How much should I save for home repairs?

Small fixes come every year. Big ones, like a roof or a furnace, come on a schedule you can see coming. Type a few numbers and get one monthly amount that covers both. Your numbers stay on this device.

Home value

Routine upkeep per year

% of value

Home age

years

Big items: age now and cost to replace

Ages are guessed from the home age. Change any you know.

Item	Age (yr)	Cost ($)	Save / mo

to save each month

routine upkeep a month

big bills in 5 years

Keep the house on a schedule

The Home Maintenance Checklist Planner (printable PDF) has a yearly repair fund page, monthly checks, a season-by-season checklist, a repair and project log and an appliance and filter record.

See the Home Maintenance Planner

Where the numbers come from

Lifespans and costs are typical US figures for a mid-size home: asphalt roof about 25 years, furnace 18, central AC or heat pump 15, tank water heater 11, exterior paint 10, fridge 13, washer 11, dryer 13, dishwasher 10. Costs vary a lot by region and size, so use a quote if you have one. Each item is saved for over the years it has left. An item past its typical life is shown as due now and saved for over the next 12 months. Routine upkeep (gutters, caulk, small plumbing and electrical, service calls) uses the common 1% of home value rule.