Maintenance Capex Forecast Calculator

Reliable capex forecasting prevents year-6 surprises. This calculator forecasts 5-year capex based on age and replacement cycles.

Annual capex per unit (baseline)

Annual inflation

Unit count

5-year capex total

$216,653

Year 1

$40,000

Year 5

$46,794

Per unit year 5

$468

How the math works

5-year total = Σ (baseline × units × (1 + inflation)^year). Inflation compounds.

A $400/unit/year baseline on a 100-unit property with 4% inflation = $216k over 5 years. Plan reserves accordingly.

How to Use

Enter annual capex baseline per unit.
Enter expected inflation.
Enter unit count.
Read 5-year cumulative capex.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to estimate baseline?

Start with property-specific reserve study. If none, use $250-$500/door/year for multifamily; $500-$1000/1000 SF for commercial. Older buildings need 30-50% more.

What's in capex?

Roof replacement, parking lot reseal, HVAC, water heaters, flooring, windows, interior refreshes. NOT: routine maintenance, painting, landscaping (those are operating expense).

How accurate?

Projections are rough. Use for budgeting, not precision. Conduct a PCA (property condition assessment) every 5 years to update actual needs.

What does competitive benchmarking look like?

Pull 3-5 comparable properties or units in your submarket from CoStar, Yardi, CIM, or your local broker. Normalize by unit type, class, and age. Your outputs should fall within one standard deviation of the comp-set mean. Outliers are either opportunities or warning signs — dig into why. Monthly benchmarking keeps your portfolio on-market and pricing sharp.