Methodology
Anatomy of a Home Health Score.
The Home Health Score is a 0 to 100 number that describes the physical condition of a home. It is built from the systems inside the house and the wear those systems take on. Here is exactly how it works, what it uses, and what we will never let it become.
The six categories
Weighted by how much the system actually matters.
A new dishwasher is nice. A failing roof ends a closing. Our weights reflect that reality.
Structure
Roof age, roof material, foundation type, framing era, attic condition signals.
Roof age, roof material, foundation type, framing era, attic condition signals.
22%
weight
Mechanical
HVAC age and tonnage, water heater age and type, furnace, ductwork era.
HVAC age and tonnage, water heater age and type, furnace, ductwork era.
20%
weight
Exterior
Siding material and age, window vintage, door condition, drainage and grading.
Siding material and age, window vintage, door condition, drainage and grading.
18%
weight
Plumbing
Supply line material, main shutoff, fixture age, water main era.
Supply line material, main shutoff, fixture age, water main era.
14%
weight
Electrical
Panel make and amperage, wiring era, GFCI coverage, known recalls.
Panel make and amperage, wiring era, GFCI coverage, known recalls.
14%
weight
Appliances
Range, dishwasher, washer, dryer. Install dates and typical lifespan.
Range, dishwasher, washer, dryer. Install dates and typical lifespan.
12%
weight
What it uses, what it refuses
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 is built to be useful to every homeowner, and that means drawing a hard line.
The score uses
- What the homeowner tells us about their systems and receipts
- Public parcel and assessor records for the property
- Manufacturer lifespan tables for major systems
- Local climate exposure (storm load, freeze cycles, salt)
- Completed maintenance and inspection history inside Homestead
The score refuses
- The homeowner's credit score, income, or financial history
- Race, ethnicity, religion, or any demographic of the household
- Mortgage data, debt, or anything from a credit bureau
- Neighborhood crime data, school ratings, or social signals
- Anything that would penalize a home for who lives in it
How the score moves
Up with care. Down with time.
Every system has a lifespan. A water heater is not the same at year 12 that it was at year 2. The score reflects that quietly in the background, pulling down a little each year as systems age past their expected life.
Maintenance pushes it back. A serviced HVAC, a cleaned dryer vent, a roof that was actually inspected after the last storm. Each completed item is logged to the home's record, and the score lifts. Over a year, an attentive homeowner can move from a 74 to an 84 without doing anything dramatic.
Replacements reset the clock. New roof, new panel, new water heater. The system returns to year zero of its lifespan, and the score adjusts.
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