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Apples-to-Apples Normalization

Stop comparing
$2,400 to $8,500.

Sticker prices lie. The only honest comparison divides total cost by total years — and once you do, the answer is sometimes the opposite of what you thought.

Repair
$2,400 ÷ 6 yrs
= $400/yr
Replace
$8,500 ÷ 20 yrs
= $425/yr

Repair looks 71% cheaper on the sticker — but at $400/yr vs $425/yr, the gap is razor-thin and tilts on remaining life.

Which components cost the most per year?

Cost-per-year reshuffles the rankings. The cheapest sticker isn’t always the cheapest annualized — and the most expensive replacement might actually be the bargain.

Low burn
< $300/yr
Roof, foundation, garage door
Mid burn
$300–$700/yr
Water heater, dishwasher, washer/dryer
High burn
> $700/yr
HVAC, furnace, kitchen appliances

The math, four lines.

Subtraction, addition, division. No discount rates. No surprises.

#
Formula
Plugged in
01
repair_total = repair_cost + (annual_maint × remaining_life)
$2,400
02
repair_per_year = repair_total ÷ remaining_life
$400/yr
03
replace_total = replace_cost + (annual_maint × new_lifespan)
$8,500
04
replace_per_year = replace_total ÷ new_lifespan
$425/yr

The lower per-year number wins — but the verdict engine also weights remaining life, condition, and ROI before declaring a winner.

Find Your Crossover Year

Run any component through the cost-per-year normalizer and see exactly when replacement starts winning.

Get Started