Homeowners are delaying repairs at record rates, and the costs are climbing

Across the country, homeowners are quietly putting off basic fixes, from leaky roofs to aging furnaces, and the financial fallout is starting to show up in four- and five-figure repair bills. What looks like a short-term cash‑flow decision is turning into a long-term affordability problem, as small maintenance jobs snowball into major projects that strain already tight household budgets.

Instead of treating upkeep as a routine cost of ownership, more Americans are waiting until something breaks completely, then scrambling to cover the damage. I see a pattern emerging in the data: a record share of households are delaying repairs at the exact moment when labor, materials, insurance and property taxes are all pushing the price of those repairs sharply higher.

The new normal: most homeowners are now putting repairs on hold

The first thing that jumps out in the recent research is how widespread this hesitation has become. Earlier this year, a national survey found that 71% of homeowners postponed home repairs in 2025, a striking majority that signals a cultural shift in how people are managing their properties. A separate Study reached the same figure, reporting that 71% of homeowners are putting off maintenance and repairs that ultimately cost them thousands. When two different data sets land on the same number, it suggests this is not a fringe behavior but the dominant one.

Other polling reinforces that picture. One report found that Nearly 60% of U.S. Homeowners Are Putting Off Home Repairs Due to Cost, Survey Says, underscoring that price is the main driver of delay. That same Survey, led by Kristina Zagame, highlights how households are trimming spending on improvements as they juggle climate risks and rising insurance premiums. Taken together, the numbers show that repair procrastination has moved from exception to norm, with cost pressures at the center of the story.

Why people wait: financial stress, hidden costs and “repair hesitation”

Behind those statistics are households that feel squeezed from multiple directions. A detailed analysis of financially strained owners found that More than 40% of homeowners said they have already paid for major repairs that could have been avoided with earlier maintenance, a clear sign that delay is not saving money. Yet the same report shows that many of these owners are still putting off essential work because they simply do not have the cash or credit to act sooner. When a roof patch competes with groceries or a car payment, the roof often loses.

Part of the problem is that people underestimate what it really costs to keep a home in working order. New data from Zillow shows that Insurance, maintenance and property tax can cost the average homeowner $15,979 per year, a figure that catches many first‑time buyers off guard. That $15,979 burden, which can climb toward $22,000 in high‑cost markets, helps explain why so many owners experience what one guide calls Repair hesitation. When you are already paying more than expected for taxes and Insurance, it is tempting to push off that flickering breaker panel or spongy deck board until “later.”

Home Maintenance Procrastination: from small leak to big crisis

What starts as a minor delay can quickly turn into a structural problem. A detailed look at Home Maintenance Procrastination: A Growing Crisis Among Homeowners describes how American owners often ignore early warning signs, such as a small roof leak or a bit of peeling caulk, until the damage spreads. In one example, a simple repair that might have cost a few hundred dollars if handled promptly ballooned into a task costing $5,650 to complete after water seeped into insulation and framing. That pattern repeats across systems: a slow drip becomes mold remediation, a loose handrail becomes a liability claim, a clogged gutter becomes a foundation crack.

I see this as a behavioral issue as much as a financial one. The same report on Home Maintenance Procrastination notes that American homeowners often feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of tasks, so they defer decisions until something fails outright. That tendency pairs badly with the current cost environment, where every month of delay can mean higher material prices and more extensive labor. When procrastination meets inflation, the result is a growing crisis among homeowners who thought they were saving money by waiting.

Repairs are getting pricier: inflation, labor shortages and market shifts

Even if owners wanted to stay ahead of problems, the price of doing so is climbing. Analysts tracking construction and service trades point to Inflation and Labor Shortages as the most obvious factors behind rising repair bills. As inflation persists, everything from asphalt shingles to copper wiring costs more, while a shortage of skilled electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians pushes hourly rates higher. Although the Federal Reserve has tried to cool price growth, the lag in construction labor supply means homeowners are still paying a premium when they need to call in a professional.

Another analysis framed it bluntly: As inflation persists and labor markets stay tight, home repairs in 2025 are becoming more expensive, if not the most ideal time to tackle big projects. That means the same roof replacement or sewer line job costs significantly more than it did just a few years ago, even before factoring in any extra damage from delay. For owners already wrestling with the hidden $15,979 per year in Insurance, maintenance and property tax, these higher project costs make it even harder to justify preventive work, which in turn feeds the cycle of postponement.

What homeowners are actually postponing

When people talk about “putting off repairs,” they are not just skipping cosmetic upgrades. Survey data shows that owners are triaging their homes, focusing on what they see as absolutely necessary and letting other systems age in place. One national poll found that What repairs are homeowners postponing tends to fall into big‑ticket categories: 69% saying they prioritize necessary upgrades while delaying projects like HVAC replacement, window updates or roof work until the economy improves. That 69% figure suggests that even when owners know a system is near the end of its life, they are willing to gamble on one more season rather than lock in a five‑figure bill today.

Other surveys echo that pattern, with Nearly 60% of U.S. Homeowners Are Putting Off Home Repairs Due to Cost, Survey Says highlighting how owners are spending less on improvements and more on simply keeping up with mortgage payments and everyday expenses. In practice, that can mean living with drafty 1980s windows, a 20‑year‑old water heater or a roof that has already outlived its warranty. The risk is that when these systems finally fail, they do so catastrophically, forcing emergency spending that wipes out savings or drives people deeper into debt.

The compounding effect: when delay meets rising “hidden” costs

What makes this moment particularly fraught is the way multiple cost pressures stack on top of each other. The same Zillow research that pegged hidden ownership costs at $15,979 per year also noted that Insurance premiums have surged in many markets, especially those exposed to wildfire, hurricanes or flooding.

Buyers are entering a market that is shifting toward “buyers’ markets” while underestimating the ongoing expenses that come after closing. When those recurring bills climb, the discretionary space for preventive maintenance shrinks.

At the same time, the behavioral patterns described in Home Maintenance Procrastination and the financial strain captured in the More than 40% of homeowners who have paid for avoidable major repairs create a feedback loop. Owners feel squeezed by Insurance, maintenance and property tax, so they delay work. That delay leads to larger failures, which then show up as big, unexpected bills that further destabilize their finances. I see this compounding effect as the real story behind the headline: not just that people are waiting on repairs, but that they are doing so in an environment where every year of waiting makes the eventual fix more expensive and more disruptive.

How homeowners can break the cycle

There is no easy way to erase the cost of home upkeep, but the reporting does point to strategies that can blunt the damage. Financial planners often recommend setting aside a fixed percentage of a home’s value each year for maintenance, and the guidance on How much you should allocate to repairs emphasizes building that line item into the household budget rather than treating it as an afterthought. For a $400,000 home, even a 1 percent rule of thumb would mean planning for $4,000 a year, which is still below the $15,979 average when Insurance and property tax are included but at least gives owners a starting point.

I also see a case for reframing maintenance as a way to protect future borrowing power and resale value. The Study that found 71% of homeowners delaying work and the survey showing Nearly 60% putting off repairs due to Cost both make clear that today’s decisions will shape tomorrow’s appraisals and inspection reports. A house with a well‑maintained roof, updated electrical panel and serviced HVAC system is more likely to attract buyers and favorable financing terms, even in a market drifting toward buyers’ markets. In that sense, every small repair tackled now is not just an expense, but an investment in avoiding the far steeper costs that come when procrastination finally collides with reality.