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Chore Distribution Planner

Split chores between roommates or partners fairly using minute weights.

Written by Golam Rabbani, Founder & Lead Engineer

People

Weight = share of total work. Equal weights = equal split.

Chores (minutes)

How to use this chore distribution planner

  1. Add the people in your household — name and a share weight (1 = equal share).
  2. List the chores you want to split, with an estimated time in minutes for each.
  3. Press Distribute chores to assign them with a weighted longest-processing-time rule that targets a fair total per person.
  4. Edit any name, weight, or minute total and re-run; press Copy to take the plan to your clipboard.

About this chore distribution planner

The chore distribution planner splits a list of household chores between people so that everyone gets a fair share of the total time, weighted however you like. Each person carries a share weight (default 1) and each chore carries an estimate in minutes. The tool computes a target minute total per person — share / total share × total minutes — and then runs a longest-processing-time (LPT) schedule, repeatedly assigning the next biggest chore to the person currently furthest below their target. LPT is a classic load-balancing heuristic that produces near-optimal splits for problems this size.

You can give a person a 2 weight if they have agreed to do twice as much (or a 0.5 weight if they are travelling, ill, or doing a baby shift). The assignment, total minute count per person, and the chore breakdown render in the result panel; nothing is stored on a server.

For example, two people with equal weights and four chores — Dishes (20 min), Laundry (30 min), Vacuuming (25 min), Trash & recycling (10 min) — total 85 minutes, target 42.5 each. LPT assigns Laundry to Alex first (30), Vacuuming to Sam (25), Dishes to Sam (45), Trash & recycling to Alex (40). Alex ends with 40 minutes and Sam with 45 — the closest fair split given those whole chores.

FAQ

What does the share weight mean?
It is the relative share each person should do. Equal weights = equal split. A weight of 2 means twice the work; 0.5 means half. The targets are weight / total weight × total minutes.
Why might the totals not match exactly?
Because chores are whole units. The longest-processing-time heuristic gets close to the target but can't split a 30-minute chore in half. Add more, smaller chores for a finer split.
Where is my data stored?
In localStorage on this device under "toolnest:chore-distribution-planner". People and chores persist between visits; nothing is uploaded.
Can I have more than two people?
Yes. Press "+ add person" to add more rows; the planner works for any number from one upward, though the split quality improves when chore granularity matches household size.
How do I share the plan?
Press Copy after distribution. A plain-text breakdown of who does what and the total minutes lands on your clipboard for any messaging app.