Car Insurance Write-Off Calculator
Find out if your car is likely to be written off, estimate your settlement payout, and understand the difference between Category A, B, S and N write-offs — all in one place.
Write-Off & Settlement Calculator
Enter your car’s value, repair estimate and policy details
What was the car worth immediately before the accident? Check AutoTrader, WeBuyAnyCar or similar for current market value.
The garage or insurer’s repair estimate. Include parts, labour, and VAT.
Structural damage typically results in a Category S write-off; non-structural in Category N.
Your total excess (voluntary + compulsory). This is deducted from your settlement.
If you retain a Cat S or N car, the salvage value is deducted from your settlement.
Write-Off Assessment
Verdict, likely category and estimated settlement
Enter your car’s pre-accident value and the repair estimate, then click Calculate Write-Off Verdict to see whether a write-off is likely and what your settlement could be.
Understanding Cat A, B, S & N
The ABI (Association of British Insurers) uses four categories to classify written-off vehicles. Each affects what happens to the car and whether it can return to the road.
Category A
Crush only — most severe
The car must be completely crushed. No parts can be salvaged or resold — not even the radio. The entire vehicle must be destroyed. Typically applies to cars that have been in fires, severe floods, or have been structurally compromised beyond any repair.
Cannot return to roadCategory B
Body shell crush — parts salvageable
The body shell and structure must be crushed, but mechanical parts (engine, gearbox, lights) may be salvaged and resold. The car can never return to the road as a whole vehicle. Often seen after major structural collisions where the shell is beyond repair but running gear is intact.
Cannot return to roadCategory S
Structural damage — repairable
Formerly Category C. The car has sustained structural damage (chassis, crumple zones, safety cage) but can be repaired to a roadworthy standard. Must undergo a formal inspection and be re-registered with the DVLA before returning to the road. Must always be declared as Cat S.
Must be declaredCan return to road
Category N
Non-structural — repairable
Formerly Category D. The car has no structural damage but has been written off for non-structural reasons — airbag deployment, electrical faults, severe cosmetic damage, or when repair cost exceeds value. Can be repaired and returned to the road without re-inspection, but must always be declared as Cat N.
Must be declaredCan return to road
Write-Off Threshold Reference Table
Typical repair-to-value ratios at which UK insurers declare a total loss. Thresholds vary by insurer but most fall in the 50–70% range. Use this table alongside the calculator above.
| Car Value (PAMV) | 50% Threshold | 60% Threshold | 70% Threshold | Write-Off Likely If Repair Exceeds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £2,000 | £1,000 | £1,200 | £1,400 | £1,000 – £1,400 |
| £4,000 | £2,000 | £2,400 | £2,800 | £2,000 – £2,800 |
| £6,000 | £3,000 | £3,600 | £4,200 | £3,000 – £4,200 |
| £8,000 | £4,000 | £4,800 | £5,600 | £4,000 – £5,600 |
| £10,000 | £5,000 | £6,000 | £7,000 | £5,000 – £7,000 |
| £15,000 | £7,500 | £9,000 | £10,500 | £7,500 – £10,500 |
| £20,000 | £10,000 | £12,000 | £14,000 | £10,000 – £14,000 |
| £30,000 | £15,000 | £18,000 | £21,000 | £15,000 – £21,000 |
| £50,000 | £25,000 | £30,000 | £35,000 | £25,000 – £35,000 |
Car Write-Off FAQ
Everything you need to know about car insurance write-offs in the UK, from categories to settlement rights.
A car is written off — officially called a Total Loss — when an insurer decides the cost of repairing it exceeds or approaches its pre-accident market value, or when the car is unsafe to repair. The insurer pays you the car’s pre-accident value (minus your excess) as a settlement and takes ownership of the vehicle. The car is then assigned a write-off category (A, B, S or N) which is permanently recorded on the DVLA database and accessible via HPI checks.
Category S (formerly Cat C) means structural damage — to the chassis, crumple zones or safety cage — but the car can be repaired and returned to the road after a formal re-inspection and re-registration. Category N (formerly Cat D) means no structural damage, but the car has been written off for other reasons: airbag deployment, electrical faults, or when repair costs exceed the car’s value for non-structural damage. Cat N cars can return to the road without a formal inspection but must always be declared as Cat N in adverts and to insurers.
Insurers calculate the settlement using the car’s Pre-Accident Market Value (PAMV) — what the car was worth on the open market immediately before the accident, based on age, mileage, condition and comparable listings. They then deduct your policy excess. If you retain the car (Cat S or N only), the salvage value is also deducted. The result is your net settlement. The PAMV is not the same as the original purchase price or any outstanding finance balance.
For Category S and N write-offs, yes — you can ask to retain the vehicle. The insurer will deduct the salvage value from your settlement payout. For Category A and B write-offs, the insurer must retain and destroy the vehicle; you cannot keep it under any circumstances. If you do keep a Cat S car, it must be professionally repaired to a safe standard, inspected and re-registered with the DVLA before you can drive it again.
You can and should challenge a valuation you believe is too low. Gather evidence: current AutoTrader listings for identical or comparable cars, a dealer part-exchange quote, receipts for recent servicing or new tyres, and any extras fitted. Submit this to your insurer as a formal counter-offer. If they still refuse a fair settlement, escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) — it is free, and the FOS frequently sides with consumers on disputed valuations. You have up to six months from the insurer’s final decision to refer to the FOS.
Yes, making any insurance claim will typically increase your renewal premium. A write-off claim is treated like any other claim. If the accident was your fault, you will lose some or all of your no-claims discount. If it was not your fault and your insurer recovers costs from the third party, the impact on your no-claims discount may be protected, but premiums can still rise. Always declare any write-off claims when taking out a new policy — failing to do so is material non-disclosure and could invalidate your cover.
Buying a Cat S or N car can offer significant savings — typically 20–40% below market value for an equivalent undamaged car. However, there are risks: some insurers charge higher premiums or refuse to cover write-off history vehicles; resale value is permanently reduced; and for Cat S cars, you must verify the structural repair was carried out to a professional standard. Always get an independent inspection, run a full HPI check, and check that any Cat S car has been properly re-registered before buying.
If you have outstanding finance, the insurance settlement is paid directly to the finance company first. If the settlement is more than the outstanding finance, you receive the difference. If it is less — a situation called being in negative equity — you are still legally responsible for paying off the remaining balance. Gap Insurance (Guaranteed Asset Protection) exists to cover this shortfall and is worth considering when taking out finance on a new car.