Winter is hard on a property — freeze-thaw cycles, ice, and months of neglected yard work all add up. Here's a straightforward checklist to work through each spring before small issues turn into expensive ones.
Concrete and exterior care
- Walk your driveway, walkways, and patio for new cracks or heaving caused by winter freeze-thaw cycles.
- Check for pooling water, which can signal a grading or drainage issue that will only get worse.
- Look at expansion joints and seal any that have opened up, before water gets underneath and causes bigger damage.
Lawn
- Rake up matted leaves and debris left over from fall and winter — trapped moisture underneath can suffocate grass and invite fungus.
- Look for bare or thin patches left by snow mold, salt damage, or winter traffic.
- Get a jump on crabgrass with a pre-emergent application before soil temperatures rise.
- Schedule aeration if your lawn feels compacted or water tends to pool on the surface.
Fencing
- Check posts for leaning or heaving — frozen, expanding soil is a common cause of posts shifting over winter.
- Look for loose boards, rusted hardware, or gate hinges that have worked loose.
- Wood fences: check if it's time to re-stain or re-seal before the humid months set in.
Trees
- Look up for broken or hanging branches left over from winter ice and wind.
- Check the base of trees for fungus, cavities, or bark damage that may have worsened over winter.
- Have any trees that leaned or dropped large limbs over the winter assessed before storm season ramps up.
Cleanup
- Clear out anything in the garage, shed, or yard that didn't make it through winter in one piece — this is prime season for junk removal before the busy summer months.
- Bag up and haul off any storm debris rather than letting it pile up against fences or foundations.
Getting ahead of it
Most of what's on this list is easier — and cheaper — to fix in spring than to let ride until it becomes an emergency. If you'd rather have a second set of eyes walk the property with you, reach out for a free walkthrough and we'll flag anything that needs attention.