Home Maintenance Plans in Fort Collins
Most expensive house problems started as a cheap one that nobody looked at. Two half days a year, spring and autumn, at $340 each, working a checklist instead of waiting for something to break.
This is the only thing I sell that is not a repair. It is the alternative to repairs.
The economics
Almost every expensive house problem has a cheap ancestor. Water in a foundation started as an overflowing gutter. Rot behind tile started as a split bead of caulk. A laundry room fire started as a dryer vent nobody had cleared in six years.
None of those are hard to prevent. They are just easy to forget, because nothing about them is urgent until it is very urgent.
Two visits, and why those two
Spring. After the cottonwood drop, which fills gutters here in a way leaves never do, and after a winter of freeze and thaw has opened up caulk, moved fence posts and popped deck boards. This visit is about finding what winter did.
Autumn. After the leaves are down and before the first hard freeze. This is the more important of the two, because it is the one standing between you and ice dams, frozen problems and a winter of draughts.
What actually gets done
The default half day covers:
- Gutters cleared, downspouts flushed and flow confirmed
- Dryer vent cleared and airflow checked at the outside hood
- Exterior caulk and weatherstripping checked, renewed where it has failed
- Every interior door checked for latching, hinges tightened, strike plates adjusted
- Bathroom and kitchen caulk inspected and replaced where it has gone
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors tested and batteries changed
- A written note of anything found that needs more than the visit allows
That list is a sensible default, not a fixed menu. It is your half day. If your gutters are guarded and you would rather I spent the time on doors and caulk, say so.
The written note is the real product
The half day of work is worth having. The list of what I found and how urgent it is, is worth more.
That is where you find out the deck ledger needs a contractor before next summer, or that a window seal has gone, or that the caulk in the main bathroom has about a season left. Knowing that in October, with time to plan and get quotes, is a completely different situation from finding out in February when it is already a problem.
No contract
No lock-in, no cancellation fee, nothing that auto-renews. Two half days booked ahead at $340 each, or $640 for both booked together. Stop whenever you like.
What is included
- A scheduled half day in spring and another in autumn, booked ahead so it actually happens.
- Gutters cleared and downspouts flushed, single storey.
- Dryer vent cleared and airflow checked.
- Exterior caulk and weatherstripping checked and renewed where it has failed.
- Every door checked for latching and adjusted, plus hinges tightened.
- Bathroom and kitchen caulk inspected and replaced where it has gone.
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries changed and units tested.
- A written note of anything found that needs more than the visit allows.
What it costs
| Job | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spring visit, half day | $340 | After the cottonwood, before summer |
| Autumn visit, half day | $340 | After leaf drop, before the freeze |
| Both visits, booked together | $640 | Saves $40 and locks the dates |
| Upgrade a visit to a full day | +$300 | If the list has grown |
| Materials | cost + 25% | Or buy them yourself |
Full rates, block pricing and the minimum call-out are on the pricing page.
What I do not do here
- Anything on the list of work I do not take on.
- Materials, which are cost plus 25% or free if you buy them.
- Emergency call-outs. This is scheduled work, not a service contract.
- Two storey gutter work.
- Guaranteed same-week response outside the scheduled visits.
Who to call instead: the relevant licensed trade for anything the visit turns up that is outside my scope. Finding it early is most of the value.
The full list is on what I do not do.
How it works
- Send a photo. Text or email a picture. Most jobs get priced without a site visit.
- Get a flat price. Written and fixed before I start.
- I show up and finish. On the day I said, parts in the truck, swept up after.
Why a solo operator
The same person quotes the job, does the job and cleans up after it. There is no call centre, no dispatcher and no rotating crew who have not seen your house. The price you were given is the price, because the person who quoted it is the person holding the tools.
Related work
Home maintenance plans questions
Is this a contract?
No. There is no lock-in, no cancellation fee and no auto-renewal. It is two half days booked in advance because scheduled work is the only kind that actually happens. Stop whenever you want.
What if you find something big?
You get told, in writing, with an honest view of urgency. If it is inside my scope I will quote it separately rather than rushing it into the half day. If it needs a licensed trade, I will say so and tell you what to ask for. Finding it in October rather than February is most of the point.
Is it cheaper than booking jobs as they come up?
For the work itself, roughly the same. The saving is in what does not happen: the gutter that never overflowed into the foundation, the caulk that never let water behind the tile, the dryer vent that never became a fire. It is insurance you can see being done.
Why spring and autumn?
They are the two moments in a Colorado year that matter. Spring, after the cottonwood drop and the winter freeze-thaw has done its damage. Autumn, after the leaves are down and before the first hard freeze, which is the visit that stops most winter problems.
Can I change what is on the list?
Yes. The checklist is a sensible default, not a fixed menu. If your gutters are guarded and you would rather I spent that time on doors and caulk, that is your half day to direct.