Condo Supplies Cost per Unit, by Size
Summary: Supplies are one of the smallest lines in a condo budget, and usually folded into a bigger repairs line. We read the first-year budgets in NYC condo offering plans to see what supplies, repairs, the management fee, staff and the elevator cost per unit per year in buildings of every size.
Supplies by Building Size
Light bulbs, cleaning products, filters, paint, hardware: a building goes through supplies all year. Where a budget breaks supplies out, the typical building sets aside $190 per unit a year, and most fall between $120 and $360. Only 21 of the budgets we read list them separately. More often, the budget's footnote itemizes a bigger line (at one building, a $10,000 line splits into supplies $5,000, plumbing $2,000, electrical $1,500 and elevators $1,500). Between the two, 245 budgets (39%) say what supplies alone should cost.
Most budgets fold supplies into one repairs, maintenance & supplies line, typically $450 per unit a year. The smallest buildings pay the most per unit for it: $600 in a building of 5 units or fewer, against $420 with 6 to 10.
| Building size | Repairs, maintenance & supplies | Supplies, where broken out |
|---|---|---|
| 1–5 units | $600 $330–$1,260 · 234 bldgs | $250 $170–$380 · 90 bldgs |
| 6–10 units | $420 $170–$800 · 224 bldgs | $190 $120–$250 · 90 bldgs |
| 11–25 units | $380 $150–$940 · 95 bldgs | $150 $80–$300 · 35 bldgs |
| 26–50 units | $340 $160–$720 · 37 bldgs | $150 $70–$620 · 17 bldgs |
| 51 units or more | $360 $170–$650 · 38 bldgs | $100 $40–$270 · 13 bldgs |
| All sizes | $450 $250–$1,000 · 628 bldgs | $190 $120–$360 · 245 bldgs |
Per unit per year: the median, then the middle half of buildings (25th to 75th percentile) and how many budgets. A dash: fewer than 5 budgets.
Why smaller buildings pay more per unit: some costs don't shrink with the building. A boiler still needs filters and the hallway still needs bulbs whether three owners share the bill or thirty. In a building of 5 units or fewer, supplies typically come to $250 per unit a year; in an 11-to-25-unit building, $150.
- $2501–5 units
- $1906–10 units
- $15011–25 units
- $15026–50 units
- $10051 units or more
Median among budgets that break supplies out. Sizes with fewer than 5 budgets are left out.
Supplies Next to the Other Running Costs
To put supplies in context, here are the management fee, staff and the elevator, measured the same way: per unit per year, by building size. Each figure counts only the budgets that have a cost for that item. Only 52% of budgets list a management fee and 49% list staff, so a building without one isn't counted as $0.
| Building size | Repairs & supplies | Management fee | Staffing | Elevator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–5 units | $600 $330–$1,260 · 234 bldgs | $1,550 $1,010–$2,550 · 71 bldgs | $1,390 $1,000–$1,950 · 63 bldgs | $1,010 $850–$1,640 · 22 bldgs |
| 6–10 units | $420 $170–$800 · 224 bldgs | $930 $660–$1,500 · 104 bldgs | $860 $590–$1,260 · 100 bldgs | $620 $440–$800 · 61 bldgs |
| 11–25 units | $380 $150–$940 · 95 bldgs | $930 $620–$1,250 · 81 bldgs | $1,150 $680–$2,210 · 76 bldgs | $400 $290–$630 · 57 bldgs |
| 26–50 units | $340 $160–$720 · 37 bldgs | $830 $600–$1,200 · 37 bldgs | $1,570 $760–$6,490 · 34 bldgs | $190 $120–$460 · 32 bldgs |
| 51 units or more | $360 $170–$650 · 38 bldgs | $650 $480–$800 · 37 bldgs | $4,610 $1,370–$8,680 · 37 bldgs | $210 $140–$320 · 24 bldgs |
| All sizes | $450 $250–$1,000 · 628 bldgs | $960 $640–$1,500 · 330 bldgs | $1,180 $730–$2,150 · 310 bldgs | $450 $240–$750 · 196 bldgs |
Per unit per year, among the budgets with a cost for that item: the median, the middle half and how many budgets. Staffing covers the super, porters, doormen and cleaners, on payroll or through a service company.
- The management fee mostly falls with size. A managing agent typically charges $1,550 per unit a year in a building of 5 units or fewer, and $650 in one of 51 or more.
- Above 5 units, staff rises with size. It's about $860 per unit a year in a 6-to-10-unit building that budgets it, and $4,610 in a building of 51 units or more. Small buildings budget a part-time super or a cleaning service, and in the very smallest that cost is split among only a few owners. Big buildings add porters, doormen and a resident manager, and staff becomes one of the biggest items in the budget.
- The elevator mostly falls with size. One elevator costs about the same to maintain whatever the building's size, so it's $1,010 per unit a year in a building of 5 units or fewer that has one, and $210 with 51 or more. See what a condo elevator costs to maintain.
What to Check in a Budget
- Read the footnote, not just the line. A "repairs, maintenance & supplies" line can be mostly supplies or mostly a plumber on call. The note under it usually says.
- A very low repairs line is a first-year number. New buildings are under warranty, so early repair costs are low. They rise as the building ages.
- No management fee? Ask who manages the building and what it will cost when the board hires a managing agent.
- Compare like with like. Use the size bands above, or compare the building with similar ones on our operating expense benchmarks.
For where the whole budget goes, see where condo common charges go. For utilities measured the same way, see how much a condo's utilities should cost.
FAQ
How much should a condo budget for supplies?
In new NYC condo budgets that break supplies out, the median is $190 per unit a year. Buildings of 5 units or fewer budget more per unit ($250) than mid-size buildings of 11 to 25 units ($150).
What's in "repairs, maintenance and supplies"?
Repairs to the common areas (plumbing, electrical, doors and windows, painting) and the supplies to keep the building clean and running. Most NYC condo budgets combine them in one line, typically $450 per unit a year.
How much is a condo management fee per unit?
Among new NYC condo budgets with a management fee, it's typically $1,550 per unit a year in a building of 5 units or fewer and $650 in a building of 51 units or more.
Why does staffing cost so much more in big buildings?
Big buildings usually have a full-time super, porters and often a doorman or concierge. Covering a door around the clock alone takes more than four full-time employees.
Where do these figures come from?
From the projected first-year budgets (Schedule B) of 635 NYC condominium offering plans accepted Oct 19, 2021 to Aug 24, 2026, the same buildings as our operating expense benchmarks, whose expense lines add up to the budget's total. Figures are medians, rounded to the nearest $10, in dollars as filed. Budgets are sponsor estimates at filing, not actual spending.
How are supplies counted?
Supplies come from a supplies line or the largest supplies amount the budget's notes name: building, cleaning, janitorial or maintenance supplies and hardware. Office supplies, and lines that mix supplies with service contracts, aren't in it. Each line is divided per residential unit, using the homes' share of the budget where a building also has stores or offices.
Related: Condo Utilities Cost per Unit, by Size · NYC Condo Insurance Costs Are Rising