What should I check around the house each season?
Pick where the house is. The checklist is written for that climate, starting with South Florida, and prints on a page or two. Jobs a handyman can do are marked.
Your checklist
Home maintenance checklist
South Florida · onecallhandymanrepairs.com
Winter
December to February, the dry season- Test smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms; replace batteries where they are not sealed units.
- Walk the outside of the house: cracked caulk around windows and doors, loose trim, torn screens.Handyman job
- Check the caulk around tubs, showers and sinks; cut out and replace any that is black or pulling away.Handyman job
- Open and close every door: sticking, rubbing or not latching usually means loose hinges or seasonal swelling.Handyman job
- A good time for interior painting: low humidity helps paint dry and cure.Handyman job
Spring
March to May, before hurricane season- Test smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms; replace batteries where they are not sealed units.
- Walk the outside of the house: cracked caulk around windows and doors, loose trim, torn screens.Handyman job
- Check weatherstripping and door sweeps on exterior doors; close a door on a sheet of paper, and if it slides out freely the seal is not touching.Handyman job
- Pressure wash the driveway, walkways and patio before mould and mildew take hold.Handyman job
- Check pool-enclosure and lanai screens for tears and missing spline; the pool gate must self-close and latch.Handyman job
- Replace the air-conditioning return filter (monthly to quarterly, depending on the filter).
- Check that shutters, panels and their hardware are all there and that you know how they go up.
Summer
June to September, rain and hurricane season- After heavy rain, look for damp at door thresholds and window sills, and for ceiling stains.
- Open and close every door: sticking, rubbing or not latching usually means loose hinges or seasonal swelling.Handyman job
- Replace the air-conditioning return filter (monthly to quarterly, depending on the filter).
- Clear yard items that could blow around in a storm; anchor or store patio furniture.Handyman job
- Check pool-enclosure and lanai screens for tears and missing spline; the pool gate must self-close and latch.Handyman job
Autumn
October to November, after the storms- Test smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms; replace batteries where they are not sealed units.
- Walk the outside of the house: cracked caulk around windows and doors, loose trim, torn screens.Handyman job
- Pressure wash the driveway, walkways and patio before mould and mildew take hold.Handyman job
- Walk the outside after hurricane season for damaged screens, fence boards and loose trim.Handyman job
Not on a handyman's list
- Roof repairs, and anything that means walking on the roof: a licensed roofer.
- Electrical panels, new outlets and light fixtures: a licensed electrician.
- Leaks in pipes, water heaters, gas and air-conditioning repairs: the licensed trade.
Found jobs marked “handyman job”? Put them in one request. The estimate is free.
How this works
A house needs a handful of small checks at the right time of year: caulk and weatherstripping before the weather turns, gutters and screens before the rain, fences and decks before storm season, and painting when the air is dry. Which season each belongs in depends on the climate.
Jobs marked 'handyman job' are ones a handyman can take on. Roofing, electrical, plumbing, gas and air-conditioning repairs are for the licensed trade, and the list says so.
It runs in your browser and nothing you enter is sent anywhere. It is a guide, not a quote or a professional assessment — products and walls differ, so follow the maker's instructions where they disagree, and the handyman confirms what the job needs when they see it.
Questions people ask
- What home maintenance should I do before hurricane season?
- Check exterior doors seal and latch, renew cracked caulk and weatherstripping, clear gutters and downspouts, repair loose fence boards and torn screens, and make sure shutters and their hardware are all there.
- How often should I re-caulk the bathroom?
- Whenever the caulk cracks, peels or turns black. In humid climates that can be every year or two.
- When is the best time to paint inside in Florida?
- The dry season, roughly December to April, when lower humidity helps paint dry and cure.
- What should I check after a storm?
- Screens, fence boards and gates, loose trim, and any damp at door thresholds, window sills and ceilings.
Other free tools
Rather have someone look at it?
Phones answered around the clock. Free estimate — the price is agreed before work starts.