Is a home maintenance plan worth it?

A home maintenance plan is often worth it if you have a running list of small fixes and little time to get to them. It is less useful if you enjoy doing small jobs yourself or your home has very few needs.

Small problems tend to grow when they sit. Cracked caulk can let water get behind a tub. Worn weatherstripping lets outside air in all winter. A dirty air filter makes your heating and cooling system work harder. A plan puts these jobs on a schedule, so they get done each season instead of after something breaks.

Before you sign up for any plan, ask a few questions. How many visits do you get, and how long is each one? What is included, and what is not? Are materials extra? How do you cancel? A good plan answers all of these in writing. It also helps to get a record of each visit, like photos, so you can see what was done.

Our Quarter Round Plan is $60 a month or $179 a quarter. It includes four seasonal visits a year with two hours of labor each, plus a photo report after every visit. Members get 10% off bigger projects. Materials are billed separately, and you can cancel with 30 days notice. We do not do electrical, plumbing, HVAC repair or roofing. If you want to see how it works, the plan page lays out each seasonal visit.