A practical, LA-specific spring home maintenance checklist: post-winter roof and gutter checks, AC service before summer, exterior wash, caulking, alarm tests, irrigation, pest sweep, and fire-season brush clearing.
A good spring home maintenance checklist for Los Angeles covers nine things. Check your roof and gutters, AC, exterior, windows and screens, caulking, alarms, irrigation, pests, and fire-season brush. Knock them out now, before summer heat and peak fire season arrive.
LA's seasons are gentle, so spring maintenance is easy to skip. Don't. Our mild, wet winters leave debris and small leaks behind, and the dry months ahead push your AC, your water bill, and your fire risk all at once. This checklist walks you through each task in order, with the LA-specific reasons they matter.
Key Takeaways
- Change your AC filter every three months, and check it monthly in heavy-use season. A clean filter can cut HVAC energy use by 5% to 15% (ENERGY STAR, retrieved 2026-08-23).
- Test every smoke and carbon monoxide alarm monthly. Replace smoke alarms at 10 years and CO alarms at 7 to 10 years (NFPA, retrieved 2026-08-23).
- Outdoor watering is about 30% of a home's water use nationwide, and much more in dry climates. A tuned system saves water and money (EPA WaterSense, retrieved 2026-08-23).
- Budget roughly 1% of your home's value per year for upkeep so spring fixes don't blow a hole in your finances (Fannie Mae, retrieved 2026-08-23).
Before You Start
Spring is the right window because it sits between LA's rainy season and its hot, dry summer. You're cleaning up after the wet months and getting ahead of the strain that heat and fire season bring.
What you'll want on hand:
- A sturdy ladder, work gloves, and safety glasses
- A garden hose, a caulk gun, and exterior caulk
- Fresh AC and CO alarm batteries and a spare furnace filter
- Time: a few weekends, not one marathon day
- Difficulty: most tasks are beginner-friendly; a few call for a pro
Set aside a maintenance fund, too. A common rule of thumb is to save about 1% of your home's value each year, more for older homes (Fannie Mae, retrieved 2026-08-23).
Step 1: Check the Roof and Clean the Gutters
Start up top, because winter rain is the culprit LA homeowners forget. By the end of this step, you'll know your roof survived the wet season and your gutters can handle the next one.
From the ground or a stable ladder, scan for cracked, curled, or missing shingles and any loose flashing. Then clear leaves and grit from the gutters and downspouts so water flows freely.
Aim to clean gutters twice a year, spring and fall, and more often under heavy tree cover. Our full walkthrough on how to clean gutters covers the safe way to do it. If the roof looks damaged, that's a job for a pro.
Step 2: Service the AC Before Summer Hits
Get ahead of the heat now, while HVAC companies aren't slammed. By the end of this step, your AC will be ready for the first 95-degree day without a panic call.
Replace the filter first. At a minimum, change it every three months, and check it monthly during heavy use (ENERGY STAR, retrieved 2026-08-23). A clean filter matters: the Department of Energy estimates swapping a dirty filter for a clean one can cut your system's energy use by 5% to 15%.
Then clear leaves and debris from around the outdoor condenser unit, and give it two feet of breathing room. For coil cleaning or a refrigerant check, book a licensed HVAC tech.
Step 3: Wash the Exterior
A rinse does more than look nice. By the end of this step, you'll have cleared the grime, pollen, and mildew that winter left on your siding, walkways, and fences.
Los Angeles dust and marine-layer moisture leave a film that traps stains and wears down finishes. A garden hose and a soft brush handle most of it. A pressure washer speeds up driveways, patios, and block walls.
Work top to bottom, and keep high pressure off windows, light fixtures, and older paint. This is also your chance to spot cracked stucco or peeling trim before you seal it in the next step.
Step 4: Inspect Windows, Screens, and Doors
Good screens mean fresh air without bugs all summer. By the end of this step, your windows and doors will open, close, and seal the way they should.
Open every window and check the screens for holes or bent frames. Torn screens are cheap to re-mesh and worth doing before mosquito season. Wipe the tracks so sliders and screen doors glide.
Check that windows latch and doors close cleanly against their weatherstripping. Sun and settling can knock things out of true over a year. Note any gaps you find; you'll seal them next.
Step 5: Re-Caulk and Seal the Gaps
Sealing gaps is the cheapest efficiency upgrade you can make. By the end of this step, you'll have closed the leaks that let cool air out and dust and pests in.
