Prepare My House for Winter: Your Personal Checklist

Every winter checklist online is written for some other house. This one asks about yours: how cold it gets, how you heat, what’s outside, and whether you’ll be away. Then it builds a checklist in the order the work needs doing, from what to do now to what to do before the first hard freeze. Each task links to the guide it comes from, and the jobs that belong to a professional are marked. It’s free, with no sign-up.

The Full Winter Checklist

These are all the tasks the planner draws from, with the homes each one applies to. The planner shows only the ones that fit your answers, and the safety items show for every home they apply to.

Before the first frost

• Book the annual furnace or boiler tune-up Pro jobYour furnace or boiler needs one professional inspection and tune-up each year, and many manufacturer warranties require documented annual maintenance, so keep the invoice. After the tune-up, run the heat for a full cycle before the first cold night.Homes heated by a gas or propane furnace, an oil furnace, a boiler, or a system you aren’t sure of. Guide: Fall Home Maintenance Checklist
• Book the heat pump's pre-season check-up Pro jobENERGY STAR recommends a yearly pre-season check-up, in the fall for heating, and Lennox and Bryant suggest twice a year for a heat pump.Homes heated by a heat pump. Guide: Heat Pump Cold Air
• Change the furnace filter, then check it every monthCheck the filter every month and change it every one to three months, with a change before heating season in the fall. The arrow on the new filter points toward the furnace or air handler, in the direction the air travels.Homes heated by a gas or propane furnace, an oil furnace, a heat pump, an electric furnace, or a system you aren’t sure of. Guide: Change a Furnace Filter
• Bleed hot-water radiators once the heat has run a few daysBleed hot-water radiators early in the season, after the system has run a few days, and again whenever one goes cold at the top or the pipes gurgle. Never bleed a steam radiator or remove its vent.Homes heated by a boiler. Guide: Bleed Radiators
• Find, test, and label your main water shutoffFind the valve where the water enters the house, test it once with a tap running, label it, and show the household. If it is stuck or doesn't fully close, have it replaced with a ball valve before you need it.Every home. Guide: Main Water Shutoff
• Find and label the rest of your emergency shutoffsBeyond the main water valve, find the valves at each fixture, the water heater's supply, the gas meter valve, and the main breaker, label them, and gently test the water valves. Learn your utility's rule for the gas meter, but don't practice on it.Any home in its first winter with you. Guide: Emergency Shutoffs
• Air-seal and insulate the attic to prevent ice damsIce dams form when heat escaping through the attic melts roof snow, which refreezes at the colder eaves. Air-seal and insulate the attic, but ENERGY STAR calls it a difficult DIY project: get a professional if you find wet insulation, mold or rot, or knob-and-tube wiring, leave vermiculite alone until a lab confirms it has no asbestos, and have a heating technician check fuel-burning appliances afterward.Houses and townhouses with an attic where winters bring snow and nights in the teens. Guide: Ice Dam on Roof
• Seal drafts with caulk and weatherstrippingCaulk the cracks that never move and weatherstrip the parts that do, such as doors and windows you still open. Never seal the air a furnace, water heater, or fireplace needs to burn and vent.Every home. Guide: Best Weatherstripping
• Have a certified sweep inspect the chimney before the first fire Pro jobHave a CSIA-certified sweep inspect the chimney every year before burning season, and ask for a Level 2 if the house just changed hands. Gas fireplaces get a technician check each heating season.Homes with a fireplace or wood stove. Guide: Fireplace Safety
• Ask your irrigation company early about winterizing Pro jobSprinklers are drained by the method the system was built for, and where the ground freezes hard, ask your irrigation company whether yours needs a blowout. Blowing out lines with compressed air is best left to an irrigation professional, and irrigation companies fill up before the first freeze, so book early.Homes with in-ground sprinklers where winters bring snow and nights in the teens. Guide: Winterize Sprinklers
• Clean the dryer vent pipeClean the lint trap before every load, and clean the vent at least once a year, or every six months with pets, a large family, or a long or twisting duct run. Never run the dryer while you're asleep or out of the house.Every home. Guide: Clean a Dryer Vent
• Reverse any ceiling fans to run clockwise at low speedENERGY STAR advises running ceiling fans clockwise at low speed in winter, which pushes the warm air pooled at the ceiling back down along the walls. Flip the switch on the motor housing after the fan stops; remote and smart fans usually have a reverse button or app toggle.Every home. Guide: Fall Home Maintenance Checklist
• Check the water heater and do the yearly flush if you skipped itLook for leaks or rust at the base and confirm the thermostat is set to 120°F. If you skipped the annual sediment flush in May, fall works just as well; read the power-off and cool-down steps first.Homes with a gas or propane tank water heater, an electric tank water heater, or a water heater you aren’t sure of. Guide: Fall Home Maintenance Checklist
• Check your space heater for recalls and safety featuresEach fall, check your model on SaferProducts.gov, the CPSC's recall database, and make sure it has a testing-lab mark (UL, ETL, or CSA), a tip-over switch, and overheat protection.Homes with space heaters. Guide: Best Space Heaters

