The Ultimate Texas Home Maintenance Checklist: Get Ready for Summer Heat & Winter Freezes

by Miguel Caballero August 18, 2025

The Ultimate Seasonal Home Maintenance Checklist for Texas Homeowners

By Miguel Caballero, Caballero Contracting Texas

Hey friends, Miguel here.

You know, I’ve been in the contracting world for years, and I’ve seen just about everything Texas weather can throw at a home. One season it’s blazing hot—you walk outside and feel like you stepped into an oven—and the next, a surprise freeze rolls in and suddenly we’re all scrambling to cover our pipes and find the space heaters we tucked away in the garage.

That’s why I always tell my buddies (and my customers, too): your home doesn’t care what the calendar says. It needs attention year-round. Just like we check our trucks before a long road trip, we need to check our homes before the seasons change.

So I put this checklist together not just as a contractor, but as a fellow homeowner and a dad who wants to keep my family safe and my house in good shape. Think of this as me sitting down with you on the porch, cup of coffee in hand, walking through everything you should tackle before the Texas summer hits and before winter rolls around.

Ready? Let’s dive in.

Why Seasonal Home Maintenance Is So Important in Texas

I know what you’re thinking: “Miguel, I don’t have time for all this. Can’t I just call someone if something breaks?” Sure, you could. But here’s the truth:

If you don’t prep your A/C before summer, you’re gonna be sweating buckets waiting for a repair crew during a July heatwave (and trust me, those guys are booked solid when the heat hits).
If you don’t insulate your pipes before a cold snap, you might wake up to a flooded kitchen or garage.
If you skip a roof inspection, one good storm can turn a small leak into thousands of dollars in damage.

Think of home maintenance like insurance. It’s way cheaper to handle the little things early than to pay for the big messes later.

Part 1: What to Do Before Summer

Alright, let’s start with summer prep. If you’ve lived in Texas long enough, you know summers aren’t just hot—they’re relentless. The heat beats down, storms roll through, and every system in your house works overtime.

Here’s my Texas Homeowner’s Checklist for Summer Prep.

1. Air Conditioning Maintenance

This one’s non-negotiable, my friends. If your A/C quits on you in August, you’re in for some rough nights.

Here’s what I do every spring:

Change the filters (I buy mine in bulk and set a reminder on my phone to swap them every month).
Go outside and clear leaves, weeds, and dirt from around the condenser unit. Airflow is key.
Pour a little bleach and water mix into the drain line to keep it from clogging.
Call my HVAC guy for a check-up. They’ll catch things I can’t, like low refrigerant or loose electrical connections.

💡 Pro Tip: Keep your thermostat set at a steady temperature instead of constantly adjusting. It saves energy and makes your system last longer.

2. Check Windows and Doors

Think about it: you’re paying good money to cool your house—why let that air leak out?

I like to do the “candle test.” Light a candle and hold it near the edge of your windows and doors. If the flame flickers, you’ve got a draft. That’s money slipping out of your house.

Quick fixes:

Replace old weatherstripping.
Add fresh caulk where needed.
Use door sweeps on the bottom of doors.

Not only does this keep your home cooler, it keeps out dust, pollen, and pests.

3. Inspect Roof and Gutters

Texas storms can go from sunny skies to hail in about 15 minutes. If your roof isn’t ready, you’re asking for trouble.

Here’s my routine:

Walk around the house and look for missing or cracked shingles.
Check the gutters—clogged gutters mean water damage down the road.
Look for rust or sagging spots in the gutters.

If I’m unsure, I call a roofer. Climbing up there isn’t always safe, and pros spot things faster than we do.

4. Lawn Care

A green lawn in Texas doesn’t happen by accident.

Fertilize in spring.
Water in the early morning.
Overseed bare spots.

If you’ve got an irrigation system, test it now. Better to fix a broken sprinkler head before your grass fries in July.

5. Outdoor Furniture

This one’s easy to overlook, but man, it makes a difference.

