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Home maintenance schedule: a month by month calendar for the year
A home maintenance schedule turns thirty scattered jobs into a few each month. This calendar spreads the year so no month is heavy, and the table below it shows how often each job comes around, so you can plan years ahead.
How to use the schedule
Do the monthly checks on the first weekend of every month, then the two or three jobs listed for that month. The months fit a four season climate in the northern U.S. In a warm climate, move the heating jobs later and the cooling jobs earlier.
Every job here also appears in the season lists of the home maintenance checklist. This page lays the same work out as a calendar.
Every month
About ten minutes, the same weekend each month.
- Test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
- Check the furnace or air handler filter, and change it when it looks grey.
- Test the GFCI outlets with the test and reset buttons.
- Run water in sinks and showers you rarely use, and pour water into floor drains.
- Look under sinks and around the water heater for drips.
Month by month calendar
| Month | Jobs |
|---|---|
| January | Check the attic for frost or damp insulation. Watch the roof edge for ice dams after snow. Keep the furnace pipes, dryer vent and gas meter clear of snow. |
| February | Test the sump pump and check its discharge line is not frozen. Review last year’s log and set this year’s budget and projects. |
| March | Walk the outside for winter damage. Clean the gutters once the ice is gone. Check the roof from the ground. |
| April | Turn the outdoor water back on and check each hose bib. Test the sump pump with a bucket of water. Book the air conditioner check-up. |
| May | Have the air conditioner or heat pump checked. Clean the dryer vent. Repair screens and door sweeps. Reseal the deck if water soaks in. |
| June | Trim trees and shrubs back from the house. Clean the refrigerator coils. Check the washer hoses. |
| July | Drain a few gallons from the water heater to clear sediment. Check attic ventilation. Seal driveway and walkway cracks. |
| August | Clean the bathroom exhaust fans. Recaulk around tubs, showers and windows where it cracked. Update the home inventory. |
| September | Book the furnace or boiler check-up. Have the chimney inspected if you use it. Test the heat on a cool morning. |
| October | Replace smoke alarm batteries and any alarm past its date. Seal drafts around doors and windows. Reverse ceiling fans to clockwise. |
| November | Clean the gutters after the leaves fall. Drain and shut off outdoor faucets and store the hoses. Winterize the mower. |
| December | Keep the heat on when you travel. Check the water heater for rust and rumbling. Check the attic again after the first deep cold. |
One way to spread the year. Move a job a month either way to fit your weather; keep the order.
How often each job comes around
| Job | How often | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms | Every month | NFPA, U.S. Fire Administration |
| Check the furnace filter | Every month; change when dirty | ENERGY STAR |
| Test GFCI outlets | At least every month | CPSC |
| Clean the dryer lint screen | Every load | CPSC |
| Check the cooling system | Every spring | ENERGY STAR |
| Check the heating system | Every fall | ENERGY STAR, U.S. Fire Administration |
| Clean and inspect the chimney | Every year | U.S. Fire Administration |
| Clean the dryer vent duct | At least once a year | NFPA |
| Replace 9 volt smoke alarm batteries | Every year | U.S. Fire Administration |
| Replace smoke alarms | Every 10 years | U.S. Fire Administration, NFPA |
| Replace carbon monoxide alarms | At the date printed on the alarm | NFPA |
| Pump a septic tank | Every 3 to 5 years | EPA |
Each source is linked at the bottom of this page.
Why a schedule beats a list
A list says what. A schedule says when, and spreads the work so October is not one long weekend. Most jobs take under an hour. The ones that need a pro, the furnace check-up and the chimney sweep, sit a month before their season, because that is when the good technicians still have openings.
A schedule only works if you write the dates down. Each job’s last date tells you when the next one is due, and the record is worth real money when you sell. Keep it in a home maintenance log, and see the season lists in the spring checklist and the fall checklist.
Questions
What is a good home maintenance schedule?
Ten minutes of checks every month, two or three jobs each month spread through the year, a heating check-up each fall and a cooling check-up each spring, and a few long interval jobs such as replacing smoke alarms every 10 years and pumping a septic tank every three to five years.
How often should home maintenance be done?
Monthly for quick safety checks, seasonally for the bigger lists, and yearly for the heating, cooling, dryer vent, chimney and water heater.
Is there a printable home maintenance calendar?
Yes. Use the Print this page button at the top, or your browser print command. The calendar and the frequency table print cleanly without the menu and footer.
What home maintenance is needed in winter?
Keep the heat on, watch for ice dams, check the attic for frost, keep vents and the gas meter clear of snow, and test the sump pump.
Can an app keep my home maintenance schedule?
Yes. Housemap builds a schedule for your address and climate, takes the age of your equipment from a photo of its label, logs each job and emails you before the next one is due. It is free.
Sources
- NFPA smoke alarm guidance (test monthly, replace at 10 years)
- NFPA carbon monoxide safety (replace at the manufacturer date)
- U.S. Fire Administration: smoke alarms (batteries yearly, alarms every 10 years)
- U.S. Fire Administration: heating fire safety (heating equipment and chimneys inspected each year)
- ENERGY STAR heating and cooling maintenance checklist (monthly filter check, spring and fall check-ups)
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: GFCI fact sheet (test at least once a month)
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: overheated clothes dryers can cause fires (clean the lint screen each load)
- NFPA dryer safety tips as published by the Chimney Safety Institute of America (clean the vent once a year)
- U.S. EPA SepticSmart (pump every three to five years)
Related guides
Get this schedule for your house.
Type your address and Housemap sets each date for your house and its climate, keeps the logbook and emails you before each job is due. Free.