What’s Driving Home Care Costs? New Insights From Our Home Care Price Index
Jack Erb•Thumbtack's Economist •Last updated Jul 15, 2025
Last updated Jul 15, 2025
Data from our report shows continued increase in the annual cost of essential home maintenance projects.
Each quarter, we release new data from our Home Care Price Index\*, an estimate of the annual cost of maintaining a home using hired professionals in cities across the country. We calculate this based on data from more than one million home projects completed on Thumbtack that are essential to keep your home running smoothly and avoid costly repairs.
This past quarter, the average annual cost to maintain a single-family home increased 5.04% year-over-year to $10,593. Yet there’s been a significant slowdown quarter-over-quarter, with costs up only 1.15% from Q3.
Year-over-year the average annual costs to maintain a townhome and condo are also up, increasing 4.31% and 2.91% respectively to $8,759 and $3,258.
We also took a look at how maintenance costs are changing across different categories. Here’s what we found.
Harsh weather drives up costs.
Harsh weather conditions are likely contributing to a rise in home maintenance costs. This is particularly evident in areas that have experienced extreme weather events such as droughts, hurricanes, and severe storms.
The increased frequency and intensity of these events have resulted in a surge in demand for services like tree trimming and removal, which saw a significant 11.84% increase year-over-year. This rise can be attributed in part (42%) to the need to remove damaged or fallen trees, as well as to mitigate future risks by proactively trimming trees near homes and power lines (47%).
Similarly, roof repairs and maintenance costs have risen by 11.16% in part due to damage caused by strong winds, hail, and heavy rainfall — 18% of requests were for repairing entire portions of the roof. Pest control services also saw a 10.55% increase — primarily for rodents (42%) and cockroaches (28%).
On the other hand, some home maintenance costs have decreased. Lawn mowing costs are down 5.22%. While duct and vent cleaning costs have also decreased by 4.05%, potentially due to increased awareness of the importance of indoor air quality and preventative maintenance.
U.S. cities see slower cost inflation, with few exceptions.
The U.S. has seen slower cost inflation for home upkeep, with 11 out of 30 major cities seeing a decrease in annual home maintenance costs compared to last quarter. Among them, Sacramento led with a drop of 2.41% quarter-over-quarter. San Francisco followed closely with a 2.3% decrease, and Chicago saw a decline of 1.15%.
Furthermore, several cities witnessed significant year-over-year decreases in home maintenance costs. Washington DC experienced a substantial 5.75% drop, Los Angeles saw a 5.25% decrease, and Chicago had a 3.46% decline. As a result, the annual cost of home maintenance in these cities now stands at $9,903, $10,703, and $10,006, respectively. These decreases could be due to various factors, such as changes in labor costs, material prices, or local housing market conditions.
In contrast, Seattle stands out with a significant 11.20% increase in home maintenance costs year-over-year. This surge pushed the annual cost of home upkeep in Seattle to $13,054. Notably, Seattle was the only city to see a double-digit increase, highlighting unique circumstances affecting its housing market.
Homeowners place a year-end emphasis on routine upkeep.
Homeowners rushed to get urgent home projects done in Q4. In December, certain home services saw drastic spikes in costs — most notably heating system and water heater maintenance, as well as fireplace and chimney cleaning (up 40.40%, 36.87%, 35.86%, respectively). The need for quick repairs and maintenance during the winter, especially around the holidays, likely forced homeowners to pay extra for expedited service, which drove up prices.
And homeowners took a proactive approach to home maintenance. Outdoor home services were especially popular with homeowners last quarter. In fact, window cleaning projects spiked by 101% year-over-year, while tree trimming and pressure washing projects jumped by 81% and 62%, respectively. Additionally, homeowners had maintenance projects on their minds: installing smart thermostats, cleaning dryer vents, vacuuming refrigerator coils, and upgrading HVAC systems were among the most planned projects on Thumbtack in Q4.
2025 Prediction: Continued investment in home maintenance.
2025 promises to be a year where homeowners double down on maintenance and upkeep. Driven by a desire to protect their investments and maximize home values, homeowners are taking a proactive approach to home care.
By focusing on seasonal maintenance, homeowners can ensure they remain in top condition. This not only prevents costly repairs and extends the lifespan of home systems but also enhances safety, comfort, and overall home value.
As cities across the United States lead the charge in home maintenance, it’s clear that investing in upkeep is a cornerstone of responsible homeownership.
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Methodology: The Home Care Price Index incorporates Thumbtack categories that are deemed essential annual tasks for home maintenance, taking into account the frequency with which projects need to be completed. We also added additional maintenance projects to create a more in-depth picture of best practices for home maintenance.
Pricing data is based on nearly 3 million projects requested on Thumbtack between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2024 reported directly by the independent service professional or individual customer. The cost is a weighted index of home maintenance projects, based on recommended yearly frequency, on a quarterly basis using a moving average. Outliers were removed if the reported price was 3x the standard deviation from the mean within each individual category. Regional reporting is based on the pricing data for requests in that specific geographic area. For regional data, if there were not enough pricing estimates for a specific category, national averages were used instead.
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