Before the first hard freeze

• Inspect any heat tape on your pipes before you need itEvery fall, unplug any heat tape and inspect its entire length, and replace it at once if you see cracked or charred insulation, discoloration, cuts, or bare wire. Plug it only into a grounded, GFCI-protected outlet, and never wrap it over itself unless its instructions specifically permit it.Any home where it freezes. Guide: Best Heat Tape
• Clean the gutters after the leaves dropClean the gutters in late fall, after the leaves finish falling and before the first hard freeze, and make sure the water lands away from the foundation. Anything that needs an extension ladder on a second story is a job for a gutter service.Houses and townhouses with gutters. Guide: Clean Gutters from the Ground
• Disconnect hoses and winterize every outdoor faucetTake the hoses off and store them. If the faucet has an interior shutoff, close it, open the outdoor faucet to drain, drain the bleeder cap, leave the faucet slightly open, and put the cover on; a frost-free faucet needs the hose off, and still bursts if one is left attached.Homes with outdoor faucets where it freezes. Guide: Winterize Outdoor Faucets
• Shut off and drain the sprinkler systemClose the irrigation shutoff and insulate it if it can freeze, set the controller to off or rain mode, and empty the lines by the method the system was built for. Drain the backflow preventer with its test cocks open and ball valves at 45 degrees, then cover it.Homes with in-ground sprinklers where it freezes. Guide: Winterize Sprinklers
• Insulate pipes in unheated spacesInsulate pipes in crawl spaces, garages, attics, and along exterior walls with foam sleeves. Sealing gaps where pipes pass through exterior walls and around the rim joist keeps cold air off them.Any home where it freezes. Guide: Frozen Pipes
• Protect a high-efficiency furnace's condensate line from freezing Pro jobCarrier and Bryant say a furnace may leak in winter because its condensate line froze, especially a line exposed outdoors, and Carrier's instructions for one condensing furnace say a line that could freeze needs a trap heater, heat tape, or RV antifreeze: installer work. For ice at the outside end, don't use an open flame; call a technician.Homes heated by a gas or propane furnace where it freezes. Guide: Clogged Condensate Line

