Most home safety problems are quiet. An alarm with a dead battery, an extinguisher that expired three years ago, a shutoff nobody can find. This checklist is a once-a-year walk-through you can do in an afternoon.
Printable version: Download the home safety checklist as a PDF — one page of checkboxes. Free, no email required.
Alarms, shutoffs, escape plans — how much of this is written down anywhere? The Home Readiness Score tells you in five questions.
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
- Test every smoke alarm — inside each bedroom, outside sleeping areas, and on every level.
- Test every CO alarm if you have gas appliances, a fireplace, or an attached garage.
- Replace batteries in battery-powered units.
- Check the manufacture date on the back. Smoke alarms are typically replaced at 10 years, CO alarms at 5–10 years — follow the label.
Fire
- Check extinguishers: gauge in the green, pin in place, not past its date.
- Keep one in the kitchen, the garage, and on each level.
- Clean the dryer lint trap and inspect the vent duct.
- Keep 3 feet clear around the furnace, water heater, and space heaters.
- Have the chimney inspected before the first fire of the season.
Electrical, gas, and water
- Press TEST and RESET on every GFCI outlet.
- Watch for warm outlets, scorch marks, or flickering lights — call an electrician.
- Make sure everyone knows where the main water shutoff is.
- Make sure everyone knows where the gas shutoff is.
- Label the breaker panel.
Escape and emergency
- Walk the escape plan: two ways out of every room and one meeting spot outside.
- Confirm windows open and screens release from the inside.
- Restock the emergency kit: water, food, flashlight, batteries, first aid, medications.
- Fix trip hazards: loose railings, dark outdoor steps, sliding rugs.
Track it in MaintFolio: add these as recurring tasks and you'll get a reminder each year, with a dated record of what was done.