The Great Repair Deficit: Homeowners Are Falling Behind
Kendra Sinclair•Thumbtack’s Home Design Trends Expert•Last updated Apr 30, 2026
Last updated Apr 30, 2026
Table of Contents
- Repair needs are growing
- Repairs are getting more expensive and delays drive costs even higher
- The repair backlog is taking an emotional toll
- Unexpected repairs are forcing difficult financial tradeoffs
- Climate pressures are accelerating the repair cycle
- DIY is widespread, but often leads to higher costs
American homes need more work than ever, and homeowners are struggling to keep up. Thumbtack’s 2026 State of American Homes Report, based on insights from 1,000 homeowners and 500 home service pros, points to a growing imbalance: when homeowners can’t diagnose, prioritize, or act on repairs quickly, small issues don’t stay small. This is what we’re seeing play out as the “repair deficit,” a widening gap between what homes need and what actually gets done.
Repair needs are growing
Repairs have become a near-constant reality for homeowners. In the past 12 months alone, 94% have noticed issues in their homes, with nearly one in four dealing with repair needs at least monthly. This steady drumbeat of issues is changing how people experience homeownership. Homes aren’t set-it-and-forget-it assets. They require ongoing attention, often at a pace that feels difficult to match.As needs increase, confidence is moving in the opposite direction. 44% of homeowners say they’re more worried about repairs now than they were a year ago, signaling a growing gap between awareness and action.
Repairs are getting more expensive and delays drive costs even higher
As repair needs increase, so do costs. The top 20 repair categories on Thumbtack have risen 22% in price on average over the past five years. The most expensive repairs are foundations ($6,174), decks and porches ($3,899), solar panels ($2,946), and stairs ($2,402). In some cities, the problem is especially acute.
At these price points, it makes sense to hesitate. Over a third of homeowners cite financial constraints as the top reason for delaying repairs — not because they don’t recognize the issue, but because acting on it feels increasingly out of reach. The result is a growing backlog.
Delays don’t just defer costs, they can amplify them. Nearly two-thirds of homeowners end up paying more simply because they waited. For example, a small crack in a deck can let in moisture, leading to wood rot and structural damage. What starts as a simple fix can quickly become a much larger, more expensive project.
The repair backlog is taking an emotional toll
The repair deficit isn’t just financial. It’s deeply personal, with nearly 1 in 3 homeowners saying the emotional impact is the worst part of repairs, ranking above cost and time.
Unresolved repairs create constant background stress. The emotional weight can also reinforce delays, making it harder to take the first step toward resolving the problem and deepening the cycle over time.
Unexpected repairs are forcing difficult financial tradeoffs
In some cases, an emergency leaves homeowners no choice, forcing them to scrape the money together. Unfortunately, this isn’t an uncommon occurrence. Over half of repair requests on Thumbtack require immediate help within 48 hours. Unexpected issues, like a failed water heater or sudden leak, require immediate decisions, often with limited flexibility on cost or timing. Median spending for an unexpected repair was $600, rising to a staggering $18,737 for the top 10% of such jobs.
It’s not only repairs that are taking a bite out of the budget. The average annual cost of home care has risen to $11,175. Preventative care remains one of the most effective ways to reduce long-term costs, but it’s also one of the easiest areas to defer when budgets are tight.
Climate pressures are accelerating the repair cycle
Climate pressures are adding a new layer of complexity to home maintenance. What was once considered occasional weather-related damage is becoming a more consistent driver of repair needs. Homeowners estimate that one-third of their current repair needs are climate-related, and 57% report completing at least one climate-related repair in the past year.
As a result, climate resilience is increasingly becoming part of routine home maintenance, rather than a separate or reactive category.
DIY is widespread, but often leads to higher costs
As costs rise, homeowners are increasingly trying to solve problems themselves, with nearly two-thirds (63%) attempting DIY repairs.
But confidence doesn’t always translate to accuracy. More than half of homeowners admit to misjudging repair severity, and only 22% feel very confident distinguishing cosmetic from urgent issues.
While DIY can feel like a cost-saving measure, when the diagnosis is off, it often leads to more expensive fixes later.
The repair backlog isn’t just getting bigger — it’s also getting messier. Across the country, different forces are driving the same outcome: more repairs, higher costs, and more pressure on homeowners. In some regions, the challenge is financial, with homeowners delaying repairs they know they need. In others, it’s environmental, as climate-related damage becomes a steady driver of new issues. And in the highest-cost markets, even routine repairs are becoming harder to absorb.
What emerges is a shift in what homeownership looks like in America. The cost, urgency, and frequency of repairs are no longer consistent, and they’re increasingly shaped by where you live. As those pressures intensify, the gap between what homes need and what homeowners can keep up with continues to widen.
The bottom line: closing the repair gap starts with confidence
The great repair deficit goes beyond deferred maintenance. Across every stage of the process, one theme is clear: homeowners are not just lacking time or budget, they are lacking clarity.
Clarity on what is wrong. Clarity on how urgent it is. Clarity on what it will take to fix. When those questions go unanswered, delays become more likely and more costly. Going forward, homeownership will reward people who can act early and decisively. The biggest opportunities aren’t in just fixing homes, but in helping homeowners understand them.
For homeowners, the takeaway is clear: small actions taken sooner can prevent larger, more expensive problems later. And for the industry, the path forward lies in making home repair more transparent, approachable, and actionable from the start.
Methodology:
1,000 U.S. Homeowners (aged 18–65) were surveyed on February 18, 2026. 500 Home Service Professionals (aged 21+) were surveyed from February 18 to February 21, 2026. Both samples were confirmed by consumer-matched data and user self-confirmation. DKC Analytics conducted and analyzed the survey using a sample procured through the Pollfish survey delivery platform. No post-stratification has been applied to the results. Margin of error is 3.1% for the homeowner sample and 4.4% for the home service professional sample.Repair cost and volume are calculated from repair projects requested on Thumbtack in 2025. The average price estimates are based on prices reported directly by the independent service professional or individual customer. For five-year cost increase estimates, we compared 2025 averages to 2020 averages. Regional cost reporting is based on the pricing data for requests in that specific geographic area. Regional project volume is adjusted based on population size to get per-capita estimates. The average annual cost of home care is based on Thumbtack’s Home Care Price Index, which incorporates Thumbtack categories that are deemed essential annual tasks for home maintenance.*The average expected annual financial loss per home from climate events, calculated by region, with highest-risk areas determined using FEMA’s National Risk Index. All other data is sourced as described above.
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