Keep This House

Backup for a heat-pump house: lock out the strips, then size the machine

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A gas furnace on backup is a blower. A heat pump is a compressor plus optional kilowatts of electric strips. Tesla’s Powerwall 3 is 13.5 kWh and 11.5 kW continuous. A 10 kW heat kit already fills that. HomeGuide’s typical standby is $6,000 to $11,000 installed. Leave the strips off the essentials panel.

Landlord heat pump vs tenant bills: who pays for the box, who pays the kWh

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 +0000

EnergySage’s 2026 typical heat pump is $15,393. IRS 25C never applied to a rental you do not live in, and it is dead for 2026 installs anyway. If the tenant pays the electric, the bill savings do not land on the person writing the check for the outdoor unit.

Second-story addition: the first floor has to carry it

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What a second-story quote has to show besides square feet: load on the existing house, the roof coming off, the stair that eats a room, and when a garage pop-top is a different building than a full floor.

Threshold ramps and door saddles: measure the lip, then pick the wedge

Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 +0000

HomeGuide puts a threshold ramp at $50 to $450. The Access Board caps an accessible threshold at 1/2 inch, beveled above 1/4 inch. That is a planning number for a private house, not a porch ramp. Measure the lip, keep the door latching, and send a 24-inch stoop to the ramp page.

Carbon monoxide: the alarm has to work when the power does not

Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

CPSC wants generators 20 feet out, exhaust away, never in the garage. Ready.gov wants CO alarms with battery backup on every level. HomeGuide puts a CO detector at $120 to $360 installed. The generator is optional. The alarm that still runs in the dark is not.

Heat pump for a manufactured home: the crossover is the job

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A manufactured home is HUD Code, not a stick-built furnace swap. EnergySage’s 2026 typical air-source install is $15,393. Ducted is $14,529 if the belly ducts work. Whole-home ductless is $25,957. Federal 25C is dead for 2026. Look under the home before you buy the outdoor box.

Fence and the permit: the line is the bid, not the stain

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A wood privacy fence is $20 to $50 a linear foot installed. Vinyl is $30 to $60. Angi 2026 averages $3,277 for a typical job. The permit is $40 to $150. The survey that keeps the posts off the neighbor’s lot is $200 to $1,200. Call the city before you stain anything.

Bathroom fan, lighting, and moisture: vent outdoors, then see the floor

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

HVI sizes a small bath at 1 CFM per square foot, 50 CFM minimum, and wants the fan on 20 minutes after you leave. Angi 2026 puts a typical install at $396. The duct has to hit outdoors, not the attic, and the night light is a different switch than the fan.

Dual-fuel portable generators: size the propane number, not the gasoline one

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Dual fuel is a selector, not extra watts. Westinghouse’s WGen9500DF is 9,500 running watts on gasoline and 8,500 on propane. HomeGuide puts the portable at $500 to $2,500, or $900 to $4,000 once an electrician hooks it to the house. Ready.gov wants it 20 feet from the openings.

Window replacement vs storm windows: keep the sash if the frame still holds

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A storm window is a second pane over the one you already have. Replacement is a new window in the wall. HomeGuide 2026: storms $150–$400 each, replacement $450–$1,500. ENERGY STAR: about $350 a year over single-pane. The 25C window credit is gone for 2026 jobs.

Driveway asphalt vs concrete: the base is the bid, not the color

Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Asphalt is cheaper on day one and needs sealing. Concrete costs more and lasts longer. HomeGuide 2026: asphalt $5–$12+ per square foot, concrete $6–$15. Angi average to pave $4,904. Ask what is under the surface, because that is the job.

Renting a stair lift vs buying: months times the rate, then the rail

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Rent is a known end date on a straight flight. Angi 2026: $300–$500 a month plus deposit, install, and removal. NCOA buy: $2,500–$5,000 for a straight indoor lift. A year of rent can catch a cheap purchase. Curved rails almost never rent.

Transfer switch cost installed: interlock, ten circuits, or 200 amps

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The generator is one invoice. The switch is another. HomeGuide 2026: manual $400–$1,300 installed, automatic $600–$2,500, interlock $400–$850. Angi typical job $1,200–$1,600, average $1,450. Ask which of those three jobs is on the bid.

Geothermal vs air-source: the loop is the extra invoice

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

An air-source heat pump is an outdoor box. Geothermal is that box plus hundreds of feet of pipe in the yard. EnergySage 2026: about $15,393 for a typical air-source install, $15,000 to $40,000-plus for ground-source. The 25D credit is gone for 2026 jobs.

Mudroom addition cost: convert the garage strip, or build a box

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A mudroom is a drop zone with a hard floor, not a new living room. Angi 2026: convert existing space for $3,000 to $10,000, or pour a bump-out for $18,000 to $36,000. Hooks on a hallway wall are not an addition.

