How it works
How this tool works.
The expenses that wreck a rental’s cash flow are rarely the monthly ones — they’re the roof, the furnace, the water heater that all seem to fail in the same bad year. A capital-expenditure reserve is the standard defense: instead of absorbing a five-figure surprise, you set aside a steady monthly amount so the money is already there when the component gives out.
This calculator sizes that set-aside from your own list. Add a row for each big-ticket component with what it will cost to replace and how many years away you think that is — the starting rows are editable examples, not lifespan guidance. The tool spreads each cost over its timeline and sums them into one suggested monthly number. It’s planning arithmetic on your assumptions, nothing more.
List each big-ticket component — roof, HVAC, water heater, appliances, whatever applies to your property.
For each row, enter the replacement cost and the number of years until you expect to replace it. Contractor quotes and inspection reports are the best sources for both.
The tool computes cost ÷ years ÷ 12 for each row and sums them into a suggested monthly set-aside.
Revisit the list after every inspection — as timelines shorten or quotes change, the monthly number changes with them.