Random Chore Roster
Assign recurring chores across days.
Built and maintained by Paul Clark, Redmoon Software · Last checked
Generate a random chore schedule that spreads tasks fairly across a week — or any period you choose. Families, roommates, and small teams use it to take the arguing out of who does what, since each day reshuffles and rotates assignments so the totals even out over time. Export the finished roster to print or drop into a spreadsheet.
Enter. Add the people and the chores you want covered.
Click Build roster to see a result.
Options
Recent results
- No history yet.
How it works
- Enter. Add the people and the chores you want covered.
- Period. Choose your time span, such as a week, in the Options panel.
- Build. Click "Build roster" to generate the schedule, then export it.
About the Random Chore Roster
Each day is shuffled independently
The roster is built one day at a time: for every day the people list is shuffled afresh and then assigned across the chores with an offset that advances daily. The offset is what stops the grid being obviously repetitive; the fresh shuffle is what makes it unpredictable.
The consequence worth knowing is that days are not coordinated with each other. Nothing guarantees you a different chore tomorrow from the one you had today, and over a week somebody will draw the same job twice. It is fair in the sense that nobody is favoured, not in the sense that the week is balanced.
Reading the grid
The output is a table with a row per day and a column per chore, which is the format that actually goes on a fridge. Set the number of days to match your rota — a week is the default, and a fortnight works equally well.
Check the columns rather than the rows when you are looking for unfairness. A person appearing three times under "bathroom" across a week is the thing people notice, and it is invisible if you only read across.
What it does not model
- No memory between generations. Regenerating gives an entirely fresh roster with no reference to last week.
- No weighting for effort — a five-minute chore and an hour-long one are the same thing to the tool.
- No availability. Someone who is out on Thursday will still be given Thursday.
- Both lists are saved in this browser; only the last ten rosters are kept, so print or copy the one you are using.
Frequently asked questions
How is fairness ensured?
Each day independently shuffles the names and rotates them across chores, so the workload balances out over the full period.
Can I save or print the roster?
Yes. Use the export option to download a CSV you can print or paste into a spreadsheet.
Are the assignments genuinely random?
Yes. Shuffling uses the Web Crypto API, so no one consistently lands the same chore unless the math works out that way.
Does my list of names get sent anywhere?
No. The roster is built entirely in your browser and works offline — nothing is uploaded to a server.
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Further reading
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- You don't need January: running a mid-year resolution reset
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- Running a classroom kindness challenge that doesn't run out of ideas by day 3
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- Why a random resolution prompt beats staring at a blank list on January 1st
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- Why the standard 52-week savings challenge secretly punishes December
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- Does it just feel unfair, or is it? Audit your random picks over time
One person swears they get picked for chores twice as often as everyone else. With a randomizer that logs every draw and exports to CSV, you don't have to argue about feelings — you can open the spreadsheet and count.
- Who gets which prize? Let chance decide — and show your work
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- A chore roster that actually feels fair (and stops the arguments)
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- Beat decision fatigue at home: let a randomizer run the small stuff
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