Fall Home Maintenance Checklist: What to Do Before Winter
by the Berry team · Updated
In fall, clean the gutters once most leaves are down, get your heat checked and the filter changed, shut off and drain outdoor faucets, and seal the gaps where cold air and water get in. Finish those before your first hard freeze and you have covered the jobs most likely to prevent an expensive winter repair.
The fall checklist at a glance
Ordered roughly by how much damage skipping each one can cause. Most of the list is an afternoon of work and under $100 if you do it yourself.
| Task | What it prevents | DIY cost | Pro cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shut off and drain outdoor faucets | A frozen, split pipe inside the wall that leaks every time the faucet is used. | DIY$0-$15 | Pro$150-$400 to replace a split faucet |
| Clean gutters and check downspouts | Overflow that soaks fascia boards and pools water against the foundation. | DIY$0-$30 | Pro$100-$300 |
| Heating tune-up | A no-heat call on the coldest night, when service is slowest and most expensive. | DIYFilter only, $5-$40 | Pro$80-$200 |
| Change the HVAC filter | Restricted airflow that makes heating equipment work harder and wear faster. | DIY$5-$40 | ProUsually included in a tune-up |
| Test smoke and CO alarms | Dead alarms going into the months when heaters and fireplaces run most. | DIY$5-$30 for batteries | ProRarely needed |
| Caulk and weatherstrip gaps | Drafts, higher heating bills, and water getting behind trim. | DIY$20-$60 | Pro$150-$400 for a handyman visit |
| Clean the dryer vent | Lint buildup, longer dry times, and a real fire risk. | DIY$15-$40 for a brush kit | Pro$100-$200 |
| Chimney sweep and inspection (if you have a fireplace) | Creosote fires and animal nests blocking the flue. | DIYNot a DIY job | Pro$150-$400 |
| Look over the roof from the ground | Small shingle or flashing damage turning into a ceiling stain mid-winter. | DIY$0 | ProFree to $300 for an inspection |
Ranges are typical US prices and vary with your region, your home, and the season. A pro quote for your exact job beats any range.
Do these everywhere
These jobs apply no matter where you live. If you only have one free weekend this fall, spend it here.
Shut off outdoor faucets. Disconnect hoses, close the indoor shutoff valve if your faucets have one, and open the outside tap to let it drain. A hose left attached traps water that can freeze back into the pipe. The full walkthrough is in how to winterize outdoor faucets.
Clean gutters after the leaves drop. If you have gutters, clean them once most of the leaves are down, not before, or you will be doing it twice. Run a hose through each downspout to confirm it drains, and make sure the water exits several feet from the foundation. Downspout extensions cost about $10-$25 each.
Get the heat checked before you need it. If you heat with a furnace, a heat pump, or a boiler, a fall tune-up catches worn igniters, weak capacitors, and dirty burners while the weather is still mild. Booking in September or early October is easier than calling during the first cold snap.
Swap the HVAC filter. If your system uses a filter, check it now and put a reminder on your calendar. Most 1-inch filters need changing every 1 to 3 months; thicker media filters last longer. The size is printed on the edge of the old one.
Test every smoke and CO alarm. Press the test button on each one. Replace batteries in any that run on them, and replace any alarm older than about 10 years (check the date on the back). If you have gas appliances or an attached garage, you want working CO alarms on every sleeping floor.
Seal the obvious gaps. Walk around the outside and look for cracked caulk around windows, doors, and where pipes or wires enter the house. Inside, replace worn weatherstripping on exterior doors. You are keeping out cold air, water, and mice, which start looking for a warm place in fall.
Clean the dryer vent. Pull the dryer out, disconnect the duct, and brush it out from both ends. If drying a normal load takes noticeably longer than it used to, the vent is the first place to look.
Look at the roof. From the ground with binoculars is fine. Look for missing or lifted shingles, damaged flashing around chimneys and vents, and branches touching the roof. Fixing one lifted shingle is cheap. Finding it as a ceiling stain in January is not.
Reverse ceiling fans. Switch fans to spin clockwise on low. That pushes warm air down from the ceiling. It costs nothing.
Climate section
If you get hard freezes
If your area regularly drops into the low 20s or below, frozen pipes become the biggest fall risk. Add these before the first freeze, and see first-freeze prep for the night-before list.
Insulate exposed pipes. Pipes in a crawl space, garage, unheated basement, or exterior wall are the ones that freeze. Foam pipe sleeves cost a few dollars per section and slip on in minutes.
Find your main water shutoff now. If a pipe bursts, every minute of water matters. Find the main shutoff valve, make sure it turns, and show everyone in the house where it is.
Blow out the sprinkler system (if you have one). Irrigation lines hold water underground and in the backflow device. A pro blowout with a compressor typically runs $60-$150 and is cheaper than replacing a cracked backflow preventer.