Aging in place on a $25,000 budget: one bathroom, or the stairs

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What $25,000 actually buys in 2026: a full accessible bathroom, or a curbless stall plus a straight stair lift. The elevator and a whole-house retrofit are different envelopes.

Whole-home backup vs essential circuits: which quote is which job

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Whole-home backup is a 200-amp switch that can feed the whole panel. Essential-only is a short circuit list and a smaller machine. Here’s how to tell those jobs apart on a bid, what they cost in 2026, and which one matches the outage you actually sat through.

Heat pump noise: the 53 dB on the sticker is not the fence

Sun, 18 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The quiet number on a heat pump bid is a lab rating, not the sound at the bedroom window or the town’s meter at the lot line. Here’s what that sticker means, why the pad location matters more, and what has to be on the bid before anyone pours.

Deck vs patio: grade first, then the lumber

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A patio sits on the dirt. A deck is a structure with posts and a permit. What those two jobs cost in 2026, when height turns into a railing, and what has to be on the bid.

Aging in place on a $2,000 budget: bars, levers, and the toilet you already have

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What $2,000 actually buys before a remodel: grab bars that hit wood, lever handles, a taller toilet or a riser, and a handheld shower. The curbless stall is a different envelope.

Round-trip efficiency on a home battery, and when cheap overnight power still loses

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Round-trip efficiency is the kWh you get back after you store them. Tesla lists 89% through the pack and 97.5% if solar never parks there. Why that leak can eat a time-of-use spread, and when cycling from the grid does not pay.

Federal 25C expired: what still pays on a 2026 heat-pump bid

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Section 25C is done for anything placed in service after 2025. How to file last year’s Form 5695, what 25D and 30C also lost, and which dollars can still show up on a 2026 quote.

Kitchen remodel budget bands: paint the boxes, replace the kitchen, or move the walls

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Three kitchen jobs that get sold as one remodel: a same-layout refresh, a full gut in the footprint you have, and a layout change that moves plumbing. What HomeGuide and Angi actually price, and what has to be on the bid.

What a CAPS remodeler actually does: three classes, not a license

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

CAPS is an NAHB training credential, not a contractor license. When grab bars are enough, when you want that walk-through, and what has to be on the bid before anyone opens a wall.

Generator noise: the 67 dB at 23 feet is not the fence

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A 67 dB(A) standby rating is usually measured 23 feet from the front of the box at normal load. The town, if it cares, measures at the lot line, often at night. Here’s what that sticker means, why weekly exercise is the sound the street actually learns, and what has to be on the bid before anyone pours.

How to check your utility rebates before you sign

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How to find the actual heat-pump and weatherization rebates on your bill, what DSIRE and ENERGY STAR miss, and which lines have to be on the quote before you treat a discount as real.

Attic conversion vs a dormer: headroom first, then the roof

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

When finishing the attic you already have is enough, when a dormer is a new roof, and what IRC headroom, stairs, and egress do to the bid.

Smart locks and a key for the neighbor: codes, batteries, and who gets in

Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How to pick a keypad or Wi-Fi deadbolt that still takes a metal key, what a locksmith visit costs, and why a spare for the neighbor is the backup the app cannot replace.

Connecting an EV charger to backup: leave it off, trickle, or size the machine

Sat, 26 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Whether a Level 2 EV charger belongs on backup power, why a 7.2 kW wall box can empty a home battery in under two hours, and what has to be on the electrician’s quote.

Load calculation (Manual J) in plain English: the number the bid is hiding

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What an ACCA Manual J actually measures, why square-footage rules of thumb size the wrong machine, and what has to be on the report before you compare heat-pump bids.

Adding a bathroom where there isn't one: conversion vs a new room

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What it costs to add a half bath, a shower, or a new bathroom room, why distance to the stack decides the bid, and what has to be on the quote before you steal a closet.

Bedroom on the main floor: converting the den without pretending it is a suite

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What it actually takes to sleep on the main floor: a door, an egress opening, a toilet you can reach without stairs, and when a wardrobe is enough versus a carpenter and a bath.

Standby generator maintenance: oil, exercise, and the dealer visit

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What weekly exercise actually does, when Generac wants oil versus a dealer Schedule A or B, what a 2026 service visit costs, and the parts that belong on the shelf before the next ice storm.

Bump-out vs room addition: two different buildings

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What a permitted bump-out actually costs versus a new room addition, why cantilever and foundation jobs are not the same bid, and what has to be on the quote before you open a wall.

Heat pump and existing radiators or boilers: keep the piping, or don't

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

When a heat pump can use the radiators and boiler piping you already have, when steam and 180°F baseboard need a different job, and what has to be on the quote before you kill the boiler.

