Spring Home Maintenance Checklist for Indianapolis Homeowners

Indianapolis winters are hard on a house — freeze-thaw cycles, ice, and heavy spring rain all stress a home in ways that aren't always obvious until they show up as a bigger and more expensive repair later in the year. Here's what to check every spring before the busy season gets away from you.

None of these tasks require special tools or a contractor — most can be done in a single weekend. The payoff is catching small, cheap problems while they're still small and cheap, rather than finding them during a stressful pre-listing inspection a few years down the road.

Roof and gutters

Walk the perimeter and look up: check for shingles that curled, cracked, or lifted over winter, and check flashing around chimneys and roof vents for gaps that opened up during freeze-thaw cycling. Clean gutters and downspouts of winter debris and confirm downspouts extend at least 4–6 feet away from the foundation — a shockingly common and easily fixed issue we find on nearly every inspection.

Grading and drainage

After a wet spring storm, walk the yard and note any standing water near the foundation that lingers longer than a few hours. Soil should slope away from the house at roughly a 6-inch drop over the first 10 feet of distance. Indiana's clay-heavy soil settles over time, and re-grading a low spot now is far cheaper than dealing with basement seepage or foundation damage later on.

Sump pump test

If your home has a sump pump — common across Marion and Hamilton County due to high water tables and heavy spring rainfall — test it now, before you actually need it during a storm. Pour a few gallons of water into the pit and confirm the pump kicks on promptly, moves water out efficiently, and shuts off properly afterward. A battery backup, if you have one installed, should also be tested independently rather than assumed to be working.

HVAC service before summer

Schedule AC service before the first real heat wave hits, not during it — HVAC companies book up fast across the metro once temperatures climb, and a system that's been sitting idle all winter genuinely benefits from a professional check before running hard for months straight. Replace the filter now if it hasn't been changed since fall, since a dirty filter forces the whole system to work harder from day one of the season.

Exterior and foundation walk

Check the foundation carefully for new cracks that weren't there last fall — freeze-thaw cycling is a common cause of small foundation and driveway cracking over an Indiana winter. Check exterior caulking around windows and doors too, since both UV exposure and cold temperatures degrade sealant over time, and reseal anything that's visibly cracked or pulled away from the frame. If any of this turns up something more concerning than a quick fix, it's worth having a closer look before it becomes a bigger repair.

Key takeaways

• Check the roof, gutters, and downspouts first — winter freeze-thaw cycling stresses these areas most.
• Test the sump pump before storm season, including any battery backup, rather than assuming it still works.
• Schedule AC service before the first heat wave — HVAC companies book up fast once summer temperatures arrive.
• New foundation or driveway cracks after winter are common and worth a closer look if they weren't there last fall.