Home Repair Bills Rose 76% Over 10 Years. 6 Ways to Cut the Cost

Three-quarters of these projects are paid for out of savings, but you can reduce how much you need to withdraw.

The median home improvement project cost $2,113 in 2025 dollars, up from $1,200 a decade earlier, according to a LendingTree analysis of Census Bureau housing data and Bureau of Labor Statistics figures. That amounts to a 76% increase even after inflation is taken into account.

Very few homeowners avoid these expenses for long. Nearly 6 in 10 owner-occupied homes—51.6 million out of 86.9 million—had at least one project during the two-year period covered by the analysis, and routine maintenance alone averaged about $1,433 a year.

The data also shows where the money goes, and several of the biggest cost swings are things a homeowner can influence.

1. Take on the small jobs yourself

The difference between hiring a professional and doing the work yourself is substantial. Pros handled about 64% of projects, with a median cost of $4,103. Do-it-yourself projects came in at a median of $845, or roughly one-fifth as much.

Of course, not every task should be a DIY project. Electrical work, gas lines, roofs and anything requiring a tall ladder can turn savings into a trip to the emergency room.

But jobs such as caulking, replacing a toilet flapper, changing a faucet cartridge and swapping furnace filters are usually safe to handle, and they can stop small problems from becoming contractor-level repairs.

2. Stay ahead of appliance failures

Adding or replacing a water heater, dishwasher or garbage disposal was the most common type of project, making up 11.7% of the total with a median cost of $845.

Appliances rarely fail on a convenient schedule, and emergency replacements leave little time to compare prices. Knowing the age of your water heater, furnace and major kitchen appliances can help you shop before something breaks.

Some simple maintenance can also extend their life, including an annual water heater flush to remove sediment.

For homeowners who would rather avoid handling a sudden breakdown alone, a home warranty from Choice Home Warranty can help cover repair or replacement of many major systems and appliances for a monthly fee plus a set charge per claim.

3. Keep water away from the house

Gutters are the home’s first line of defense against water. When they clog, rain can overflow and collect near the foundation, or back up under the roofline and soak the wood behind it.

Cleaning them after the leaves are gone is the inexpensive solution. For homeowners who prefer to stay off the ladder, gutter guard options through HomeBuddy can help reduce how often the gutters need to be cleared.

4. Plan for maintenance based on your home’s age

Maintenance costs rise as homes get older. Homes built before 1940 averaged $1,706 a year in routine maintenance, while homes built in 2022 and 2023 averaged just $173.

The overall average of $1,433 works out to about $120 per month. Setting that amount aside automatically, and increasing it for a house that is several decades old, can turn a surprise repair into a planned expense.

5. Pay with cash instead of a card

Cash covered 75.7% of projects in the analysis, while credit cards paid for 6.3%. Projects paid for with cash had a median cost of $1,902, while those financed with home equity loans were much larger, with a median of $7,924.

A repair charged to a card and paid off over several months can end up costing far more than the contractor’s quote once interest is added. If you are already carrying balances, it is worth checking whether your debt payments are already too high before adding another one.

6. Keep receipts for improvements, not repairs

Some home spending can reduce your tax bill when you sell. The IRS allows owners to add the cost of improvements—work that adds value, extends a home’s life or adapts it to new uses—to the home’s basis.

A new roof, central air or a kitchen remodel can qualify. Routine repairs such as painting or fixing a leak generally do not, unless they are part of a larger remodeling project.

A higher basis can mean a smaller taxable gain. That can matter for longtime owners whose profit may exceed the $250,000 exclusion for single filers or $500,000 for married couples filing jointly, potentially leading to a five-figure tax bill on a home purchased decades ago.

The least expensive fix is the one you plan ahead for

LendingTree chief consumer finance analyst Matt Schulz told USA Today that home improvements “may be bigger and flashier, but ongoing maintenance and repairs are more common.” Those are also the expenses homeowners can usually anticipate.

Keeping track of each major system’s age, setting aside money each month and doing a few hours of weekend work can do more to control the next repair bill than any single contractor estimate.