Actual Cash Value Calculator
Use our free actual cash value (ACV) calculator to estimate the actual cash value of your property, building items, or vehicle. This actual cash value calculation uses purchase price, expected life (years), and current life (years) to estimate depreciation and ACV.
What is Actual Cash Value?
Actual Cash Value (ACV) is an insurance-style estimate of what an item is worth today after depreciation. If you’re searching for an actual cash value definition, think “value at time of loss” rather than what it cost new.
In many cases, an actual cash value calculation starts with a base cost (purchase price or replacement cost) and then subtracts depreciation for age, use, and wear. That’s why people use an actual cash value calculator for home claims, an actual cash value calculator for building materials, and an auto actual cash value calculator when valuing a car.
Need an actual cash value example? If an item has used up half of its useful life, ACV is often estimated as roughly half its original value (depending on the depreciation method and condition).
Actual Cash Value Formula
This actual cash value (ACV) calculator estimates depreciation using expected life and current life (in years). It’s a practical way to understand how actual cash value is calculated for insurance claims, including cars, home items, and building components.
This is a straight-line depreciation estimate. Some insurers adjust for condition, maintenance, or local market value, so results can vary.
If your purchase price is $20,000, expected life is 12 years, and current life is 5 years, the estimated actual cash value of your car is about $11,667. This is useful if you’re asking: “what is actual cash value of my car?”
For a home actual cash value calculator scenario (like an appliance or flooring), plug in the purchase price, expected life, and current life in years to estimate ACV for a claim.
Market value is what someone would pay today. Actual cash value is often replacement cost minus depreciation. In many claims, ACV is used as the payout baseline, then condition and local pricing can adjust the final amount.
You can calculate actual cash value for building materials or components (roofing, HVAC, windows) by using the component’s expected life—not the age of the entire property.
How to Use the Actual Cash Value Calculator
- 1
Enter the purchase price (or a reasonable starting cost) for the item, building component, or vehicle.
- 2
Enter the expected life of the item in years (useful life).
- 3
Enter the current life of the item in years (how long it has been used).
- 4
Click “Calculate” to get the estimated actual cash value (ACV).
Frequently Asked Questions
In many insurance contexts, ACV is estimated as cost minus depreciation. This calculator uses straight-line depreciation based on expected life and current life (in years) to produce an ACV estimate.
To calculate actual cash value of car damage with depreciation, start with purchase price (or a baseline value), then apply a depreciation factor based on expected life vs. current life. If you want an “actual cash value of my car calculator free” approach, this tool gives a depreciation-based estimate—market comps may still be needed for a settlement.
For a free actual cash value calculator for home claims, you’ll typically estimate the cost of the specific item/component (appliance, roof, flooring) and subtract depreciation based on age and expected life. This tool is a home actual cash value calculator for those depreciation-based estimates.
Not always. Market value reflects what something sells for today, while ACV is often an insurance estimate of replacement cost minus depreciation. Depending on the situation, ACV and market value can be close—or quite different.
If you’re asking “what is actual cash value of my car,” it’s usually the vehicle’s value at the time of loss, often adjusted for depreciation and condition. This auto actual cash value calculator provides a depreciation-based estimate using years, which can help you sanity-check a claim offer.