Real Estate

CMHC Insurance Calculator

Calculate the CMHC mortgage default insurance premium for your purchase.

Estimate a standard high-ratio CMHC premium for an eligible purchase below $1.5 million with a traditional down payment and amortization of 25 years or less. This does not determine borrower approval or model longer-amortization surcharges.

Enter your numbers

Purchase Price ($)

Down Payment ($)

Results update as you change the inputs. Calculations run in your browser.

Standard high-ratio premium estimate

$16740.00

loan To Value: 90.00%
premium Rate: 3.10%
mortgage With Premium: $556740.00
minimum Down Payment: $35000

See the formula

Formula and method

Premium = Loan Amount × Premium Rate (based on LTV bracket)

CMHC standard high-ratio premiums: above 80% through 85% LTV, 2.8%; above 85% through 90%, 3.1%; above 90% through 95%, 4.0%. Minimum down payment is 5% of the first $500,000 plus 10% of the remainder for eligible purchases below $1.5 million. At 20% down this tool shows no required high-ratio premium; optional low-ratio insurance is excluded.

Sources checked October 12, 2026

Worked examples

10% down payment

Purchase Price ($):: 600000
Down Payment ($):: 60000

Standard high-ratio premium estimate: $16740.00

15% down payment

Purchase Price ($):: 600000
Down Payment ($):: 90000

Standard high-ratio premium estimate: $14280.00

Assumptions and limits

Purchase below $1.5 million for high-ratio insurance
Traditional down payment and eligible owner-occupied purchase
Amortization no more than 25 years; no surcharge or provincial premium tax
Lender and insurer approval not assessed

This tool provides an educational estimate. Rules, rates and personal circumstances can change the answer. Review the assumptions before relying on a result. Report a correction.

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming eligibility is guaranteed from the down payment alone.
Forgetting that adding a premium to the mortgage increases interest costs.
Using this standard premium for a 30-year amortization or non-traditional down payment.

Frequently asked questions

Does insurance protect the buyer?

Mortgage default insurance protects the lender. It does not replace your obligation to repay the loan.

Is a home at $1.5 million eligible?

High-ratio mortgage insurance is unavailable at a purchase price of $1.5 million or more under the reviewed rules.