A sample annual brownstone maintenance checklist

This is the full month-by-month list from a maintenance agreement. After a walkthrough of your house, the office writes a checklist and an agreement from what it finds.

Every house gets its own checklist after the walkthrough.
Timing moves with the weather and the needs of the house.
Not every item applies to every brownstone or townhouse.

Every visit January to December

Pest control
Clean gutters and drains
Replace lightbulbs

Add-ons: optional services, quoted separately.

January
- Clean bathroom fans
- Check grout in every bathroom
- Clean the dishwasher strainer
- Check under sinks for leaks
- Clear debris from the roof
- Check floor protectors on furniture
- Salting and snow removal as needed
- Clean the front entry
- Change water filters
- City inspections and filings: backflow devices, sprinklers, boilers · add-on
- Clean and seal kitchen countertops · add-on
February
- Check and change air filters
- Inspect and clean drip pans
- Flush the cooling drain lines
- Shut down humidifiers for the season
- Check every cooling zone
- Inspect fan belts
- Lubricate circulation pumps and fan motors
- Inspect electrical components
- Clean the kitchen hood
- Clean dryer vents
- Check front and back for rodent activity
- Clear bathroom sink, tub and shower drains
- Clean gutters and drains, check downspouts for ice
- Salting and snow removal as needed
- Check window weather stripping and caulking
- Vacuum registers and return grilles
- Clean and seal bathroom stone · add-on
March
- Check exterior pointing, grout and sand
- Check exterior caulking at sidewalks and façade
- Clean the dishwasher strainer
- Check under sinks for leaks
- Clean gutters and drains, check downspouts for ice
- Salting and snow removal as needed
April
- Change refrigerator and icemaker water filters
- Turn on outdoor water
- Inspect the roof for warping, aging, moss and cracks
- Inspect exterior wood for rot
- Check front and back for rodent activity
- Power wash the sidewalk, patios and terraces
- Clean the front entry and backyard
- Set up and turn on irrigation · add-on
May
- Change cooling filters, check the drain pan and inspect the unit
- Test condenser operation and amperage
- Inspect condenser electrical components
- Test every cooling zone with gauges
- Turn off the gas fireplace
- Check under sinks for leaks
- Inspect the foundation for water
- Clean the front entry and backyard
June
- Check cooling for leaks
- Clear bathroom sink, tub and shower drains
- Check under sinks for leaks
- Inspect appliance hoses and ventilation
- Sweep the backyard
- Tighten loose faucets
- Clean the front entry
- Clean patio furniture · add-on
July
- Check front and back for rodent activity
- Clean the dishwasher strainer
- Check brick for spalling and loose stones
- Check brownstone for cracking
- Wash the front entry and sidewalk
- Tighten door handles
- Clean the backyard
August
- Check caulking at exterior doors and windows
- Inspect grout around tiles, sinks, tubs, showers, toilets and counters
- Clear bathroom sink, tub and shower drains
- Check under sinks for leaks
- Inspect exposed plumbing for dampness
- Clean the front entry and backyard
September
- Replace smoke and carbon monoxide alarm batteries
- Check the perimeter and foundation for openings
- Clean the dishwasher strainer
- Check front and back for rodent activity
- Vacuum heating ducts, grilles and registers
- Clean the front entry and backyard
October
- Service the heating system
- Test every heating zone and inspect for leaks
- Service humidifiers and set them to 35% relative humidity
- Turn on the gas fireplace
- Change air handler filters on forced-air heat
- Inspect fan belts
- Lubricate circulation pumps and fan motors
- Inspect electrical components
- Clear bathroom sink, tub and shower drains
- Check under sinks for leaks
- Clean the kitchen hood
- Clean the front entry and backyard
November
- Inspect the chimney
- Clean up the backyard and clear leaves from the roof
- Clean the dishwasher strainer
- Check front and back for rodent activity
- Shut off exterior water and blow out the lines
- Shut off irrigation and blow out the lines · add-on
- Clean the front entry and backyard
December
- Clear the last leaves from the roof
- Vacuum the refrigerator coils
- Check under sinks for leaks
- Clear bathroom sink, tub and shower drains
- Salting and snow removal as needed
- Inventory bulbs, HVAC filters and water filters and order replacements
- Organize the storage room
- Clean the front entry and backyard

A freshly washed brownstone stoop and sidewalk in spring, with window boxes and a flowering tree.

Request a walkthrough

We walk through the house and its systems with you. The office then writes a checklist and an agreement for it. Pricing depends on the house and is set after the walkthrough.