Home repair in Salt Lake City, UT

Salt Lake City homes at a glance

Median year built

1965

Built before 1960

45%

Built since 2000

22%

Owner-occupied

46%

Median home value

$539,500

Main heat

Gas, 72%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates

What Salt Lake City’s housing means for repairs

Salt Lake City's housing is older than most Western cities. The median home was built in 1965, and about 45% of homes predate 1960, concentrated in The Avenues, Sugar House, Yalecrest and Liberty Wells. Many are unreinforced brick bungalows and Victorian houses with basements, original wiring, galvanized pipe and chimneys built before modern seismic rules.

About 22% of homes went up in 2000 or later, mostly apartments and condos downtown and along the transit lines. Only 43% of homes are single-family detached and 46% are owner-occupied. Gas heat serves about 72% of homes, so gas furnaces and boilers are the norm. Older homes often have evaporative coolers instead of central air, and some have had a furnace and AC added later with ducts squeezed into basements and closets.

Weather that wears on Salt Lake City homes

Salt Lake City has cold, snowy winters and hot, dry summers. Lake-effect snow from the Great Salt Lake can drop heavy snow on the city, and freeze-thaw cycles crack concrete steps and loosen mortar in old brick. Winter inversions trap cold air and pollution in the valley for days, so furnaces run hard and filters load up fast. Summers are dry, which is why many older homes still use swamp coolers. The water is hard and builds scale in water heaters and fixtures. The Wasatch Fault runs along the east side of the valley, and the 2020 Magna earthquake damaged chimneys and brick in older homes across the area.

Common repairs in Salt Lake City

• Furnace repair and replacement

  Gas furnaces work hard through long inversions and cold snaps.

• Swamp cooler service

  Evaporative coolers on older homes need new pads, pumps and seasonal start-up and shutdown.

• Old wiring and panel upgrades

  Many pre-1960 homes still have small panels or ungrounded circuits that strain under modern loads.

• Chimney and brick repair

  Freeze-thaw cycles and past earthquakes crack mortar and loosen bricks on older chimneys.

• Basement leak repair

  Snowmelt and spring rain seep through older basement walls.

What these repairs cost

The middle half of Runhome repair estimates nationwide for each kind of job. Your price depends on the scope of the work.

Fix guides for Salt Lake City homeowners

• Sewage backs up into the basement floor drain

  Older Salt Lake City homes with basements and clay sewer laterals can back up when roots or debris block the line.

• Bricks on the porch steps are loose, missing or crumbling

  Freeze-thaw cycles break down brick porch steps on older homes in The Avenues and Sugar House.

• Outlet is dead or the breaker trips when you plug in an appliance

  Original wiring in Salt Lake City's older homes often trips breakers or leaves outlets dead.

• Water heater is leaking and you can't find the source

  Hard water and aging basement water heaters lead to slow, hard-to-trace leaks.

Seasonal checklist

Fall

Drain and cover your swamp cooler and have the furnace serviced before the first inversion.

Winter

Shovel snow away from basement window wells and the foundation before it melts.

Spring

Start your swamp cooler with new pads and check the water line and pump for leaks.

Year-round

Strap your water heater and secure tall furniture to walls in case of an earthquake.

Common questions

Should I reinforce my Salt Lake City brick home for earthquakes?

Many older homes are unreinforced brick, which can crack or fall in a strong earthquake. Common steps include bracing the chimney, tying brick walls to the roof and floors and strapping the water heater. A contractor can assess your house and estimate the work, and the cost depends on the size of the home and how much bracing it needs.

Is a swamp cooler still a good choice in Salt Lake City?

In Salt Lake City's dry summers, an evaporative cooler cools well and uses less power than central air. It needs seasonal maintenance and does less on humid days. If you are adding central air, check whether your basement and closets have room for ductwork.

Why does my Salt Lake City furnace run constantly during inversions?

Long stretches of cold, stagnant air mean the furnace runs more, and polluted air clogs filters faster. A clogged filter cuts airflow and makes the furnace cycle on safety limits. Change the filter more often in winter and have the furnace checked if it short-cycles or blows cool air.

Neighborhoods served

• The Avenues
• Sugar House
• Capitol Hill
• Liberty Wells
• Yalecrest
• Rose Park
• Glendale