All winter long

• Check the pipe freeze forecast on cold nightsEnter your zip code to see the lowest temperature in the next 48 hours, how many of those hours fall at or below freezing, and what to do before bed.Every home. Guide: Pipe Freeze Check
• If a rare deep freeze is forecast, protect outdoor faucets that afternoonDisconnect the hoses, and drain and cover the outdoor faucets. If you get a rare deep freeze in a normally mild area, doing this the afternoon before the cold arrives is cheap insurance.Homes with outdoor faucets where freezes are rare. Guide: Winterize Outdoor Faucets
• Let faucets drip on exposed pipes during hard freezesWhen temperatures drop well below freezing, let cold water drip from faucets on exterior walls or served by exposed pipes. In extreme cold, IBHS and the CDC say to let every faucet drip.Any home where it freezes. Guide: Frozen Pipes
• In cold snaps, open sink cabinets and hold the thermostat steadyOpen sink cabinet doors on exterior walls so warm room air reaches the plumbing, after moving cleaners and chemicals out of reach of children and pets. Keep garage doors closed if water lines run through the garage, and hold the thermostat at the same temperature day and night during extreme cold.Any home where it freezes. Guide: Frozen Pipes
• Keep the heat pump's outdoor unit clear and uncoveredWith the power off at the thermostat and the disconnect box, gently sweep snow off the top, clear snow and leaves from the sides, and keep about two feet clear around it. Don't wrap it for winter, and never chip the ice or pour hot water on it.Homes heated by a heat pump where it freezes. Guide: Heat Pump Cold Air
• Clear snow from the dryer, furnace, and fireplace vents after stormsKeep the furnace, dryer, stove, and fireplace vents clear during and after a storm, and on a high-efficiency furnace check the plastic intake and exhaust pipes too.Houses and townhouses where winters bring snow and nights in the teens. Guide: CO Alarm Going Off
• Rake snow off the lower roof from the ground after heavy snowAfter every heavy snowfall, stand on the ground and use a non-metallic roof rake to pull snow off the lower few feet of roof, stopping at the ice. Never rake from a ladder, keep at least 10 feet between any power line and you, the pole, and the rake, and leave a second story to a roofer.Houses and townhouses where winters bring snow and nights in the teens. Guide: Ice Dam on Roof
• Leave ice dams to a roofer: no climbing, chipping, flame, or salt Pro jobDon't climb onto the roof, chip or pry at the ice, or use torches, pressure washers, or rock salt on it. Call a roofer when a dam is leaking, large, above the first story, or near the service line.Houses and townhouses where winters bring snow and nights in the teens. Guide: Ice Dam on Roof
• Burn only dry wood and take cooled ashes outside in a metal canBurn only dry, seasoned wood with the damper fully open, never use gasoline to light it, and put the fire out before you go to sleep or leave home. Let the ashes cool, then take them outside in a lidded metal can at least 10 feet from the house.Homes with a fireplace or wood stove. Guide: Fireplace Safety
• Watch the sump discharge line and retest the pump after outagesA frozen discharge line is one of the most common causes of a flooded basement, so take a quick look at the discharge outlet after a hard freeze. Do the bucket test again before any major forecast storm and after any power outage.Homes with a sump pump. Guide: Test a Sump Pump
• Start the generator monthly, outdoors, under a real loadStart the generator monthly and run it under a real load for 15 to 20 minutes where you'd run it in an outage: outdoors, at least 20 feet from the house, never in the garage. Keep gasoline in labeled, non-glass safety containers, with stabilizer added when you fill the cans.Homes with a portable generator. Guide: Best Generators
• Know how to drain the tankless water heater in a long outageA tankless water heater's freeze protection needs power, so follow your unit's manual for draining it during a prolonged outage.Homes with a tankless water heater where it freezes. Guide: Power Outage
• Shovel safely: push, don't lift, and stop at warning signsPush rather than lift, pace yourself, and stop immediately at chest pain or pressure, lightheadedness, or an irregular heartbeat; call 911 if symptoms don't subside shortly after you stop, and don't drive yourself. If you have heart disease or its risk factors, the AHA says to have someone else clear the snow.Any home where winters bring snow and nights in the teens. Guide: Snow Shovels & Ice Melt
• If you use a snow blower, never clear a clog by handShut it off, wait for all moving parts to stop, and use the clearing tool or a long stick, never your hands. Start and run a gas snow blower outdoors, never in a garage or shed, even with the door open.Houses and townhouses where winters bring snow and nights in the teens. Guide: Best Snow Blowers

When the house will be empty

• Keep the heat at 55°F or higher while you're awayNever turn the heat off completely in winter; keep it no lower than 55°F, the minimum the Red Cross and major insurers recommend to keep pipes from freezing. Insurers can deny burst-pipe claims when the heat was left off.Any home that will sit empty this winter. Guide: Winter Home Maintenance Guide
• Have someone check the house while you travelWhen you travel in winter, have someone check the house, so a furnace that quits doesn't become frozen pipes.Any home that will sit empty this winter. Guide: Furnace Won't Turn On
• Shut off the main water before a long winter tripTest the main valve before any long winter trip, and if you'll leave a house in a cold climate for weeks, close the main, then open the lowest tap to drain pressure from the lines. Leave it on if something in the house needs water while you're gone, such as someone feeding the pets.Any home that will sit empty this winter. Guide: Main Water Shutoff
• Add leak sensors, ideally ones with a freeze alertA leak sensor under the sink or near the water heater tells you about a leak the moment it starts, and some models also warn you when a space gets cold enough to freeze.Any home that will sit empty this winter. Guide: Frozen Pipes
• Don't leave a space heater running to protect pipesDon't use a space heater as unattended freeze protection in a crawl space, garage, or empty house; that breaks the never-unattended rule, so insulate the pipes instead.Any home that will sit empty this winter. Guide: Best Space Heaters
• Count on a battery backup, not a generator, for the sump pumpBasements flood at night and while you are away, and a generator helps only if someone is home to start it and plug the pump in; a battery backup switches over on its own.Homes with a sump pump that will sit empty this winter. Guide: Test a Sump Pump

