Home maintenance guide

Home maintenance checklist: monthly, seasonal and yearly

Updated 9 November 2026 · 7 minute read

Nobody remembers when they last flushed the water heater. The weekly stuff, like taking the bins out, takes care of itself because you see it. The jobs that cost money when skipped are the ones that come round once a year or less, and those are exactly the ones that slip. This schedule sorts every job by how often it comes up, so you can see the whole year on one page and stop guessing.

The full schedule at a glance

These are typical intervals. Your manuals win if they say something different, and your home may not have every item (no septic, no fireplace, no sump pump), so skip what doesn’t apply.

Monthly jobs (about 30 minutes)

Pick one day, like the first Saturday, and do them together. Bundling is what makes them stick.

• Test every smoke and carbon monoxide alarm. Press and hold the test button. The National Fire Protection Association suggests testing monthly. If an alarm chirps, change the battery now, not later.
• Look at the furnace or AC filter. Pull it out and hold it up to a light. If you can’t see light through it, change it. Standard 1-inch filters usually last 1 to 3 months. Our guide on how often to change a furnace filter covers thicker filters and pets.
• Test GFCI outlets. These are the outlets with test and reset buttons in kitchens, bathrooms, garages and outside. Press test, check the power cuts out, press reset.
• Do a leak walk. Open the cabinets under each sink. Look around the base of the water heater, the toilets and the washing machine hoses. A small drip found early is a cheap fix.
• Run water in unused drains. A guest bathroom that nobody uses can dry out its drain trap and let sewer smell in. A minute of running water fixes it.

Spring

• Clean the gutters once trees have finished dropping seeds and blossoms. Make sure downspouts carry water a few feet away from the foundation.
• Book the AC service before the first hot week, when HVAC companies get busy. If you have a heat pump, this covers it too.
• Test the sump pump if you have one. Slowly pour a bucket of water into the pit and watch the pump switch on and drain it.
• Walk the outside of the house. From the ground, look for missing shingles, peeling paint, cracked siding and gaps where pests could get in. Winter shows its damage now.
• Test well water if you’re on a private well. The EPA suggests testing at least once a year.

Summer

• Keep the outdoor AC unit clear. Trim plants back so there’s a couple of feet of open space around it, and hose off leaves and grass clippings gently.
• Check the AC condensate line. Water should drip from the drain line outside while the AC runs. If it stops and you see water near the indoor unit, the line may be clogged.
• Book a chimney sweep if you burn wood. Late summer is quieter than fall, and NFPA guidance suggests a yearly chimney inspection.
• Look at the deck and fences. Check for loose boards, popped nails and wood that feels soft.

Fall

• Book the furnace or boiler service before the first cold night. If you have gas heat, this is a job for a licensed pro.
• Clean the gutters again after most leaves have fallen.
• Shut off and drain outdoor faucets before the first freeze. Disconnect hoses, close the indoor shut-off for each outdoor tap if there is one, and open the outside tap to let it drain.
• Check caulk and weatherstripping around windows and doors. If you feel a draft or see cracked caulk, redo it while it’s still mild enough for caulk to cure.
• Change the furnace filter at the start of the heating season, whatever the date says.

Winter

• Know where the main water shut-off is before a pipe freezes, not during. Our guide covers where to find it.
• Keep heat on in the house when you travel. Many people leave the thermostat no lower than the mid-50s °F to protect pipes, but check what your insurer or plumber suggests.
• Watch for ice dams along the roof edge. Heavy icicles and water stains on upstairs ceilings are the signs. If you see them, call a roofer rather than climbing up on ice.
• Check filters more often. The furnace runs hardest now, so filters fill faster.

Yearly jobs that are easy to forget

These don’t belong to one season. Pick a month for each and keep it the same every year.

• Clean the dryer vent duct. The lint screen catches most lint, not all of it. The U.S. Fire Administration notes that failing to clean dryers is a leading cause of home dryer fires. See how often to clean a dryer vent.
• Flush the water heater. Draining a few gallons from the valve at the bottom clears sediment. Follow the steps in your heater’s manual, and turn the gas or power off first as it says. If the valve looks corroded or you’re unsure, a plumber can do it.
• Vacuum the refrigerator coils. They’re behind or under the fridge. Dusty coils make it work harder.
• Check the dates on your smoke and CO alarms. Smoke alarms are generally replaced every 10 years. CO alarms often have a shorter life, so check the label.
• Septic? The EPA suggests having the system inspected regularly and pumped every few years, commonly 3 to 5. Keep the dates written down.

How to make the schedule stick

A list on the fridge works for the monthly jobs. It breaks down for the yearly ones, because a year is long enough to forget whether you did it. Write down the date each time you finish a rare job. Next year, that date is your reminder. A calendar with repeating events works, or an app built for it: KeptCue, for example, tracks rare jobs like the dryer vent and water heater flush and suggests how often to do each.

Don’t try to catch up on everything in one weekend. Start with the alarms and filter this month, add the seasonal jobs as each season arrives, and you’ll have done the whole list within a year.

Questions homeowners ask