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Home maintenance log: what to record, a template, and the easy way to keep it
A home maintenance log is the memory of the house: when the furnace was serviced, who replaced the water heater, what the roof cost. Kept well, it saves you from repeating work, settles warranty claims and adds to what the house is worth when you sell.
What goes in the log
Every entry needs five things. Everything else is optional.
- The date the job was done.
- What was done, in one line: "Furnace serviced, igniter replaced."
- Who did it: you, or the company name and phone number.
- What it cost, including parts.
- When it is due again, if it repeats: a filter every 3 months, a furnace service every year.
Add a photo of the receipt or the invoice when you have one. A receipt is the proof a warranty claim or a buyer asks for.
A log template you can copy
| Date | Job | Who | Cost | Due again | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 4, 2026 | Furnace serviced | Bay State HVAC, 617 555 0100 | $189 | Oct 2027 | Igniter replaced. Filter 16x25x1. |
| Sep 20, 2026 | Gutters cleaned | Me | $0 | Nov 2026 | Downspout on the left side drains toward the house; fix. |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Water heater replaced | Ace Plumbing | $1,650 | 2036 | Rheem 50 gal, serial 0526xxxx. 6 year tank warranty to Jun 2032. |
| Mar 3, 2026 | Smoke alarms replaced | Me | $96 | Mar 2036 | 4 alarms, sealed 10 year battery. |
Copy these columns into a notebook or a spreadsheet, or print this page and keep it with the house papers.
What to keep the log in
A notebook in the kitchen drawer works until it gets lost in a move. A spreadsheet works until the phone photo of the receipt is somewhere else. The useful log is the one that is with you at the furnace, holds the photo, and reminds you when the next date comes.
Housemap is a free home maintenance log that does those three things. Type your address, log a job with the date, cost and who did it, snap the receipt and the fields fill themselves in, and the logbook tells you when each job is due again and emails you before it is. The Housemap iPhone app keeps the same logbook in your pocket.
How long to keep home maintenance records
- Repairs and routine maintenance: as long as you own the house. They show a buyer the house was cared for, and they tell you what was done and when.
- Improvements that add to the basis of the house (a new roof, a kitchen, an addition): keep the receipts for as long as you own the house plus the years the tax return that reports the sale can be examined. The IRS explains which improvements count in Publication 523.
- Warranties and manuals: for the life of the equipment. Keep the serial number with them.
- Permits and inspection reports: with the deed, forever.
What a log is worth when you sell
A buyer who sees a dated list of the furnace services, the roof replacement and the water heater install stops guessing about the big items. Inspectors ask for it. A clean log answers the questions before they are asked, and Housemap can hand the whole file to the next owner with one link while your own email and reminders stay out of it.
Questions
What is a home maintenance log?
A dated record of the work done on a house: repairs, routine maintenance, replacements and improvements, with who did them and what they cost. It can be a notebook, a spreadsheet or an app.
What should a home maintenance log include?
The date, the job, who did it, the cost and when it is due again. Add the receipt and, for equipment, the brand, model, serial number and warranty end date.
Is there a free home maintenance log app?
Housemap is free. It keeps a logbook per house with reminders, reads receipts to fill in entries, stores warranties and manuals, and can hand the file to the next owner.
How far back should I go?
Start with what you know: the year the roof, furnace and water heater went in, even approximately. Equipment labels carry a date or a serial number that gives the year. Then log everything from today forward.
Sources
Related guides
Start your house file.
Free. The logbook, the receipts and the reminders, for your address, on this site and in the app.