What's on a home plumbing maintenance checklist?
Updated August 2026
Whole-house plumbing upkeep is a quarterly leak sweep under sinks and around fixtures, a yearly turn of every shutoff valve, a pressure check aiming for 40 to 60 psi, and pipe insulation before the first freeze. None of it takes special tools, and it is almost entirely about catching a slow leak before it hides. A drip behind a cabinet or inside a wall can rot framing for months and cost thousands to repair, while the leak itself was a $5 washer.
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Feel under every sink and around toilet bases for damp | Quarterly | 10 min · DIY |
| Check supply lines and shutoffs for corrosion or crust | Quarterly | 10 min · DIY |
| Read the meter with all water off to spot a hidden leak | Quarterly | 5 min · DIY |
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise the main shutoff and every fixture valve | Yearly | 20 min · DIY |
| Test static pressure with a $12 gauge (aim 40 to 60 psi) | Yearly | 10 min · DIY |
| Service the water heater on its own schedule | Yearly | 45 min · DIY |
| Clean slow drains before they fully clog | Yearly | 20 min · DIY |
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Disconnect hoses and insulate exposed pipes | Seasonal | $1–3/ft · DIY |
| Locate and tag the main shutoff for a freeze emergency | Once | Free · DIY |
What neglect costs
The expensive failures in a house are rarely the burst pipe you notice; they are the slow ones you do not. A supply line weeping behind a vanity or a wax ring seeping under a toilet can wet subfloor and framing for months, and the mold and rot repair runs into the thousands before a stain ever shows. Pressure is the other silent problem: above 80 psi the extra force chews through washers, hose bibs, and appliance valves and shortens the life of everything downstream. Fifteen minutes a quarter is the cheap insurance.
Leave these to a pro
If your static pressure reads over 80 psi, have a plumber install or replace a pressure-reducing valve, typically $300 to $500, which protects every fixture and appliance at once. A camera drain inspection (about $200 to $400) is worth it on an older home with recurring backups or big trees over the sewer lateral. Whole-house repiping, main-line work, and anything behind a finished wall belong to a pro. For the routine glances, set reminders from the home maintenance checklist.
This whole checklist ships as reminders in OnOtto: every task above, on the right schedule for your home, snooze-proof.
Load this checklist as remindersFrequently asked questions
What water pressure is too high for a house?
Anything over about 80 psi is too high and, in most areas, above code. High pressure feels great in the shower but hammers washers, ice-maker lines, water-heater valves, and appliance hoses, causing leaks and early failures. Screw a $12 gauge onto a hose bib to check; if it reads high, a plumber sets a pressure-reducing valve to bring you into the 50 to 60 psi sweet spot. Recheck yearly, since PRVs wear out.
How do I find a hidden water leak?
Use the meter test: shut off every fixture and appliance that uses water, then watch the water meter for 15 to 30 minutes. If the dial or leak indicator moves, water is escaping somewhere. From there, check the obvious suspects, toilets that keep running, irrigation valves, and the water heater, before opening walls. A meter that creeps with everything off is often a silently leaking toilet flapper, the cheapest fix in plumbing.
Where is my main water shutoff, and why exercise valves yearly?
The main shutoff is usually where the supply line enters the house, near the water heater, in a basement, garage, or crawl space, or at the meter box outside. Find it and tag it now, because the time you need it is mid-flood. Shutoff valves seize if they never move, so turn the main and every fixture valve fully off and on once a year. A valve that will not budge in an emergency is worse than no valve at all.