7 in 10 homeowners delayed repairs last year. That could cost 4x more in 2026

7 in 10 homeowners delayed repairs last year. That could cost 4x more in 2026

A new report from HouseCall Pro revealed that 71% of homeowners delayed at least one repair last year, a decision that can make a small maintenance issue a much more costly problem.

Research on deferred maintenance shows that for every $1 of repair work put off now, a homeowner might be looking at costs of $4 or more down the line, depending on the system, time frame, and level of damage.

As The Roofer Bros Construction, a Los Angeles-based roofing and construction company, observed, this math is getting harder to justify in 2026 as contractor costs rise and material costs remain stubbornly high while insurance companies adjust coverage on aging homes.

Why Homeowners Wait

For many homeowners, postponing maintenance is a practical choice driven by tight finances. For a lot of people, a stained roof, a slow leak, clogged gutters, or an aging HVAC system are less important than buying food, the insurance bill, the doctor's visit, or the car bill. As long as the home is livable, it can wait.

It’s no surprise that, according to the same HouseCall Pro report, 77% of homeowners are postponing home projects or taking them off their lists because prices are escalating and there is financial uncertainty. Specifically, 59% reported not being able to afford repairs at the time of the survey.

This is the difficult reality of deferred maintenance. A $300-$400 repair can easily be put off, but when that same repair is $15,000, you no longer have the luxury of choice.

In many cases, homeowners seriously underestimate how much owning a home costs. In a 2026 Synchrony study, homeowners underestimate the lifetime home maintenance and repair bill by more than $250,000. This disparity helps to account for deferring routine maintenance.

Part of the problem is psychological, not just financial. "Humans in general aren't trained to do if-then thinking," said Jeff Adams, a real estate investing strategist at Home Investors Zone. "We'd rather spend $400 on entertainment as opposed to shelling out the money for an expensive home repair that doesn't bring immediate personal gratification." Adams points to what he calls an intention-action gap. Homeowners make a mental list of repairs, then get pulled toward what's easier or more pressing in the moment. "The future is abstract and more difficult to visualize versus living in the present," he said.

The 4x Multiplier: What Waiting Actually Costs

The actual financial risk isn't merely that it's usually more expensive to repair something later but that it often turns into a different type of repair entirely.

Take a small roof leak, for example. It may start with something minor, such as a flashing, sealant, or shingle problem. If left alone, the damage can spread beyond the original repair. Water can seep past the roofing materials, into the decking and insulation, then into the interior walls, attacking the drywall and framing. At that point, the repair is no longer just the roof; it now includes water damage, mold, and structural repair, easily totaling over $15,000.

Similarly, a gutter that is not cleaned can quickly turn into more than a drainage problem. Water begins working behind the siding and fascia boards, leading to interior moisture or basement flooding. In more serious cases, water infiltration can damage the foundation, which could result in a $25,000 repair bill.

The best way to avoid this situation is to replace roofs before they are too old, and to keep copies of inspections and work orders on file. Once a roof reaches 15 to 20 years, major insurers begin to offer fewer coverage options and place higher limits on what they're willing to insure, meaning a delayed repair doesn't just cost more to fix; it can also affect what protection a homeowner has access to in the first place.

This is why the cost multiplier counts. The Facilio Deferred Maintenance Report indicates that each dollar of deferred maintenance may equal several dollars in costs of repair or replacement. In many cases, the scenario is the same: the original problem does not go away. It comes back with added damage, urgency, and fewer available options.

Why 2026 Is the Worst Year to Be in Delay Mode

Homeowners are facing greater pressure than ever to address home repairs. It has become harder for homeowners to justify waiting, especially considering broader trends across the repair market. A 2026 contractor outlook reported that 72% of contractors anticipate raising their rates in 2026. Only 18% identified increased demand as the reason.

Materials, labor, and inflation are instead larger drivers, meaning homeowners are unlikely to find relief by waiting for rates to drop. Tariff-affected materials are likely to see an additional 15% to 20% increase, creating yet another factor of cost uncertainty.

Labor costs are moving in a similar direction. A fall 2025 labor market report from Home Builders Institute stated that nonsupervisory wages in construction rose 9.2% year over year. That increase is passed to homeowners through estimates. Waiting can increase the cost, though. Seventy-two percent of homeowners are willing to pay a premium for a repair within 24 hours, according to HouseCall Pro data.

A scheduled repair allows homeowners to get multiple estimates, select materials, and schedule the service around the weather. A damaged roof, a nonfunctioning furnace, or a leaking water heater eliminates those options.

The Insurance Twist

Insurance adds another layer of complexity that many homeowners do not see coming. Some companies are shifting older (over 10 to 15 years) roofs from replacement cost value (RCV) to actual cash value (ACV), which means the insurance company will pay less, based on how depreciated the roof has become. The financial difference can be quite significant: a $14,000 roof replacement may net the homeowner only $3,000–$5,000 after depreciation.

Higher deductibles can reduce the amount of money the homeowner ultimately receives. The average home insurance deductible rose 22% in 2025. Additionally, insurers are employing sophisticated roof-inspection techniques, using AI, satellite imagery, and drones to assess roof condition during policy renewals, meaning an aging or visibly deteriorating roof can trigger a coverage downgrade before the homeowner is even aware there is an issue.

Real Estate Bees’s strategic insurance advisor, Anthony Verreos, believes homeowners don't realize just how much they can control before a claim happens: "Maintain your property as best you can with the fact that you may need to file an insurance claim, and you'll likely have an easier time insuring it. If your home or rental property is well-maintained, it's much easier for the insurance company to provide a low-cost insurance policy for you."

Not all older roofs will be changed from replacement cost coverage, and outcomes vary by insurer, state, and cause of damage. However, homeowners who believe insurance will cover all eventual damages might be surprised to learn how much roof age, condition, depreciation, and deductibles reduce the final reimbursement.

What Homeowners Can Do Now

The lesson, experts say, is not that any repairs must be addressed in a rush. Homeowners must distinguish cosmetic work from problems with a high delay penalty. A roof, gutters, HVAC, or water heater warrants high priority due to their potential to cause damage.

"There is a painful reality for homeowners who live in a world of rising living expenses, interest rates, and economic uncertainty," said Elena Novak, lead real estate analyst at Property Checker. "The rule of thumb is that if the repair is a matter of safety, a water issue, or is a problem that is going to worsen and call for a repair of a structural nature, the cost will only go up if it is left for a later date."

Novak advises homeowners who may feel overwhelmed by the extent or cost of repairs to approach the issue from a different perspective altogether by breaking down the larger problem into smaller steps. According to her, "A simple and logical approach is usually helpful in motivating homeowners." As an example, an annual roof inspection for approximately $300-$400 would be less expensive than waiting until there is actually damage done to the roof when water gets into the house.

Another important consideration for any homeowner is to check their insurance renewal policy to determine how the coverage is calculated for a new roof and to understand if it is covered using replacement costs or actual cash value. Homeowners delaying repairs this year may want to start by assessing where the problems are and whether they can wait, or whether such issues could become significantly more costly, disruptive, or even uninsurable if ignored.

Methodology

In the 2025 Home Service Spending Report, HouseCall Pro surveyed 1,000 homeowners in the U.S. to determine their habits, decisions, and concerns regarding home repairs. All survey data was collected via an online survey. Additional information was referenced from the Facilio Deferred Maintenance Report, a 2026 Synchrony Financial study on homeownership costs, a 2025 HBI Labor Market Report, and publicly available contractor price surveys.

This story was produced by The Roofer Bros Construction and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.