Kitchen work height and pull-outs: the counter you can actually use

Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Standard counters sit at 36 inches. A seated work stretch wants 34 inches or less, plus storage that comes to you. What ADA 804.3 actually says, what pull-outs cost, and what belongs on the cabinet bid.

Fridge, sump, furnace: the minimum backup kit

Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The three loads that spoil food, flood the basement, or freeze the pipes, how many watts they actually want, and the kit that covers them without pretending you bought whole-house backup.

Replacing the AC when the furnace is new: condenser, coil, or heat pump

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

When the outdoor AC dies and the furnace is still young, three jobs get sold as one quote. What a matched coil costs, why a condenser-only swap often fails, and when dual fuel is the real bid.

Garage conversion vs keeping the car: two different buildings

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What a permitted garage-to-living-space conversion actually costs versus finishing the bay and still parking, how zoning parking rules kill cheap conversions, and what has to be on the bid.

Outdoor steps, railings, and ice: the stoop you actually use

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What a graspable outdoor rail costs, when IRC wants a handrail vs a guard, how NIA treats ice on the stoop, and what belongs on the carpenter or concrete bid versus a $22 coil you put on your shoe.

Load-shed modules vs a smart panel: covering more house with less backup

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How load shedding lets a smaller generator or battery cover more of the house, what Generac modules and SPAN-class panels actually cost, and what has to be on the electrician’s quote.

Basement bedroom and egress: when the window is the whole job

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What makes a basement room a legal bedroom: IRC egress sizes, window wells, and what the cut in the foundation actually costs on a 2026 bid.

Heat pump maintenance: filters, coils, and what defrost actually means

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What you change yourself (filters, outdoor rinse, clearance), what a paid visit should measure (airflow, charge, defrost), and when ice on the outdoor unit is normal instead of a failure.

A two-story house without an elevator: stairs, one-floor living, or a lift

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How to keep a two-story house usable without a $15,000 to $60,000 elevator: one-floor living, a stair lift, a platform lift, cheap stair work, and when the elevator conversation actually starts.

Generator placement: exhaust, openings, and the neighbor

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Where a standby generator can actually sit: NFPA 37 fire clearances, why five feet from a window is not a CO guarantee, portable 20-foot rules, and what the site plan on the bid should show.

Privacy

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Keep This House does not have accounts or a newsletter. Ads, Amazon, and affiliate clicks still use cookies we do not control. Here is what that means and how to opt out.

Home warranty: what the contract excludes

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A home warranty is a service contract, not insurance and not a new heat pump. Premiums, per-visit fees, caps, and the exclusions that actually decide whether the quote is worth it.

Screened porch vs sunroom

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Screens keep bugs off. Glass keeps weather off. What those two buildings cost, what has to be on the bid, and when you are already shopping a three-season or four-season room.

Shower chair vs a built-in bench

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A cart-bought shower chair for this week versus a bench that is part of the tile. Heights, weight ratings, Angi and HomeGuide dollars, and when the tub wall is still the real problem.

Smart thermostat with a heat pump: O/B, aux lockout, and what to buy

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What a heat-pump thermostat has to control (reversing valve, aux lockout, dual fuel), what the box costs, and which 24-volt smart stats actually speak that language.

Air sealing before insulation

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Why you seal the attic floor before you blow cellulose, what Angi prices that line at, which holes actually matter, and how to read a bid that tries to skip it.

Attic insulation payback without the brochure

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What an attic top-up actually costs in 2026, which R-value ENERGY STAR wants for your climate, why the federal 25C credit is gone, and how to read a blown-in bid without buying a brochure payback.

Battery plus solar vs a generator for multi-day outages

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

When a battery that recharges from the roof covers a multi-day outage, when a standby generator still wins, and what EnergySage’s 2026 dollars look like after the federal 25D credit ended.

Lever handles and other cheap wins

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Swap a round knob for a lever you can work with an elbow, pick passage vs privacy vs keyed, and stop before you fight a mortise lock. Shop cards for Schlage Accent, and what else is actually cheap.

Medical devices and outage planning, house side

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How to put a CPAP, oxygen concentrator, or medication fridge on the house plan for an outage: watts on the sticker, which circuit, what a backup quote has to name, and when you leave. Not medical advice.

Portable power station vs inverter generator

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A suitcase battery versus a quiet gas inverter: what each actually runs, how many hours you get, Ready.gov placement, and when you still want a standby or a wall pack.

Ramp vs regrade the entry

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Measure the rise at the door, run the 1:12 slope, and decide whether you want a ramp, a regraded walk, or a short threshold fix. What Angi and HomeGuide numbers look like, and what has to be on the bid.

Search

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

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200-amp panel upgrade cost: swap vs a real service change