Anatomy of the Homestead Score.
A 0 to 100 number that describes the physical condition of a home. Built to be defensible to home pros, insurance underwriters, and lenders. Every input is traceable, tiered by evidence, and tied to remaining useful life. Every score is reported with a confidence number so a thin profile is never mistaken for a thorough one.
Transparent
Weights, sources, and formula are public. Versioned.
Auditable
Every score returns its version, inputs, and confidence.
Evidence-tiered
Self-reported, documented, and verified are different products.
The formula
Weighted condition, adjusted for what's actually left.
Each system contributes a score from remaining useful life and reported condition. Systems are averaged within their category, categories are weighted by consequence of failure, and a small maintenance adjustment is added.
score = round( weighted_avg(category_scores) + maintenance_adjustment )
clamped to [0, 100]
system_score = rul_score(70) + condition_score(30)
adjusted_life = base_life × climate_factor(zone, category)
remaining = max(0, adjusted_life − age) / adjusted_life
confidence = 0.30 × category_coverage
+ 0.20 × system_density
+ 0.35 × avg_evidence_weight
+ 0.15 × profile_freshnessSeven categories
Weighted by consequence of failure, not replacement cost.
A failing roof ends a closing. A failing dishwasher is an inconvenience. The weights reflect that reality. Anchors drawn from NAHB lifespan studies, IBHS loss research, NFPA safety standards, and ISO insurance frequency data.
Structure
Roof and foundation drive the largest insurance losses and most closing-blocking deficiencies.
Roof and foundation drive the largest insurance losses and most closing-blocking deficiencies.
22
weight
Envelope
Water intrusion is the leading homeowner claim by frequency.
Water intrusion is the leading homeowner claim by frequency.
18
weight
Climate Control
Cost of failure and habitability consequence are high.
Cost of failure and habitability consequence are high.
16
weight
Safety
Life-safety consequence beyond replacement cost. Sources: NFPA, CPSC.
Life-safety consequence beyond replacement cost. Sources: NFPA, CPSC.
14
weight
Plumbing
Loss frequency, plus known-defect materials like polybutylene.
Loss frequency, plus known-defect materials like polybutylene.
12
weight
Utility
Water heater and softening have moderate consequence.
Water heater and softening have moderate consequence.
10
weight
Appliances
Rarely affects insurability or collateral value.
Rarely affects insurability or collateral value.
8
weight
Remaining useful life
Real lifespans, cited.
Each system has a published expected useful life. We use the manufacturer or trade-association number, then adjust for the climate the home actually sits in. Below is the public-facing subset. The full table lives in the source code.
Evidence tiers
A 78 / Verified is a different product than a 78 / Self-reported.
Every data point carries a tier. The tier does not change the score directly. It changes the confidence number and the verification level the score can claim. An underwriter, a lender, or a buyer can tell at a glance how much weight to put on the number.
Self-reported
Homeowner attestation with no attached evidence.
Confidence weight 0.50
Photo or receipt
Homeowner-supplied photo, receipt, or product label.
Confidence weight 0.70
Dated document
Permit, invoice, manufacturer registration, or inspection report on file.
Confidence weight 0.90
Third-party verified
Licensed inspector, utility, or municipal record signed within 24 months.
Confidence weight 1.00
Inputs and refusals
The score describes the house. Not the people who live in it.
A score that quietly absorbed credit data or demographic signals would not be a score about the home. It would be redlining with a new coat of paint. Homestead draws a hard line so it can be useful to every homeowner.
The score uses
- Homeowner attestations and uploaded receipts, photos, manuals, inspection reports
- Public parcel and assessor records when available for the property
- Manufacturer and trade-association lifespan tables (NAHB, ASHRAE, IBHS, NFPA, DOE)
- Local climate exposure as a category-specific multiplier
- Completed maintenance and inspection history logged inside Homestead
The score refuses
- Credit score, income, debt, or any data from a credit bureau
- Race, ethnicity, religion, or any demographic of the household
- Neighborhood crime data, school ratings, or social signals
- Anything that would penalize a home for who lives in it
Governance and versioning
Versioned. Changelog public.
Every computed score returns its methodology version. Any change to weights, lifespan tables, climate factors, evidence-tier weights, or the formula bumps the version and is recorded in the changelog. A score generated under v1.0 can always be reproduced under v1.0, even after a v1.1 ships.
v1.1 will add persistence of every score event with its full inputs, a homeowner-and-pro dispute workflow, and external anchors for permit history and climate hazard exposure. v2.0 will require sign-off from a methodology board including a licensed home inspector, an underwriter, and a homeowner advocate.
We do not publish a backtest yet because no one publishes a credible home-condition backtest in their first year. The honest answer is that v1.0 is grounded in published lifespan and loss data, and v1.x will be validated against real claim and repair data from a partner pilot in the first market.
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