name and a phone number. Meg calls you back within one business day to set a time to walk the house. There is no charge to talk, and nothing changes until you say yes.

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