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Spring home maintenance checklist: 26 jobs after the last freeze
Spring is when you find out what winter did. These jobs, in the order the weather allows, check the outside for damage, get the cooling and the outdoor water ready, and catch water problems before the spring rain finds them.
Outside: what winter did (March and April)
On a dry day after the last hard freeze. Binoculars help.
- Walk around the house. Look for lifted or missing shingles, cracked caulk, peeling paint and damaged siding.
- Scan the roof from the ground: missing shingles, bent flashing at the chimney and vents, and shingle granules piling up at the downspouts.
- Clean the winter debris out of the gutters and reattach any that sag or pulled away.
- Check that each downspout empties well away from the foundation; add an extension or a splash block where it does not.
- Look at the foundation for new cracks, and fill low spots in the soil next to the house so water runs away from it.
- Check the chimney crown and cap for cracks and the masonry for loose bricks.
- Check the deck and porch for loose boards, popped nails and soft wood. Reseal if water no longer beads on it.
- Clear leaves out of the window wells and away from the outdoor air conditioner.
Water and plumbing (April)
Before the spring rains and the first hose day.
- Turn the outdoor water back on and open each hose bib. A leak inside the wall the first time you run it means a pipe froze and split.
- Test the sump pump: pour a bucket of water into the pit and watch it start, empty the pit and stop. Check the discharge line is clear.
- Look under sinks, around toilets and behind the washer for drips, and replace cracked or bulging washer hoses.
- Check the basement and crawl space for damp spots or a musty smell after the first heavy rain.
- Drain a few gallons from the water heater valve to clear sediment.
Cooling and air (April and May)
Before the first hot week, while service companies can still fit you in.
- Book the air conditioner or heat pump check-up. ENERGY STAR recommends checking the cooling system every spring, before contractors get busy.
- Replace the furnace or air handler filter; the same filter serves the cooling.
- With the power off, hose dirt and pollen off the fins of the outdoor unit and trim plants back from it.
- Clean the bathroom exhaust fan grilles and check each fan still pulls a tissue against the grille.
- Switch ceiling fans to counterclockwise for a cooling breeze.
Safety checks (any weekend)
- Test every smoke and carbon monoxide alarm with the test button.
- Test the GFCI outlets in the kitchen, bathrooms, garage and outside. The CPSC says test them at least once a month.
- Clean the dryer vent all the way to the outside; see how often to clean a dryer vent.
- Check the fire extinguisher gauge and the replace by date on each carbon monoxide alarm.
- If the house has never been tested for radon, test it now. The EPA estimates nearly one in 15 U.S. homes has a radon level that should be reduced.
Yard and garage (May)
- Service the lawn mower: fresh oil, a sharp blade and a clean air filter.
- Trim shrubs and trees back from the siding, the roof and the air conditioner.
- Repair torn window screens and worn door sweeps before the bugs arrive.
What to fix first
Anything that lets water in: a missing shingle, a gutter pulled loose, a downspout emptying at the foundation, a hose bib leaking inside the wall. Water damage grows by the week. Paint and the deck can wait for a dry stretch in late spring.
Then cooling. An air conditioner that fails in the first heat wave joins a long queue for repairs.
Keep the record
Spring opens the home maintenance schedule. Summer, fall and winter are in the full home maintenance checklist and the fall checklist. Write the date next to each job you finish, or keep it in a home maintenance log, so next spring starts from a record instead of memory.
Questions
What home maintenance should I do in spring?
Check the roof, gutters, siding and foundation for winter damage, turn the outdoor water back on and look for leaks, test the sump pump, have the air conditioner checked, and test smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms and GFCI outlets.
When should I start spring home maintenance?
After the last hard freeze where you live. Inspections and gutter cleaning can start then; painting, sealing and staining wait for dry, mild weather.
Is there a printable spring home maintenance checklist?
Yes. Use the Print this page button at the top, or your browser print command. The page prints as a clean checklist with boxes to tick, without the menu and footer.
Do I need to service my air conditioner every spring?
A yearly check before the cooling season keeps it running well and catches small problems early. ENERGY STAR recommends a spring check-up for cooling and a fall check-up for heating. Change the filter yourself at the same time.
Sources
- ENERGY STAR heating and cooling maintenance checklist (spring cooling check-up, filters)
- NFPA smoke alarm guidance (test monthly)
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: GFCI fact sheet (test at least once a month)
- U.S. EPA: radon in homes, schools and buildings (nearly one in 15 homes)
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: overheated clothes dryers can cause fires
Related guides
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