Home › Guides › Outdoor & seasonal › How to winterize your home: the checklist that prevents frozen pipes and big bills
GuideWinterizing is the highest-return few hours you'll spend on your home all year. The frozen pipes, furnace failures and ice damage that cost thousands in January are almost all preventable with a bit of fall prep. Here's the complete checklist — what to do yourself, and what to hand to a pro before the cold sets in.
Frozen, burst pipes are the costliest winter disaster — and the most preventable. Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses, shut off and drain exterior taps, insulate exposed pipes in unheated areas (basement, garage, crawlspace), and know where your main water shut-off is. During deep cold snaps, keep heat consistent and let a trickle run from vulnerable faucets.
Book a furnace tune-up in early fall, before the first cold snap when HVAC pros are swamped and a breakdown means emergency rates. A tune-up restores efficiency (lower bills), catches a failing part before it strands you, and keeps your warranty valid. Replace the filter, and test your smoke and CO detectors while you're at it.
Weatherstrip doors and windows, caulk gaps, and add insulation where it's thin — these cut heating bills noticeably and keep the house comfortable. Drafts around windows, doors and outlets are where expensive heat escapes all winter. It's cheap to seal and pays back every month of the cold season.
Clean gutters after the leaves drop so melt can drain — clogged gutters freeze, back up under shingles and cause ice dams and leaks. Check the roof for loose or damaged shingles while it's still safe to be up there; roof work in ice season is dangerous and should wait for a pro if needed.
Book your snow plan now, not during the first blizzard. A recurring snow removal booking means you're never scrambling — or liable for an un-shovelled walk. Clearing snow and ice promptly prevents slips, protects your walkways, and keeps you covered on the mornings you least want to be out there.
DIY the hoses, drafts and detectors. Hand out the furnace tune-up (licensed HVAC), gutter cleaning and roof checks (ladder/height risk), any pipe insulation you're unsure about, and recurring snow removal. On Genie you can book all of these with vetted, insured pros at upfront prices — and get reminded each fall so winterizing actually happens.
Every task in this guide is something you can book on Genie — vetted, insured pros at an upfront price:
Protect pipes (drain outdoor taps and hoses, insulate exposed pipes), service the furnace, seal drafts, clean gutters and check the roof, and line up snow removal — ideally in early fall before the first cold snap.
Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses, shut off exterior taps, insulate exposed pipes in unheated areas, keep heat consistent in cold snaps, and know where your main shut-off is. A plumber can insulate vulnerable runs.
Early fall, before peak demand. A tune-up lowers bills, catches problems before they strand you, and keeps your warranty valid. On Genie you can be reminded every fall.
