The Complete Home Maintenance Checklist (By Season)

Quick answer: Do a short set of safety and system checks every month, then batch the rest by season: cooling and drainage in spring, heat and storm prep in summer, heating and freeze protection in fall, and moisture, ice and paperwork checks in winter. The tasks are the same everywhere, but the timing and priorities change with your climate, so adjust the checklist below to your region.

Start with the tasks that repeat

Some jobs do not belong to a season. Put these on a recurring schedule first, because they protect life and prevent the most expensive failures.

• Every month: Test smoke alarms and check your HVAC filter. ENERGY STAR advises inspecting, cleaning or changing furnace, central AC and heat pump filters once a month. Test GFCI outlets too (the Electrical Safety Foundation recommends monthly testing, plus after any power surge).
• Every dryer load: Clean the lint filter. Have the exhaust duct cleaned and inspected at least once a year. USFA and NFPA data, as summarized by UL, cite failure to clean in about a third of dryer fires.
• Once a year: Have a professional inspect every fuel-burning appliance, including furnace, boiler, water heater, fireplace and chimney. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends this annually, along with a CO alarm on every level and outside sleeping areas.
• Once a year: Check the temperature and pressure relief valve on your tank water heater. Flush sediment on the schedule your manufacturer gives; hard water means more often.
• Every 10 years: Replace smoke alarms, counting from the manufacture date printed on the unit (NFPA guidance). For CO alarms, follow the replacement age in the manufacturer's instructions.
• Once, if you have not: Test for radon. The EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or higher.

Spring checklist

Spring is for finding out what winter did and getting cooling ready.

1. Book the cooling tune-up before the first hot stretch. Technician schedules and prices tighten at peak season. See the HVAC maintenance schedule for what a visit should cover.
2. Clear the outdoor unit. Trim plants back at least 2 feet from the condenser, remove debris and clean the coil if it looks dirty.
3. Look at the roof from the ground. Check for missing, curling or lifted shingles and damaged flashing. The National Roofing Contractors Association says homeowners should inspect only from ground level because falls are too great a risk. See roof lifespan and when to replace for what you are looking for.
4. Clean gutters and check downspouts. Water should leave well away from the foundation. Local rules differ; Portland, Oregon, for example, asks that downspouts discharge at least 6 feet from a basement wall and at least 2 feet from a slab or crawl space.
5. Seal and touch up. Re-caulk gaps around windows and doors, repair peeling paint, and probe deck boards for soft spots.
6. Check plumbing. Turn on outdoor spigots and look for leaks, and look under sinks for slow drips.
7. Wildfire regions: Clear the first 5 feet around the house of dead plants, debris and wood mulch before fire season. NFPA's Firewise guidance also calls for metal gutters kept free of debris and noncombustible mulch in that zone.

Summer checklist

Summer is for keeping cooling running and trimming back what damages the house.

• Check the AC filter every month or two while the system runs heavily. Check more often with pets or dust.
• Pass a stiff wire through the condensate drain now and then, as the U.S. Department of Energy suggests, so a clog does not back up water.
• Watch indoor humidity. The EPA says to aim for 30 to 50 percent and keep it below 60 percent to limit mold. Dry water-damaged areas within 24 to 48 hours.
• Trim branches and vines off the roof and siding.
• Check irrigation for leaks and overspray onto the house.
• Prepare for your regional storm risk. Coastal homeowners can use our hurricane season home prep guide. In hail and tornado country, photograph the roof and exterior now so you have a before picture.

Fall checklist

Fall is the most important season for cold climates and a good reset everywhere else.

1. Schedule the heating inspection. ENERGY STAR recommends checking the heating system in the fall. For gas or oil, this includes combustion and the heat exchanger.
2. Test CO alarms and replace batteries where the model needs it.
3. Clean gutters after the leaves drop. Clogged gutters feed ice dams in snow country and water intrusion elsewhere.
4. Winterize plumbing in freeze zones. The American Red Cross advises removing outdoor hoses, closing the interior valve to each outdoor faucet while leaving the outside valve open, and insulating exposed pipes in attics, basements, crawl spaces and garages.
5. Find your main water shutoff and confirm it turns.
6. Seal air leaks. Replace worn weatherstripping and seal gaps where pipes and wires enter the house.
7. Cold climates: Check attic insulation and ventilation. Michigan's MI Ready program recommends at least R-30 attic insulation (R-38 preferred in northern regions) plus airflow from the eaves to the roof vents to reduce ice dams.
8. Have the chimney and fireplace inspected before first use.

Winter checklist

Winter is for moisture, ice and annual paperwork.

• Watch for ice dams and heavy snow. A roof rake lets you clear snow from the ground. Do not climb up or chip at ice.
• Keep the outdoor heat pump clear of snow, ice and runoff, and keep it running through cold weather rather than switching it off.
• In hard freezes: Open cabinet doors under sinks, let a cold tap drip on exposed lines, and keep the thermostat at 55 degrees or higher if you are away (Red Cross guidance).
• Check for condensation on windows and musty smells, which can mean air leaks or too much indoor moisture.
• Review insurance and warranties. Confirm coverage amounts and deductibles before renewal, and make sure appliance warranty papers are filed.
• Walk every room and write down what to fix in the new year.

How this varies by region

The U.S. Department of Energy's building codes office groups the country into climate zones from 1 (very hot) to 8 (subarctic), each marked humid (A), dry (B) or marine (C). Use your zone and local hazards to reorder the list.

Tasks also shift by month. A "spring" job in Minnesota may not be safe to do until May, while in Arizona the cooling tune-up belongs in February or March.

Keep the checklist from living in your head

A checklist only works if something prompts you. In Steadwell's home maintenance tracker you can create recurring tasks with due dates and categories, get an email reminder 3 days before each one is due, and keep a service history as you mark tasks done. Calendar sync puts the same tasks in the calendar you already use. Tracking is included on the Free plan.

Frequently asked questions