April home maintenance checklist

By Pau Cozar Navas · Last reviewed October 2026 · Tasks from the HouseByMonth calendar

April is when spring reaches the middle of the country. Mixed-climate homes from Washington DC to Seattle get their spring outdoor checks, while warm zones are already preparing for summer heat. The coldest zones are still waiting on the thaw.

April tasks by climate zone

Climate zone	Tasks this month
Zone 1 (very hot) Miami, Honolulu, Key West	Start up and check the sprinkler system (if you have sprinkler / irrigation system) Check basement humidity (if you have basement or crawl space) Septic inspection (every 3 years) (if you have septic system) Test your well water (if you have private well)
Zone 2 (hot) Houston, Phoenix, Orlando, Dallas	Check basement humidity (if you have basement or crawl space) Set ceiling fans to summer mode
Zone 3 (warm) Atlanta, Nashville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles	Schedule an AC tune-up (if you have central air conditioning, heat pump) Start up and check the sprinkler system (if you have sprinkler / irrigation system) Septic inspection (every 3 years) (if you have septic system) Test your well water (if you have private well) Open the pool (if you have swimming pool)
Zone 4 (mixed) Washington DC, New York City, St. Louis, Seattle	Schedule an AC tune-up (if you have central air conditioning, heat pump) Clean the gutters (if you have gutters) Inspect the roof
Zone 5 (cool) Chicago, Denver, Boston, Salt Lake City	Clean the gutters (if you have gutters) Inspect the roof
Zone 6 (cold) Minneapolis, Fargo, Burlington (Vermont), Helena	Test the sump pump (if you have basement or crawl space)
Zone 7 (very cold) Duluth, Caribou (Maine), Anchorage	Test the sump pump (if you have basement or crawl space)
Zone 8 (subarctic) Fairbanks and interior Alaska	Only the monthly checks

Not sure of your zone? Find it by ZIP code, or build your calendar to see only the tasks that fit your home.

What to focus on

Zones 3 and 4 should book an AC tune-up if the home has central air or a heat pump. Getting it done before the cooling season, while contractors are less busy, is the point of the timing. The tune-up schedule guide has more. Zone 3 also restarts the sprinkler system, does the septic inspection when it is due, tests well water and opens the pool. Turn the sprinkler water back on slowly and run each zone to find broken heads or leaks (sprinkler guide).

Zones 4 and 5 clean the gutters and inspect the roof. Clear leaves, check that downspouts drain away from the foundation, and look over the roof from the ground or with binoculars for missing shingles, flashing problems or sagging. See gutter cleaning and roof inspections.

In hot zones, the focus is humidity and airflow. Zones 1 and 2 check basement humidity if the home has a basement, and zone 2 switches ceiling fans to summer mode, spinning counterclockwise as seen from below. Zone 1 also handles sprinklers, septic and well testing this month. Zones 6 and 7 test the sump pump before the thaw. Zone 8 has only the monthly checks.

Every month

Test your smoke and CO alarms with the routine in the alarm guide, then check the HVAC filter as the filter guide explains.

Read the March checklist or the May checklist, or open the calendar to filter by your zone and equipment.

Want every task on one schedule? Build your free maintenance calendar for your ZIP code and add it to your phone.