Annual Home Maintenance Checklist

What this checklist is for

Most big home repairs begin small. A gutter spills water against a wall for a season, a dryer vent fills with lint, a battery dies in a smoke alarm and nobody notices. This checklist gathers the upkeep that the EPA, the U.S. Fire Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and a university extension office point to, and groups it by system so you can do a little at a time.

It is for homeowners who want a simple routine. It does not replace a home inspection, and it does not set a price on anything. If you find damage, the repair costs are a separate question.

How to use it

Pick a weekend and work through one section. Tick items as you finish them. Your ticks stay in your browser, so you can come back and finish later, and you can print the page or copy it as text for a note. When the year turns over, clear the ticks and start again. Some items, like testing smoke alarms, are monthly tasks, so treat those as habits and not as a one-time box.

Water is the main enemy

The EPA says moisture control is the key to mold control. Its advice for the outside of the house is short: clean and repair the roof gutters regularly, and make sure the ground slopes away from the foundation so water does not collect there. University of Minnesota Extension adds detail. It describes poor surface drainage and a weak gutter and downspout system as common causes of wet basements, recommends a slope of 1 inch per foot for at least 6 feet away from the wall, and says water from downspouts should be carried at least 4 feet from the house. It warns that a downspout with no extension or splash block can be worse than none at all.

If you have a sump pit, test the pump. The extension page says plainly that the pump can fail. A pump that fails during a storm turns a quiet basement into a flooded one.

Moisture inside

Indoors, the EPA suggests keeping relative humidity below 60 percent, and ideally between 30 and 50 percent. A small humidity meter from a hardware store will tell you. Run the bathroom fan, use the kitchen exhaust, and look for condensation on windows, walls and pipes. Insulate cold pipes that sweat. Fix plumbing leaks as soon as you find them, because wet materials that are dried within 24-48 hours usually do not grow mold.

A dehumidifier helps, but the extension service is blunt that it is not a permanent or complete solution. If a space stays damp, there is a cause to find.

Dryer and air conditioning

The U.S. Fire Administration says a dryer is at higher risk of fire when the lint filter and vents go uncleaned. Clean the filter before and after each cycle, clear lint from behind the dryer, check the duct for crushing or blockage, and confirm the outside flap opens while the dryer runs. The EPA also wants dryers vented outdoors to keep humidity down. For an air conditioner, keep the drip pan clean and the drain line flowing.

Alarms

Test smoke alarms monthly, replace batteries at least yearly where they can be replaced, and replace the whole alarm every 10 years. The CPSC recommends carbon monoxide alarms on every level and outside sleeping areas, and says to run generators outside only, at least 20 feet from the house.

Worked example: a Saturday in the fall

A homeowner sets aside one Saturday. She clears leaves from the gutters and sees one downspout ends right at the foundation, so she adds an extension. Walking the yard, she finds the soil by the back wall has settled and tilts toward the house, so she adds soil. In the basement she reads the humidity meter, tests the sump pump by lifting its float, and finds the dryer duct packed with lint. She cleans it, presses the test button on each alarm, and writes the date on a sticky note. The whole day cost her very little, and it addressed the most common ways a house gets wet or catches fire.

When to call a pro

Call a professional for anything you cannot see or reach safely: a roof that looks damaged, an electrical or gas problem, mold across a large area, or a pump that keeps failing. If your alarm sounds for carbon monoxide or you feel dizzy or sick, go outside first and call emergency services. If water has already come in, use the water damage checklist.

Next steps

• After a storm, walk the property with the storm damage walkthrough.
• If water got in, start with the water damage first-response checklist.
• Learn what a policy may and may not pay with Is my damage covered?.
• When a repair is needed, vet bids with the hiring a contractor checklist.