Technical Debt Calculator

SQALE Method • Code Quality Metrics • Refactoring ROI • Maintainability Index

3D Code Health Cube • Health Score: 0%

Codebase Metrics

Team Metrics

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SQALE method?

SQALE (Software Quality Assessment based on Lifecycle Expectations) is a method to assess technical debt. Ratings from A (< 2.5% TDR) to E (> 20% TDR).

What is Technical Debt Ratio (TDR)?

TDR = Remediation Cost / Development Cost × 100. It measures the cost to fix issues vs the cost to build. < 5% is good, > 10% is concerning.

How is Maintainability Index calculated?

Based on code complexity, test coverage, and code smells. MI > 85 is excellent, 65-85 is good, < 65 needs attention.

What is cyclomatic complexity?

Number of linearly independent paths through code. < 10 is simple, 10-20 is moderate, > 20 is complex and risky.

Why does technical debt cost interest?

Like financial debt, technical debt slows development velocity. Each sprint, you lose productivity dealing with poor code quality.

When should I refactor?

When interest per sprint exceeds remediation cost amortized over expected code lifespan. Our calculator shows break-even point.

What are code smells?

Indicators of deeper problems: long methods, large classes, duplicated code, dead code, etc. Not bugs but design issues that reduce maintainability.

User Testimonials

"This calculator convinced our board to approve a $500K refactoring initiative. The ROI projection showing 15-sprint break-even was exactly what we needed. We've since improved from SQALE D to B."

Mike Chen

VP Engineering, FinTech Startup

"The priority matrix is gold! We focused on the high-ROI items first and reduced our TDR from 18% to 6% in 6 months. Velocity increased 40% as predicted."

Sarah Johnson

Tech Lead, E-commerce

"As a CTO, I use this quarterly to track code health across 12 teams. The maintainability index and radar chart make perfect exec dashboard material. Highly recommended!"

Dr. Alan Turing

CTO, Enterprise SaaS

Built with SQALE Methodology • Code Quality Metrics • ROI Analysis

© 2024 legitlads. Technical debt estimates are based on industry standards and team inputs.