Free Home Daycare Time-Space Calculator

1. Your home (example numbers, replace with yours)

Total square feet of your home

List each room or area the daycare uses regularly. Mark Exclusive only if the family never uses it.

2. Your hours

Daycare hours in a typical week

Weeks open this year

Extra hours not in the weekly pattern

Days in business this year (365 full year)

Many providers include prep, cleaning and record-keeping done at home without children. Pub 587 does not spell this out, so keep a written log if you include those hours.

3. Your results

Time %

Exclusive space %

Shared space %

Time-Space % (Form 8829)

Simplified method estimate

Shared rooms count only if you have applied for, been granted, or are exempt from a daycare license, certification or registration.

Get this calculator as a free spreadsheet Home Daycare Bookkeeping Bundle ($19)

The free spreadsheet asks for your email so we can send the file and tool updates. Never shared or sold.

More for your daycare

Home Daycare Business Kit, $24, the four bookkeeping spreadsheets plus 13 printable forms and the 2027 attendance sheets
Home daycare forms, $9, with enrollment, daily reports, incident report, sign-in sheet, medication log and a handbook outline
Daycare Attendance Sheets 2027, $3, every month with the dates filled in
Free forms to print, the enrollment form, emergency contacts, sign-in sheet, attendance sheet, incident report and daily report
Free planning templates, a daily schedule, lesson plan, menu and newsletter
Tax time, the year-end checklist, tuition statement, receipt and 2026 meal rates

Time % is your daycare hours divided by the hours available in the year. Time-Space % is exclusive area ÷ home area, plus (shared area ÷ home area) × Time %. The simplified method counts up to 300 sq ft at $5, with the $5 reduced by your Time % unless at least 300 sq ft is used exclusively (Pub 587 Simplified Method and Daycare Facility worksheets). See a worked example step by step.

This is a record-keeping tool, not tax advice. The page does the arithmetic in your browser; your numbers are never sent anywhere. We count visits with privacy-friendly, cookie-free analytics. Confirm with IRS Publication 587 or a tax professional before filing.