Walk the house and inspect the caulk around exterior windows, door frames, and where trim meets stucco. Dig out any cracked or shrunken beads and lay a fresh line. Do the same for bathrooms and kitchens indoors.
EPA estimates that air sealing plus added insulation saves the average home about 15% on heating and cooling costs (ENERGY STAR, retrieved 2026-08-23). Our guide on how to recaulk a bathtub shows the technique on a tricky spot.
Step 6: Test Every Smoke and CO Alarm
This one takes ten minutes and can save a life. By the end of this step, every alarm in the house will be tested and dated.
Press the test button on each smoke and carbon monoxide alarm. Swap batteries in any that chirp or fail. Then check the manufacture date printed on the back.
Replace smoke alarms once they hit 10 years old, and carbon monoxide alarms at 7 to 10 years, depending on the model (NFPA, retrieved 2026-08-23). Test every unit at least once a month year-round, not just in spring.
Step 7: Check Your Irrigation and Sprinklers
Tune your watering before the dry heat drives your bill up. By the end of this step, your system will water plants, not sidewalks.
Run each zone and watch. Look for broken heads, geysers, misaligned spray hitting pavement, and soggy low spots that signal a leak. Adjust heads and reset your timer for the warmer months.
Outdoor use is about 30% of household water nationwide, and higher in dry climates like ours (EPA WaterSense, retrieved 2026-08-23). A WaterSense-labeled smart controller can cut irrigation use by up to 30% (EPA, retrieved 2026-08-23).
Step 8: Do a Pest and Termite Sweep
Spring is when pests get active, so catch them early. By the end of this step, you'll have spotted the warning signs before they turn into an infestation.
Walk the perimeter and look for mud tubes on the foundation, hollow-sounding wood, discarded wings near sills, and ant trails. Spring is prime swarm season for subterranean termites across Southern California.
Clear wood piles and mulch away from the foundation, and fix the moisture that draws pests in. If you find live termites or serious damage, call a licensed pest professional rather than treating it yourself.
Step 9: Clear Defensible Space for Fire Season
If you're in or near LA's hillsides, this step matters most. By the end of it, you'll have a cleaner, safer buffer heading into the dry season.
Spring is the time to cut it back, while brush is still green and easy to manage. Clear dead plants, leaves, and debris, trim branches away from the roof, and keep the zone closest to the house lean.
California guidance calls for up to 100 feet of defensible space around homes in high fire-hazard areas (Ready for Wildfire, CAL FIRE, retrieved 2026-08-23). Check your local rules, since LA neighborhoods vary.
When to Call a Pro
Plenty of this checklist is a Saturday's work. But roof damage, coil cleaning, electrical, and active termites are jobs for someone with the right tools and training. If you'd rather hand off the list, our guide on how to find a good handyman in Los Angeles shows you how to vet one.
For the full year-round picture, see our Los Angeles home maintenance checklist, which maps out what to do each season.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start spring home maintenance in Los Angeles?
Late winter through early spring is ideal. You want to finish before the first real heat and before fire season peaks. Starting in February or March gives you time to book any pros before they get busy.
How often should I service my AC in LA?
Change the filter at least every three months and check it monthly in summer. Schedule a professional tune-up once a year, ideally in spring, so the system is ready before you rely on it daily.
What's the most important spring maintenance task?
Testing smoke and CO alarms takes ten minutes and protects your family, so it's the highest-value task. Servicing the AC and clearing defensible space are close behind for LA homeowners heading into summer.
How much should I budget for spring home maintenance?
A common rule of thumb is about 1% of your home's value per year for total upkeep, spread across all seasons (Fannie Mae, retrieved 2026-08-23). Older homes and larger lots usually land at the higher end.
Get Your Spring Checklist Done Right
Work through these nine steps and your home is ready for the LA summer: efficient AC, sealed gaps, safe alarms, a tuned sprinkler system, and a cleaner fire buffer. Do a little now and you avoid the expensive surprises later.
NC Services is a fully insured local handyman serving Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Culver City, the South Bay, and the San Fernando Valley. We can knock out your spring maintenance list in a visit or two, and we'll point you to a licensed specialist when a job calls for one. To get started, contact us or call (323) 989-4840.
About the author: NC Services is an insured handyman business based in Los Angeles, focused on small-to-mid home repairs and maintenance done right and at a fair price. We're not a licensed general contractor, and we'll always tell you when your job needs one.
