Owning a home comes with certain responsibilities. There is no landlord to call when a sink stops draining or the lawn needs mowing. Regular home maintenance is essential to lengthening the lifespan of key components in a house as well as ensuring a property is a safe and enjoyable place to live.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people stuck at home took to making home improvement activities, with remodeling and repair spending in 2020 and 2021 growing 23.8 percent, according to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. The pandemic gave homeowners something to work on, and while spending on home repair and remodeling is no longer booming, home maintenance remains a constant.
After two years of a hot homebuying market, a national survey by home insurance company Hippo found that homeowners are more hesitant than in previous years to start or complete home maintenance projects. Nearly half of recent homeowners who bought a home since March 2020 report putting them off due to inflation and price increases. And 47% of recent buyers — those who bought a home since 2020 — say supply chain issues have set them back on managing regular home care and maintenance.
Still, a second survey revealed that 65% of those who experienced a problem in their homes recognized that it could have been prevented with proactive maintenance.
Part of properly caring for a house includes creating a home maintenance budget. While costs will vary depending on a home’s location and size, keep reading for some average home maintenance costs that you can use in your budget calculations.
Home Maintenance Costs at a Glance
| Type of maintenance | Cost | How many times do you need to do this per year? |
| Gutter cleaning | $100+ | 2 |
| HVAC filter changes | $2-$40 | 2-12 |
| Lawn mowing | $29-$65 | Weekly or biweekly |
| Leaf removal | $81-$465 | 1-2 |
| Yard cleanup | $171-$374 | 1 |
| Lawn fertilization | $88-$544 | 1-2 |
| HVAC tuneup | $65-$125 | 2 |
| DIY pipe cleaning | $10 | As needed |
[Read: How to Make a Budget — and Stick to It.]
Breaking Down Regular Home Maintenance Costs
Many maintenance items must be completed on a regular basis. “Monthly home maintenance tasks can vary, especially if it’s a larger home or if your home and property are located in a warmer location,” says Jeff Slipko, co-founder of NestEgg.rent, a property management platform.
Although not an exhaustive list, here are some regular maintenance tasks that apply to many single-family homes:
Clean Gutters
Leaves and debris need to be removed regularly from gutters to ensure water can flow freely through them. Leaf Home Solutions, which makes LeafFilter gutter protection systems, recommends that gutters should be cleaned at least twice a year to prevent damage to your roof and home. Homeowners can expect to pay $100 or more for professional cleaning, depending on a home’s size and the accessibility of gutters.
Change Filters
Filters for HVAC systems should be replaced quarterly in four-season climates. This task is something homeowners should be able to easily do themselves, and filters for most systems run between $2 to$40 each, depending on filtration level, size and quality, according to Consumer Reports. Thicker, more expensive filters may last for six months while thin, cheap filters may need to be replaced monthly
Check Sprinkler System
Homes with in-ground sprinkler systems should be drained in the fall and checked for breaks in the spring. “They often break and get eaten by animals, which causes a major water bill,” explains Raf Howery, CEO and founder of Kukun, a company that provides property data and home management tools. Expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $400 should a break be found.
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn maintenance costs range widely depending on how much work you need done and how much work you can do yourself. Here’s how much standard lawn maintenance costs, according to LawnStarter:
— The average cost to a mow a lawn costs $29 to $65 and is typically done weekly or twice a month.
— Leaf removal, which is usually done near the end of fall, cost $81 to $465.
— Yard cleanups, which are typically done in early spring, cost $171 to $374.
— Fertilizing a lawn costs between $88 and $544.
HVAC Tuneups
Heating and cooling systems should be inspected at the start of their respective seasons. A routine inspection could cost between $80 to $150, according to Howery. Repairs, if needed, can run into the hundreds of dollars. “Gas furnaces can cost more due to the complexity of natural gas piping and valves,” he says, and an improperly functioning air conditioning compressor could be as much as $1,000 to fix.
Keep Pipes Clear
“Toilets and sinks don’t need regular maintenance but should be added to your list of inspections to get ahead of any damage,” Slipko says. Using a drain cleaner monthly can also help prevent clogs, and specially made bacteria additives can help septic systems run smoothly in the years between routine pumping to empty the tank. The cost of these additives may be $10 or less a month.
“It’s also important to consider home maintenance tasks that don’t require an additional (cost),” Slipko says. “For example, cleaning your ice maker, flushing the water heater and deodorizing the dishwasher.”
To keep track of all the tasks specific to your home, consider using a spreadsheet or a digital tracker such as Kukun’s iHome Manager tool.
Common Replacement Costs
Regardless of how well they are maintained, some parts of a home will eventually need to be replaced. By saving for these large expenses as part of a home maintenance budget, homeowners can avoid the need to finance their cost.
Roofing
Asphalt shingles can last 15 to 30 years, and replacement costs may run $5 to $8 per square foot. Owners of a 2,000 square-foot home should plan on spending roughly $14,000 for a new roof, according to Howery.
“Other roofs, like red clay tile or slate, can last 70 to 100 years and are proportionately more expensive to replace,” he says. Metal roofs, for example, last up to 70 years and cost $8,510 to $16,150.
Furnace
Homeowners can expect their furnace to last at least 15 years. The size of a house and the type of furnace will dictate the price, but Slipko says $3,500 is an average cost to replace a furnace. “Natural gas furnace installation is typically more expensive out of all furnace types and can range from $5,000 to $7,000 for an installation cost,” he adds.
Air Conditioner
Central air conditioners may need to be replaced every 10 to 15 years, and Howery says their price tag can run from $3,200 to $8,000. Again, the size of the house will partially dictate the cost of a replacement unit. Location also matters, as the cost of replacing an AC system in places with higher costs of living will drive up the price.
[READ: Cheap Alternatives to Air Conditioning]
When to Call in the Professionals
It can be tempting to try to reduce home maintenance costs by completing repairs yourself, but proceed with caution. “You should be careful with anything that touches plumbing and electrical because of the high risk of problems when untrained people attempt repairs,” Howery says.
Also, be realistic about your abilities. According to a survey by Travelers Insurance, 42% of U.S. homeowners delayed a needed repair in 2020 because of the pandemic, when many people were sheltering in place. While most people simply left the repair undone, 19% tried to do it themselves and failed. Rather than risk a costly mistake, it can be better to hire a professional if you are unsure about your ability to be successful.
“Hiring someone for any home task can be stressful and time-consuming, but it’s important to do your research,” says Jeff Beck, CEO of window replacement company Window Nation. That means not only asking for referrals but also checking to see whether a company is insured or uses subcontractors.
It’s also important to know whether you are hiring a handyman or a home contractor. “Handymen can perform most minor home repair jobs,” Slipko says, “but for larger jobs, a licensed contractor who’s highly specialized in a certain area is best.”
A number of online services such as Kukun, Angi and HomeAdvisor can help homeowners find professional contractors and repair workers, while websites such as NestEgg can do the same for landlords.
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How Much to Budget for Home Maintenance originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 09/15/23: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