Check attic insulation and air leaks. If you get snow, warm air leaking into the attic melts snow on the roof, which refreezes at the edge and can cause ice dams. Sealing gaps around attic hatches, light fixtures, and plumbing vents helps more than most people expect.
Climate section
If you're in a humid climate
In the South and along the coasts, fall is when the house switches from fighting humidity to heating mode. Moisture problems that built up all summer are easiest to spot now.
Check the crawl space (if you have one). Look for standing water, a torn or missing vapor barrier, damp insulation hanging down, or a musty smell. Moisture under the house leads to mold, wood rot, and pests.
Flush the AC condensate line. If you have central AC, pour a cup of white vinegar into the condensate line access before you stop using the AC for the year. A clogged line can back up and leak into the ceiling or the air handler closet.
Keep indoor humidity in check. Aim to keep indoor humidity below about 60 percent. A cheap hygrometer ($10-$20) tells you where you stand. Mildew behind furniture or in closets on exterior walls means it has been running high.
Look for signs of termites. In warm, humid areas, check the foundation and crawl space for pencil-width mud tubes. If you find any, call a pest pro. Treating early is much cheaper than repairing damaged wood.
Climate section
If you're in storm or tornado country
Parts of the South see a second tornado season in late fall and early winter, and fall wind storms bring down limbs everywhere. See storm and tornado prep for the full list.
Trim limbs over the house. Dead or overhanging branches are what turn a windy night into a roof claim. Large limbs near power lines are a job for a tree service, not a ladder.
Restock the emergency kit. Fresh batteries for flashlights and a weather radio, water, and a charged power bank. Know which room is your shelter: the lowest floor, an interior room, away from windows.
Take photos of the house. A quick walk-through video of every room and the exterior makes an insurance claim much easier if you ever need one.
Test the sump pump (if you have one). Pour a bucket of water into the pit and confirm the pump kicks on and drains it. Fall rain is when you want to find out it does not work, not during a storm.
When to call a pro
- The furnace or heat pump makes new noises, smells like burning after the first few minutes of use, or short-cycles on and off.
- You smell gas at any point. Leave the house and call the gas company from outside.
- The roof has missing shingles, sagging areas, or damaged flashing, or you are not comfortable on a ladder at that height.
- You have a fireplace or wood stove you plan to use and it has not been inspected in the last year.
- You find termite mud tubes, standing water under the house, or a split pipe.
What makes it worse if you wait
- A faucet that freezes and splits can leak inside the wall for weeks before anyone notices, and water damage repair usually costs far more than the faucet.
- Clogged gutters overflow against the house, rotting fascia and sending water toward the foundation all winter.
- Heating problems found in fall are a scheduled repair. The same problem found on the coldest night is an emergency call at emergency rates.
- Gaps left open in fall let in mice, and they do not leave on their own in spring.
Common questions
When should I start fall home maintenance?
Start in September or early October with anything that needs a pro, like a heating tune-up or chimney sweep, because schedules fill fast once it gets cold. Do outdoor faucets before your first freeze and gutters once most of the leaves are down.
How much does fall home maintenance cost?
If you do it yourself, most of the checklist costs under $100 in supplies. Hiring out the bigger jobs typically means $80-$200 for a heating tune-up, $100-$300 for gutter cleaning, and $150-$400 for a chimney sweep if you have a fireplace.
Do I really need a furnace tune-up every year?
Most manufacturers recommend annual service, and some warranties require it. Even if yours does not, a yearly check is the easiest way to catch a worn part before it fails on a cold night, which is when repairs cost the most.
Should I clean my gutters before or after the leaves fall?
After. Cleaning before the big leaf drop means doing it twice. If you have a lot of trees, one cleaning in late fall plus a quick check in early spring is a common rhythm.
What fall maintenance is most important if I only have time for one thing?
If you get freezing weather, shutting off and draining outdoor faucets. It takes minutes, costs almost nothing, and prevents one of the most common and expensive winter repairs.
Not sure that's your problem? Snap a photo and Berry will tell you what it is and what it should cost.
Keep reading
- How to Winterize Outdoor Faucets (and What a Frozen One Costs)How to shut off and drain outdoor faucets before a freeze, how to tell if yours are frost-free, and what a split faucet or pipe costs to fix.
- How to Prepare Your House for a Hard FreezeThe night-before list for a hard freeze: which faucets to drip, which cabinets to open, what to set the thermostat to, and what to do if a pipe freezes.
- How to Prepare Your House for a Tornado or Severe StormWhat to do before storm season, the day a watch is issued, and after the storm passes, with DIY vs pro costs for trees, tarps, generators, and sump backups.
- Seasonal Home Maintenance: What to Do Each Season and What It CostsThe full seasonal guide hub.