Safety, every winter

• Test every smoke and CO alarm monthly and check the datesPress and hold the test button on every smoke and CO alarm once a month. Replace smoke alarms at ten years from the manufacture date and CO alarms at the replace-by date on the unit.Every home. Guide: Test Smoke Alarms
• Put a CO alarm on every level and outside each sleeping areaChoose battery-operated alarms or ones with battery backup, interconnected if you can.Every home. Guide: CO Alarm Going Off
• Space heaters: 3 feet of clearance, wall outlet, off when you leave or sleepKeep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from the heater on all sides, and plug it straight into a wall outlet, never an extension cord or power strip. Turn it off and unplug it when you leave the room or go to sleep.Homes with space heaters. Guide: Best Space Heaters
• Run the generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the houseNever run a portable generator in your home, garage, basement, crawl space, or shed, even with doors and windows open; a porch or carport is too close. Point the exhaust away from windows, doors, and vents, and never plug it into a wall outlet to power house wiring.Homes with a portable generator. Guide: Winter Home Maintenance Guide
• Get ready for a winter power outageKeep a flashlight for every person, spare batteries, a battery or hand-crank radio, and phone chargers or battery packs, and use flashlights, not candles. Never heat the house with a gas oven or range, and never use a generator, grill, camp stove, or charcoal inside the house, basement, or garage, even with the door open.Every home. Guide: Power Outage
• Never warm up a car in the attached garagePull the car out right after starting it, and never run a vehicle or other engine indoors, even with the garage door open.Homes with an attached garage. Guide: CO Alarm Going Off

How the Planner Works

Each task in the full checklist above carries the conditions it applies to, such as a climate that freezes, a type of heating, outdoor faucets, or a fireplace. The planner keeps the tasks whose conditions match your answers and sorts them by when to do them:

• Before the first frost: the service calls to book early and the jobs that need mild, dry weather.
• Before the first hard freeze: shutting off and draining what’s outside, and protecting the pipes. Our fall checklist counts 28°F or below for a few hours as a hard freeze, and says to get ready when one is two to three weeks away.
• All winter long: the habits for cold snaps, snow, and ice.
• When the house will be empty: shown only if you’ll be away.

The safety items show in a box of their own for every home they apply to. Each task says only what the linked guide says, and those guides follow official sources such as the American Red Cross, the CPSC, and the NFPA, plus the equipment makers. The planner doesn’t replace a professional: a Pro job badge marks work our guides leave to a professional. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, get everyone outside and call 911 from there. If you smell gas, get everyone out without switching anything on or off or using a phone, and call 911 and the gas utility once you’re a safe distance away.

The planner doesn’t collect your answers: they, your ZIP code, and your ticks are saved in this browser only. After you make a plan, the page address holds your answers (not your ZIP code), so you can bookmark it, or use “Copy link to this plan” to open it on another device or send it to someone you live with. Like any page address on the site, a plan link is counted by our site analytics when it’s opened; our privacy policy explains what that covers.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I start getting my house ready for winter?

When the first hard freeze, 28°F or below for a few hours, is two to three weeks away where you live, not on a calendar date. In the northern US that’s often late September or October; across the South it can be December or never. Book the furnace service and disconnect the hoses before it arrives. Once it’s close, our pipe freeze check shows the next 48 hours of the forecast for your ZIP code.

What temperature should I keep the house at when I’m away in winter?

No lower than 55°F, the minimum the American Red Cross recommends, so the pipes inside walls and crawl spaces stay above freezing. Never turn the heat off completely. If you’ll be gone for weeks in a cold climate, also shut off the main water valve and drain the lines; our shutoff guide shows where the valve is.

Which winter jobs need a professional?

Our guides leave these to a pro: the yearly furnace, boiler, or heat pump tune-up; the chimney inspection by a CSIA-certified sweep before the first fire; blowing out sprinkler lines with compressed air; protecting a high-efficiency furnace’s condensate line from freezing; and ice dams, which belong to a roofer. Most of the rest, from winterizing outdoor faucets to changing the furnace filter, is a first-timer job, and each task links to the step-by-step guide.

Does the planner keep my information?

No. Your answers, ZIP code, and ticks are saved in your own browser, so the plan is still there when you come back on the same device, and the planner doesn’t send them to us. To open the plan somewhere else, use “Copy link to this plan”: the link carries your answers, but not your ZIP code or your ticks. Like any page address on the site, a plan link is counted by our site analytics when it’s opened; see our privacy policy.

Bottom Line

Getting a house ready for winter is a short list once you know which tasks yours actually needs. Answer the questions above, do the first tasks while the weather is still mild, and finish the freeze tasks before the first hard freeze. Then keep the safety habits all winter.

Sources

Every task comes from one of our guides, linked from the task, and each guide lists its own sources. The safety rules follow these: