Homeowners Replacement Costs are going way up fast

Insurance Hour with Karl Susman

Today we welcome special guest Toni Lewis from Lewis Schoeplein Architects to the radio show to discuss how home construction costs and processes in California, particularly factors that affect insurance coverage needs. Toni provides an in-depth overview of construction costs, permitting requirements, building code regulations, timeline estimates, and 'soft costs' beyond just labor and materials. Key takeaways include how construction costs have risen drastically in recent years, with labor and material costs up 13-14% in 2021 alone. Current estimates are $400-600 per square foot for a basic single-family home. - Building in high-fire-risk areas adds requirements like fire-resistant materials and roofing that increase costs somewhat.- Permitting costs can be very high, with fees of $30,000+ for a 2000 sq ft home. Permits can take 6-8 months. Other 'soft costs' like architect fees, utilities, contingencies etc can add significantly to rebuild costs. Timelines from design through permitting to completion can easily be 6-12 months for major work. Important factors for insurance policies to remember are that replacement cost estimates must account for the sharp rises in construction costs and coverage should include temporary living expenses for an extended rebuild period. The time required to rebuild after a loss can be much longer than many clients expect.

Insurance Hour is hosted by renowned insurance expert Karl Susman. Karl is a frequent guest on television stations such as ABC, CBS, Spectrum, The CW and FOX, and now his popular radio program is available online throughout California and world-wide.
Listeners can now tune in to Insurance Hour on great AM radio station KMET throughout the state of California.

In addition to traditional radio, Insurance Hour is available on several popular streaming platforms, ensuring that listeners can access the show at their convenience.
Audiences worldwide can now enjoy Insurance Hour at InsuranceHour.com, on YouTube, Amazon Music, Tuneln, Alexa, Apple Podcasts, and the iHeartRadio app.
For more information about "Insurance Hour" and its programming, please contact Lara Starr at [e-mail]