How to Winterize Your House: The Essential List

Winterizing a house comes down to four things, done in order: protect the pipes, shut down the exterior water, prepare the heating system, and seal the gaps where cold gets in. Do those before the first hard freeze and you avoid the two worst winter outcomes, a burst pipe and a heating failure. This is the essential list, in the order that matters, with notes for different climates and for houses left empty over winter.

Why order matters

Winterizing is a sequence, not a pile of chores. You protect the plumbing first because a frozen pipe is the most expensive and disruptive failure. Then you prepare the heat, because that is what keeps the interior pipes safe all winter. Then you seal the envelope, which reduces both the freeze risk and the heating bill. Working in that order means that if you run out of weekend, the most critical work is already done.

1. Protect the pipes

Frozen pipes are the headline risk. Water expands as it freezes, and the pressure bursts the pipe, often not at the ice but downstream of it. When it thaws, it floods.

• Insulate exposed pipes. Foam pipe sleeves on any plumbing in unheated spaces: basements, crawl spaces, garages, and along exterior walls. A few dollars per pipe.
• Identify the vulnerable runs. Pipes on exterior walls and in unheated areas freeze first. Those are your priority.
• Know your main shutoff. Find the main water shutoff and confirm it turns freely. If a pipe does burst, shutting the water fast is the difference between a mopping and a gut renovation.
• For extreme cold snaps, let a faucet drip on the coldest nights. Moving water is far harder to freeze. Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls to let warm air reach the pipes.

2. Shut down the exterior water

This is the single highest-value task, and it is nearly free.

• Disconnect all garden hoses. A connected hose traps water in the bib that can freeze back into the wall.
• Shut off and drain hose bibs. If you have interior shutoff valves for the exterior faucets, close them and open the outside faucet to drain the line. Frost-free hose bibs still need the hose removed to drain properly.
• Blow out the irrigation system. Sprinkler lines hold water that will freeze and crack the pipes and heads. In cold climates, have the system professionally blown out with compressed air, or drain it if it is designed to.
• Drain and store the garden equipment that holds water.

3. Prepare the heating

The furnace is what keeps the whole interior above freezing all season.

• Service the furnace before the season. Book the tune-up early. A technician cleans the burners, checks the heat exchanger for cracks (a carbon-monoxide risk), and catches failing parts. See the fall maintenance checklist for the full seasonal context.
• Replace the HVAC filter. Start clean so airflow is not restricted.
• Test the heat now. Run a heating cycle on a mild day so any problem shows up as an inconvenience, not a 2 a.m. emergency.
• Check and reset the thermostat. If you use a programmable or smart thermostat, set a winter schedule. Never let the house drop below about 55°F even when away; below that, interior pipes are at risk.
• Have the chimney inspected before the first fire if you use a fireplace or wood stove.

4. Seal the gaps

Sealing keeps heat in and cold out, which protects pipes and cuts the bill.

• Weatherstrip doors and windows. Feel for drafts and seal them.
• Caulk exterior gaps. Around window and door frames, and where pipes and wires penetrate the walls.
• Seal attic air leaks and check insulation. Heat escaping into the attic both wastes money and feeds ice dams. A well-insulated, well-sealed attic keeps the roof cold and even.
• Cover or seal drafty spots. Add draft stoppers at doors, cover single-pane windows with film if needed, and close the fireplace damper when not in use.

Regional notes

Winterizing is not one-size-fits-all.

• Mild climates (rare, brief freezes): focus on hose bibs, a few exposed pipes, and being ready to drip faucets on the occasional cold night. Full plumbing shutdowns are overkill.
• Cold climates (reliable hard freezes): do the whole list, blow out irrigation, and be serious about attic sealing and ice-dam prevention.
• Severe/northern climates: everything above, plus attention to snow load on the roof, ice-dam prevention, and keeping walkways and vents clear all season.

Know which of these you are before you decide how far to go.

Winterizing a vacant house

If a house will sit empty over winter, the safest move is to remove the water entirely so there is nothing to freeze.

• Shut off the main water supply and drain the system: open all faucets, flush toilets, and drain the water heater and any storage tanks.
• Add non-toxic RV antifreeze to drain traps and toilet bowls so the small amount of remaining water cannot freeze and crack the fixtures.
• Set the thermostat to about 55°F if you keep the heat on, as a backstop.
• Arrange for someone to check the house periodically, and consider a freeze/temperature sensor that alerts your phone.

A vacant house with the water shut off and drained is essentially immune to the burst-pipe risk, which is exactly why it is worth the extra hour.

Keep the record

Winterizing recurs every year, and the notes save time next fall: which faucet was slow, when the furnace was serviced, where you found a draft. It sits naturally alongside the rest of your seasonal upkeep in a broader home maintenance schedule. Setting these as recurring tasks with reminders before the first freeze is the reliable way to make sure the pipe work happens on time, not after the forecast turns.

Huswerks lets you build a winterizing checklist as recurring seasonal tasks, reminds you before the cold, and keeps the service dates and notes on record. Free for one property. No card.

FAQ

When should I winterize my house? Before the first hard freeze of the season. The exterior water tasks, disconnecting hoses and draining bibs, and the irrigation blowout must be done while it is still above freezing. In most regions that means early to mid fall.

What is the most important winterizing task? Protecting the plumbing: draining and shutting off exterior faucets, insulating exposed pipes, and keeping the house above 55°F. A burst pipe is the most expensive and disruptive winter failure, and prevention is cheap.

How do I keep pipes from freezing when I'm away? Keep the heat set to at least 55°F, open cabinet doors under exterior-wall sinks, and consider letting a faucet drip during hard freezes. For a longer absence, shut off the main and drain the system entirely.

Do I need to winterize in a mild climate? Partly. Even mild regions get occasional freezes that catch homeowners off guard. At minimum, disconnect hoses, protect the few exposed pipes you have, and be ready to drip faucets on cold nights.

How much does it cost to winterize a house? The essential DIY tasks cost mostly your time plus $30 to $60 in pipe insulation, caulk, and weatherstripping. Professional help, an irrigation blowout, furnace tune-up, or chimney inspection, adds a few hundred dollars. It is a fraction of what a burst pipe costs to fix.

The pipe work has a deadline, and forgetting it is expensive. Huswerks reminds you before the first freeze and keeps the record. Free for one property. No card. → huswerks.com