HOA Dues Calculator
Use this free HOA dues calculator to turn your association's annual operating budget and reserve contribution into monthly HOA dues per unit. Choose whether to split assessments equally across units or allocate them by square footage, and see exactly how much of each owner's monthly dues goes to operations versus reserves.
- Annual operating budget
- $240,000
- Annual reserve contribution
- $60,000
- Total to collect
- $300,000
- Units
- 120
How this calculator works
The calculator adds your annual operating budget to your annual reserve contribution to get the total amount the association must collect for the year.
With the equal method, that total is divided by the number of units and then by 12 to get the monthly dues per unit. With the by square footage method, a unit pays its proportional share: its square footage divided by the total community square footage, applied to the annual total, then divided by 12.
A worked example
Say your association's annual operating budget is $60,000 and the board is funding $20,000 a year toward reserves, for a total of $80,000 to collect. With 40 units split equally, monthly dues are $80,000 ÷ 40 ÷ 12 = $166.67 per unit.
By square footage, a 100,000 sq ft community splits that same $80,000 by each unit's share of the total. A 2,500 sq ft unit (2.5% of the community) owes $80,000 × 2.5% = $2,000/year, or $166.67/month — the same as the equal split in this case. A larger 3,000 sq ft unit (3.0%) owes $2,400/year, or $200.00/month — more than the equal split, because it's a bigger share of the building.
How boards use the result
Most self-managed boards start with the equal-split number because it's simple to communicate and matches how many governing documents allocate assessments. The by-square-footage method matters most in condo/strata buildings where unit sizes vary widely and the declaration ties assessments to ownership percentage or square footage.
Run this after finalizing your operating budget and reserve contribution, and before publishing next year's dues notice — owners generally need advance notice of a dues change under your governing documents or state/provincial statute.
Assumptions and limits
This tool assumes every unit pays the same method — either all equal, or all by square footage. It doesn't model mixed allocation schemes, discounted rates for certain unit types, or a phased-in increase.
Check your declaration or bylaws for the actual allocation formula your association is legally required to use — some documents specify ownership percentage rather than raw square footage, which can produce a slightly different number.
Frequently asked questions
Which method should our association use — equal or by square footage?
That's usually set by your declaration or bylaws, not a free choice — check what allocation method your governing documents already require before assuming either one.
Does this include reserve contributions?
Yes — enter your annual reserve contribution alongside the operating budget, and the calculator combines both into one total before splitting it across units.
How much notice do owners need before a dues increase?
This varies by state, province and your governing documents — some require a specific number of days' written notice before a new assessment amount takes effect. Confirm your requirement before sending notices.
Can dues vary by unit type (e.g., garage vs. no garage)?
Some declarations do allow differentiated assessments for different unit types or amenities — this calculator handles the two most common allocation methods, but check your governing documents if your community uses a more customized formula.
Run your whole HOA on hoa.to
These calculators cover one number at a time. FourCents HOA does the whole job: online dues, real fund accounting, budgets, reserves, delinquency automation and owner-visible financials.