CapEx spreadsheet template for rental properties
One row for each big item you'll replace someday, with when it went in, how long it lasts and what it costs. Fill it in, then import it to see what's due over the next 10 years and how much to set aside each month. Free, no signup.
The Excel files open in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers. Prefer CSV? Get the template as CSV or the example as CSV. The import reads both.
What to track, and why
The template has 15 columns. For a forecast, each row needs a Component and a Cost each, and a Useful life for anything we don't know by name. Leave Install year blank to use the year built, and leave Quantity blank on anything counted per unit to use the unit count. The rest make it more useful.
- Building
The building's name or address. The same on every row for that building.
One sheet can hold several buildings. Signed in, each one becomes its own property.
- Units
How many rental units the building has.
Gives the monthly reserve per unit.
- Year built
The year the building was built.
Stands in for any install year you don't know, marked as an estimate.
- Component
What it is, like Asphalt shingle roof, Water heater, Furnace or Refrigerator.
Names we know fill in the category and a typical useful life. For a short name like Roof, the import asks which kind.
- Category
Roofing, HVAC, Plumbing, Appliances and so on. Optional.
Groups costs in the chart. Components we know fill it in.
- Quantity
How many there are, or the square feet for flooring and paving. For something counted per unit, leave it blank to use the unit count, as a downloaded component list does.
The cost of a replacement is the quantity times the cost each.
- Counted per
One of unit, building or sq ft.
Says what one cost pays for: one apartment's worth, the whole building, or one square foot.
- Install year
The year it was installed or last replaced. Leave it blank if you don't know.
With the useful life, it says when the next replacement is due.
- Install year is a guess
Put yes if the install year is your best guess. Otherwise leave it blank.
Guesses are marked, so you know which dates to check first.
- Useful life
How many years it lasts, like 10 for a tank water heater.
Sets how often it's replaced over the next 30 years.
- Cost each
What one replacement costs today, from a quote or your estimate. Per square foot for flooring and paving.
Costs are in today's dollars, so update them as quotes change.
- Condition
Good, Fair or Poor. Optional.
A quick note of what you saw on your last walk-through.
- Replace now
Put yes to plan its replacement this year, even if it still works.
Puts the cost in this year and starts its cycle again from now.
- Notes
Anything to remember: brand, model, where it is, who quoted it.
Kept with the item and shown in your PDF.
- CapexClock ID
Leave it as it is, or blank for a new row.
Filled in when you download your component list, so importing it again updates those rows instead of adding them twice.
A filled-in example
A 12-unit building, built in 1998. The download has every column, with the building's name, units and year built on each row.
| Component | Quantity | Counted per | Install year | Useful life | Cost each | Condition | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt shingle roof | 1 | building | 2008 | 22 | $38,000 | Fair | Patched over unit 4 in 2019 |
| Gas furnace | Blank: one per unit | unit | 2012 (a guess) | 18 | $4,200 | Fair | |
| Tank water heater | Blank: one per unit | unit | 2016 | 10 | $1,400 | Good | 40 gallon, gas |
| Refrigerator | Blank: one per unit | unit | 13 | $1,100 | Original to the building, as far as we know | ||
| Carpet | 9,600 | sq ft | 2020 | 8 | $4 | PoorReplace now | |
| Parking lot seal coat | 8,000 | sq ft | 2023 | 4 | $0.25 |
Import your spreadsheet
Already have a sheet? Excel and CSV files both work, in these columns or your own. You see every row before anything is added, and the rows go into the free CapEx calculator.
Questions about the template
- What should a CapEx spreadsheet track?
- Every big item you'll have to replace: roof, furnaces or boilers, water heaters, appliances, flooring, windows, paving. For each, track how many there are, when it was installed, how long it lasts and what a replacement costs today. That's enough to see what's due each year and how much to set aside each month.
- Do I have to use these exact columns?
- No. The importer reads most landlord spreadsheets, with headings like Item, Qty, Year installed or Cost, and lets you check each guess before anything is added. A sheet in these columns needs no column changes. We may still ask which item a short name like Roof means.
- What if I don't know when something was installed?
- Leave Install year blank and fill in Year built. The calculator uses the year built and marks the item as an estimate. If you have a rough idea, type your best guess and put yes in Install year is a guess, so you know which dates to check first.
- What do I put in Counted per?
- Use unit when the cost is for one apartment's worth, like a water heater in each unit. Leave its quantity blank to use the building's unit count. Use building when it's for the whole building, like the roof. Use sq ft for flooring and paving, with the square feet as the quantity. A replacement costs the quantity times the cost each.
- Can one spreadsheet hold several buildings?
- Yes. Put each building's name in the Building column, or give each building its own tab. The free calculator imports one building at a time. With a free account, My properties can make a property of each building, up to 20 at once.
- How do I update my list later?
- In the calculator, click Download component list (Excel). Change it in any spreadsheet app, then import it again. Rows keep their CapexClock ID, so they're updated in place instead of added twice. Rows you deleted from the file are only removed if you say so.
- Is my spreadsheet uploaded anywhere?
- No. Excel and CSV files are read in your browser and never uploaded. The rows stay in this browser until you save them to an account.
More free tools: the CapEx calculator, the reserve calculator for expenses you already know about, and typical lifespans for 25 building components.