93% of homeowners delay HVAC & plumbing repairs—here’s why you shouldn’t

• A recent survey found that homeowners often delay plumbing and HVAC repairs, waiting a month on average.
• Delaying repairs for six months or more can more than double the cost compared to fixing an issue within a week.
• A home warranty can help manage repair costs by covering breakdowns from normal wear and tear for a monthly fee and service charge.

A clogged drain or a leaky faucet may not seem like a big deal, but when left unchecked, these minor problems can turn into costly disasters.

SupplyHouse, a nationwide online supplier of plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical supplies, surveyed 1,001 U.S. homeowners to learn more about their plumbing and HVAC repair habits. What they found? Homeowners are more likely to delay a home repair, especially when cost is a concern.

Yet, waiting to make those repairs can end up costing more than double what it would have cost to make the fix in the first week.

Here's why delaying home repairs, particularly HVAC and plumbing, can lead to an even bigger homeowner headache.

Why homeowners wait to make home repairs

Homeowners wait one month, on average, to fix minor plumbing issues, according to the study by SupplyHouse.

If you're among the third of Americans who pick up the phone the second a home system goes awry, then you are the smart ones. Most people choose to push off the problem, or actively ignore it, until it becomes a much bigger issue.

In fact, 40% of those who wait will only call for help if they notice the problem escalating, and nearly 20% only called for repairs when the system stopped working entirely.

The rationale? It's much easier to push off a repair when it doesn't seem as serious, particularly when 71% of homeowners decide a DIY attempt is worth it before calling in a pro.

The "it's not so serious" group was wrong more often than not. Of the 64% of homeowners who assumed HVAC or plumbing problems were nonissues, more than half of those problems became significantly worse and needed significant repairs. The DIYers weren't much more successful, as half of those attempts were either useless or made the problem even worse.

The impact of income and age

Unsurprisingly, annual household income and age also played a role.

DIY attempts were much more common among younger homeowners, with 76% of both millennial and Gen Z groups attempting DIY before anything else. If annual household income was between $75,000 and $99,999, homeowners were more likely to fix the problem themselves. When household income rose to $150,000 or more, nearly half of those homeowners called for help right away.

What happens when home repairs are delayed

When home repairs are delayed, the bill gets bigger. The longer you wait, the more expensive the problem becomes.

SupplyHouse's survey found that when homeowners acted within a week of noticing an HVAC or plumbing problem, their average repair cost was $380. But when they pushed off those repairs for six months or more, that bill more than doubled to an average of $868. That's almost $500 more than what they may have paid if they addressed the issue right away.

That cost doesn't account for any DIY attempts, increased water bills from leaky plumbing or other associated costs. So, the money lost could be even more.

How homeowners paid for repairs

Not everyone has emergency funds available to pay for surprise home repairs, and 44% of all homeowners surveyed used credit cards, loans, payment plans, or borrowed from family or friends to pay for a home repair. That percentage reached closer to half when the repair was delayed a month or more.

How a home warranty can help you save money on home repairs

Home repairs don't have to be stressful, nor do they need to be something that's pushed off because of cost concerns. "When HVAC or plumbing systems age, they fail, resulting in costs that can add up quickly, a home warranty can help cover those breakdowns caused by normal wear and tear over time," says Santiago Vazquez, a customer experience director at Oncourse Home Solutions.

With a home warranty, you can have a technician out to your home for the cost of the service fee, and potentially pay nothing more out of pocket. "Instead of being hit with large surprise repair bills, homeowners know they have coverage in place and a defined service fee if something goes wrong," Vazquez adds. Most home warranties cost $40 to $60 per month and cover the cost to repair HVAC and plumbing systems when they break down because of normal wear and tear.

• Homeowners are covered up to $2,000 to $3,000 per system, sometimes more (like with American Home Shield).
• When a covered home system or appliance breaks, you contact your home warranty company and they send someone out for you.
• If the repair is covered, you only need to pay the service call fee ($75 on average). This is a fee you'll pay for any technician to come out to your home whether you have a home warranty or not.

"A home warranty can also help reduce stress in situations where one of the biggest hassles is finding a reliable contractor at a fair price," says Vazquez. "With a home warranty, there’s already a system in place to connect homeowners with a licensed professional, which can make the repair process feel more manageable."

HVAC home warranty coverage

Home warranties cover all your major HVAC systems, including:

• Ducted central electric split and package units
• Geothermal units (depends on the provider)
• Evaporative coolers
• Wall air conditioners
• Ductless mini-splits
• Window air conditioners (depends on the provider)

If you need a full replacement, a home warranty will often cover all or most of that cost. However, the unit will more than likely be similar to your current unit. The only upgrade you can expect is for energy efficiency. You may get a new unit with a higher energy efficiency rating (SEER, EER or HSPF) in order to remain compliant with regional standards (14 SEER for northern climates and 15 SEER for southern states).

Common exclusions include:

• Preexisting issues (known or undocumented)
• Poor maintenance or neglect
• Cosmetic damage
• Improper installation or code violations
• Structural parts (like ducts in walls, but depends on the provider)
• Upgrades required to meet current building codes (some providers offer this as an add-on)
• Freon/refrigerant limits (some plans cap or exclude it)

Plumbing home warranty coverage

Home warranties often cover leaks or breakages of water, gas, drain and waste lines. They can also cover valves and fixtures, but that differs by provider.

Many providers offer sump pump, well pump and water softeners as an add-on.

Common exclusions include:

• Bathtubs, sinks, bidets, shower enclosures and base pans
• Caulking/grouting
• Septic tanks
• Water softener/filtration/purification systems
• Storage tanks
• Saunas/steam rooms
• Sprinkler systems
• Radon systems

Keep in mind that if something is covered by home insurance, a home warranty will not cover it.