The chore split formula (simple but practical)

The calculator produces a recommended split in two layers: a time share (how many hours each person should do) and a fairness score (how balanced the plan is relative to availability and preferences). It’s designed to be “good enough” for real life: you can follow it, talk about it, and adjust it.

First, estimate total household chore hours per week. This includes obvious chores (dishes, laundry, trash) and the invisible work that often gets overlooked: planning meals, refilling supplies, scheduling repairs, returning packages, and organizing kids’ or family logistics. If you’re not sure, start with 8–12 hours for two adults in a typical home, then adjust after a week of tracking. The estimate doesn’t need to be perfect; the goal is a shared baseline.

Each person gets three quick ratings (all on 1–10 sliders):

• Availability: how much time/energy they realistically have for chores this week.
• Dislike: how much they hate doing chores overall (higher = more dislike).
• Reliability: how consistently they follow through (higher = more reliable).

We turn those into a simple capacity number. Availability and reliability increase capacity. Dislike decreases capacity a little, because forcing a strongly disliked set of chores often backfires (avoidance, resentment, procrastination). You can also set a global Respect preferences percentage to decide how much “dislike” should matter. If you want a pure efficiency split, set preferences low. If you want harmony, set it higher.

The calculator supports three styles:

• Balanced (recommended): mostly availability‑weighted, but still nudges toward equality so one person doesn’t end up with an extreme share.
• Equal share: everyone gets the same hours (simple, clear). Preferences still influence who gets slightly more “ownership” credit in the fairness score, but the hours remain equal.
• Availability‑weighted: the split follows capacity more strongly (useful when schedules are very different).

Once each person has a share, we multiply by the weekly chore hours to get a recommended hour target. For example, if weekly chores are 12 hours and one person’s share is 40%, their target is 4.8 hours. Rounding happens for display, but the totals still add up.

The Fairness Score is a simple measure of how close the plan is to what most people intuitively call “fair”:

• It rewards plans that track capacity (more availability/reliability → slightly more share).
• It penalizes plans where one person’s share is far above their capacity.
• It also penalizes extreme inequality, because even if it’s “logical,” it may not be sustainable.

A score in the 80–100 range typically means “fair and sustainable.” 60–79 is “fine, but watch resentment.” Below 60 suggests you should adjust something: reduce weekly hours (simplify), increase ownership clarity, or rebalance shares.

Three realistic scenarios

Examples help because “fair” isn’t always “equal.” Here are three common situations and how the calculator behaves. Use them as templates for your own household.

Suppose two people estimate 10 hours of chores weekly. Both have availability around 6/10, reliability around 7/10, and preferences are moderate (respect preferences = 30%). The calculator will produce a split close to 50/50 (about 5 hours each) with a high fairness score, because the inputs are similar and the plan is stable.

Person A is in a busy season (availability 3/10), Person B is more free (availability 8/10). Weekly chores are 12 hours. In Balanced mode, the split may become ~35/65 (about 4.2 hours vs 7.8 hours). That sounds uneven, but it can still score fair if it matches reality and there is a plan to revisit next month.

Two roommates have similar availability, but one strongly dislikes chores (dislike 9/10) while the other doesn’t mind (dislike 3/10). If you raise “Respect preferences” to 50–60%, the split shifts a little toward the person who dislikes chores less, but not dramatically. The goal isn’t to punish anyone; it’s to avoid repeated conflict over the same tasks. It’s often smarter to trade: one person takes dishes, the other takes laundry and vacuuming, etc.

• Use Balanced most weeks.
• Use Availability‑weighted when one person’s schedule is wildly different.
• Use Equal share when you want extreme simplicity and a clean agreement.

How to turn “hours” into real chores

A plan only works when it’s translated into concrete tasks. Here are simple ways to operationalize your split so it doesn’t become another argument.

“Helping” usually means someone else still has to remember and manage the chore. Ownership means one person is responsible for the entire loop: noticing it needs doing, doing it, and finishing it (e.g., putting dishes away, not just loading the dishwasher). Ownership is the fastest way to reduce mental load conflict.

Most homes have a predictable set of weekly chores. Here’s a starter list (adjust for your home):

• Dishes / kitchen reset
• Laundry (wash + dry + fold + put away)
• Trash + recycling
• Bathroom clean
• Floors (vacuum / sweep / mop)
• Grocery run / meal planning
• Errands + admin (mail, returns, scheduling)

People don’t hate the same chores. If one person hates dishes and another hates bathrooms, trade. When preferences are respected, follow‑through usually improves and resentment drops.

If your total chore hours are high, the best move might be to simplify: batch cooking, reduce clutter, automate (robot vacuum), or lower the “perfect” standard. A slightly messier house with less conflict is often a win.

Make the split a living agreement. When work seasons or health changes happen, update the plan without shame. Fairness over time beats fairness in a single week.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is “fair” always 50/50?

  Not necessarily. “Fair” usually means the split matches reality (availability, energy, responsibilities) and both people feel respected. Many couples and roommates aim for roughly equal over time, but it may shift week to week.

• What if one person refuses to do chores?

  The calculator can’t solve refusal, but it can make expectations explicit. Start with a simple written agreement and clear ownership. If refusal continues, you may need a deeper conversation about values, boundaries, or even living arrangements.

• How do I estimate weekly chore hours accurately?

  Track for one week. Put a sticky note on the fridge or use your phone timer. Add time for errands, planning, and “finishing” steps. Then plug the number into the calculator and adjust next week.

• Why do “dislike” and “reliability” matter?

  A plan that looks fair on paper can fail if it assigns hated tasks to the same person repeatedly, or if one person’s follow‑through is low. These sliders help create a split that’s actually sustainable.

• How do I handle different cleanliness standards?

  Agree on “minimum viable clean.” Define what “done” looks like (e.g., bathroom = sink + toilet + mirror). If standards differ a lot, consider trading: the person who cares more about a task can own it, while the other compensates with a different chore.

• Can I use this with kids or a family household?

  Yes. Set the people count to include kids who do meaningful chores. Keep it age‑appropriate and focus on consistency over perfection. For younger kids, you might treat “availability” as adult availability and assign kid tasks separately.

Fairness is a habit

Most households don’t need a perfect system — they need a consistent one. Use the calculator to start the conversation, write down ownership, and do a quick weekly reset. Over time, this reduces resentment and improves follow‑through.

• Run the calculator for the upcoming week.
• Assign 3–5 owned chores per person (not 20 tiny tasks).
• Do a 10‑minute weekly check‑in to re-balance.