How Security Guard Wages Affect Your HOA Fee
Security personnel costs are often one of the largest line items in a homeowners association budget, commonly representing 20–40% of total HOA fees. When minimum wage laws change or a community decides to hire additional guards, per-unit fees can rise significantly. For example, in a 200-unit community with 4 guards each earning $3,500/month, each homeowner pays $70/month just for security — $840/year. This calculator makes it easy to model different staffing scenarios before a board vote.
This tool calculates only the security labor cost portion. A complete HOA budget also includes landscaping, building maintenance, insurance, reserves, and utilities. Use the results alongside your community's full budget to understand the true breakdown of your HOA fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
No — only the portion attributable to security guard wages. Total HOA fees include maintenance, landscaping, insurance, utilities, and reserve contributions.
Run the calculator twice: once with the current wage and once with the proposed wage. The difference in the per-unit monthly cost shows the precise impact on each homeowner's bill.