Wash everything down with a hose.
Scrub with mild soap and water.
Add a sealant to wood or metal furniture.

You’ll thank yourself when your chairs don’t crack halfway through a BBQ.

6. Pool Maintenance

If you’ve got a pool, you know it’s both a blessing and a responsibility.

Before summer, I:

Skim and vacuum.
Test chlorine and pH levels.
Check pumps, filters, and hoses.

And don’t forget—pools attract bugs. Keep pest control in mind (we’ll get to that next).

7. Pest Control

Texas summers = mosquitoes, ants, and termites.

What I do:

Spray the yard with mosquito treatment.
Seal cracks around the house foundation.
Trim shrubs so they’re not touching the house.

💡 Fun fact: Termites love moisture. Keep mulch and wood piles away from the house.

8. Landscaping

Besides making the place look good, landscaping protects your home.

Trim trees so branches don’t hang over the roof.
Mulch beds to lock in soil moisture.
Remove weeds and dead plants.

One storm can knock a branch onto your roof if you don’t stay ahead of it.

Part 2: What to Do Before Winter

Now, let’s talk winter.

Most years, Texas winters are pretty mild. But as we learned in 2021, we can’t take anything for granted. A little ice can cause big headaches.

Here’s my Texas Winter Prep Checklist.

1. Heating System Check

Same idea as the A/C in summer—don’t wait until the cold snap to find out your heat doesn’t work.

Change the furnace filter.
Run the system for 10 minutes before it gets cold, just to test it.
Get a professional to check for carbon monoxide leaks and efficiency issues.

2. Insulation Inspection

If your house feels drafty, you’re losing heat—and money.

Check these spots:

Attic (a big one in Texas homes).
Around ducts.
In the garage.

Adding insulation can cut your energy bill by a lot.

3. Weatherproofing

This one’s quick and easy.

Re-caulk windows.
Add weatherstripping to doors.
Use heavy curtains to block cold air at night.

4. Chimney Cleaning

If you’ve got a fireplace, don’t skip this.

Creosote buildup = fire hazard. I hire a chimney sweep every other year.

5. Winterize Outdoor Faucets

This is huge. Burst pipes are no joke.

Disconnect hoses.
Add foam faucet covers.
Shut off outside water if you can.

6. Roof Inspection

Before the ice hits, double-check your roof.

Look for missing shingles.
Clean gutters to prevent ice dams.
Check attic ventilation.

7. Emergency Kit

This is one of those “better safe than sorry” things.

Mine includes:

Flashlights and batteries.
Water and canned food.
Blankets.
A portable phone charger.

8. Snow Removal Tools

We don’t get much snow, but when we do? The stores sell out fast.

Make sure your shovel is good.
Keep salt handy.
Test the snow blower if you have one.

Bonus Section: Common Mistakes Texas Homeowners Make

Let me tell you, I’ve seen some recurring mistakes:

Waiting until the first hot day to test the A/C.
Ignoring small roof leaks.
Not draining hoses before a freeze.
Forgetting to replace filters.
Skipping professional inspections.

A little time upfront prevents big headaches later.

How Caballero Contracting Texas Helps

Now, if you’re reading this and thinking, “Miguel, this is a lot!”—don’t worry. That’s where my team comes in.

We handle:

Roof inspections and repairs.
Gutter cleaning.
Insulation upgrades.
Weatherproofing.
General contracting needs year-round.

We’re Texas locals. We know the climate, the storms, and the challenges homeowners face here.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, I look at home maintenance the same way I look at family: you take care of it, and it takes care of you.

By tackling this seasonal checklist, you’ll:

Save money on bills.
Avoid costly emergencies.
Keep your family safe and comfortable.

So, my friends, let’s get ready for the seasons the right way. And if you ever need a hand, call me and the team at Caballero Contracting Texas. We’re here to help.

Stay cool in the summer, stay warm in the winter, and let’s keep those Texas homes standing strong.

—Miguel Caballero