Business Interruption Claim Calculator

Turn outage data into defensible loss estimates. Compare expected sales, actual sales, and saved costs. Download claim-ready reports in seconds, not spreadsheets anymore today.

Enter claim inputs

Used when gross profit method is selected.
Used when net income method is selected.
Income from temporary operations or alternate sites.
Reset

Tip: use baseline revenue from comparable months, then adjust with growth rate.

Example data table

Sample scenarios below show how inputs can change estimated payable.

Scenario Interruption days Baseline monthly revenue Gross margin Extra expense Estimated payable
Retail store partial closure 30 $80,000 35% $5,500 $52,400
Light manufacturing shutdown 60 $120,000 38% $12,000 $138,900
Warehouse disruption with rerouting 45 $60,000 28% $18,000 $64,700

Example amounts are illustrative and not tied to any insurer.

Formula used

Revenue and loss base
  • Period months = Interruption days ÷ 30.4167
  • Expected revenue = Baseline monthly revenue × (1 + Growth%) × Period months
  • Actual revenue = Actual monthly revenue × Period months
  • Lost revenue = max(0, Expected − Actual)
Gross loss (before policy terms)
  • Income loss = Lost revenue × Rate (Gross margin or Net income margin)
  • Continuing = Non-payroll expenses + Payroll × Coverage%
  • Saved expenses = Lost revenue × Saved expense%
  • Gross loss = Income loss + Continuing + Extra expense − Saved − Mitigation
Policy adjustments
  • Waiting factor = max(0, Days − Waiting) ÷ Days
  • After waiting = Gross loss × Waiting factor
  • After deductible = max(0, After waiting − Deductible amount)
  • Coinsurance factor = min(1, Limit ÷ Required insurance)
  • Estimated payable = min(After coinsurance, Coverage limit)

Required insurance is estimated from expected annual revenue and the chosen margin rate, scaled by the coinsurance requirement.

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter interruption days, waiting period, and baseline/actual monthly revenue.
  2. Choose a method: gross profit or net income plus continuing expenses.
  3. Add continuing expenses, payroll, saved expense rate, and extra expense.
  4. Set policy terms: coverage limit, coinsurance, and any deductible amount.
  5. Click Calculate claim to view a breakdown above the form.
  6. Use Download CSV or Download PDF for records.

For best results, support inputs with sales history, payroll reports, invoices, and a timeline of restoration actions.

Downtime exposure and restoration window

Business interruption severity scales with both duration and revenue density. A 45‑day outage equals about 1.48 months (45 ÷ 30.4167). If baseline revenue is 120,000 per month, the period exposure is roughly 177,960 before trend. In many claims files, restoration timelines cluster between 14 and 90 days; beyond 120 days, documentation and causation scrutiny usually increases. Document dates, capacity constraints, and customer orders to support the restoration schedule.

Revenue baseline selection and trend uplift

Using comparable months reduces seasonality bias. The calculator applies a growth factor of (1 + Growth%). For example, a 2.5% uplift raises annualized revenue from 1,440,000 to 1,476,000. When actual revenue continues during the loss period, subtracting it avoids double counting and highlights true shortfall. A consistent baseline is often more defensible than optimistic peaks.

Margin selection and cost behavior

Choose a margin that matches policy language and books. With a 38% gross margin, a 100,000 revenue shortfall implies 38,000 income loss. Net income margins are typically smaller; a 12% margin on the same shortfall yields 12,000, then adds continuing expenses. Separate “saved” costs from continuing obligations to prevent overstating the claim.

Extra expense and mitigation economics

Extra expense can accelerate recovery, but sublimits cap reimbursement. If submitted extra expense is 12,000 and the sublimit is 25,000, the full 12,000 is eligible in the model. Mitigation income offsets loss: temporary sales of 8,000 reduce payable by the same amount. Track invoices, labor, and vendor contracts to connect spending to regained revenue.

Policy levers that reshape payable

Waiting periods work like time deductibles: with 60 days downtime and a 3‑day wait, the factor is 57/60 = 0.95. Coinsurance can also reduce recovery if limits are low versus required insurance. A limit of 250,000 against a required 300,000 yields a 0.8333 factor. These levers can change a six‑figure gross loss into a smaller payable number.

FAQs

What revenue should I use for the baseline?

Use monthly revenue from comparable, pre-loss periods that reflect normal operations. If sales are seasonal, average the same months from prior years. Avoid one-off promotions unless you can prove they would have repeated during the loss period.

When should I pick gross profit versus net income?

Pick the option that aligns with policy wording and how your financial statements present earnings. Gross profit applies a margin to lost revenue. Net income uses a smaller margin and then adds continuing expenses that persist during the shutdown.

How does the waiting period change the payable?

The waiting period reduces the covered time portion of the loss. The calculator applies a factor of covered days divided by total interruption days. Longer waits reduce payable, especially for shorter interruptions where the first days are most impactful.

What are continuing expenses in this model?

Continuing expenses are costs that keep accruing during the interruption, such as rent, certain utilities, key vendor retainers, and insured payroll that remains covered. Only include expenses you can support with invoices, contracts, or payroll records.

How is coinsurance estimated here?

Coinsurance is simplified by comparing your coverage limit to an estimated required insurance amount. Required insurance is based on expected annual revenue multiplied by your selected margin, then scaled by the coinsurance percentage. If the limit is lower, payable is reduced.

Can I rely on the estimate as my final claim?

Treat the result as a planning and documentation aid. Actual settlement depends on policy definitions, limits, sublimits, exclusions, and proof of loss. Use the exports to support discussions, then reconcile with accounting records and adjuster requests.

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Important Note: All the Calculators listed in this site are for educational purpose only and we do not guarentee the accuracy of results. Please do consult with other sources as well.