Home Watch Checklist (2026): What the Pros Check on Every Visit

This page is built to print. On paper, the site chrome drops away automatically — a clean checklist for the clipboard. Prefer a phone? The same checklist runs as a free app; details at the end.

What is a home watch checklist?

A home watch checklist is the standing list of checks performed, in the same order, on every visit to an unoccupied home. The National Home Watch Association defines home watch as “a visual inspection of a home or property, looking for obvious issues”; the checklist turns looking into a repeatable, defensible service.

It is not a home inspection checklist. An inspector evaluates a house once, for a transaction; a home watch operator visits dozens of times a year looking for change. New to the category? Start with What is home watch?

Two rules make it professional. It is per-home — a pool home needs lines a cabin never will — and every item gets an answer every visit: fine, flagged, or skipped for a stated reason. That habit is central to NHWA accreditation.

What should you check outside the house?

Start with a full exterior walk-around before opening the door — intrusion, storm damage, and pests show outside first.

• Roof and gutters (from the ground)
  • Missing or lifted shingles or tiles
  • Sagging or overflowing gutters and downspouts
  • Fascia or soffit gaps and animal entry points
• Walls and foundation
  • New cracks, staining, or bulging siding
  • Settling or soil pulling away from the slab
• Windows, doors, and screens
  • All locked; glass intact
  • Screens present and undamaged
  • Pry marks or tampering at locks and frames
• Intrusion and activity
  • Flyers, mail, and packages removed (burglary tells)
  • Footprints, moved items, disturbed mulch
  • Lights on that should be off
• Landscape and irrigation
  • Irrigation on schedule; no broken heads
  • Standing water or grading pushing water at the house
  • Growth touching the roof or walls
• Pool, spa, and lanai
  • Water level and clarity; skimmer clear
  • Equipment running; no leaks at the pad
  • Enclosure panels intact; gates latched
• Garage and utilities
  • Garage doors closed, locked, undamaged
  • Hose bibs not dripping
  • Meters and AC condenser pad normal
• Pests and wildlife
  • Nests, droppings, mounds, or digging at the foundation
  • Insect trails on walls; mud tubes (termite tell)

What should you check inside the house?

Walk every room, ceiling to floor, on every visit. Water is the enemy — the catastrophic claims are slow leaks that ran for weeks. Listen before you sweep each room.

• On entry
  • Alarm status; disarm and note any alerts
  • Odors: musty, gas, sewage, decay — find the source
  • Sounds: hissing, dripping, chirping detectors
• Every room
  • Ceilings and walls: stains, discoloration, new cracks
  • Windows and sliders locked; condensation between panes
  • Floors: warping, cracked tile, damp carpet
  • Blinds and lighting per the occupied-look plan
• Kitchen
  • Refrigerator and freezer: temperatures, door seals, ice buildup
  • Run the sink; check the cabinet below for moisture
  • Dishwasher and icemaker lines: no drips or bulging hoses
• Bathrooms
  • Flush every toilet; confirm it refills and stops
  • Run every sink, tub, and shower — a dry P-trap lets sewer gas in
  • Under-vanity cabinets: moisture, mold, pest droppings
• Laundry
  • Washer hoses and valves: no bulges or seeps
  • Dryer vent clear of lint and nesting
• Attic and storage spot-check (as agreed)
  • Staining, daylight, or wet insulation under roof penetrations
  • Droppings, chewed wiring, disturbed insulation
• Interior pest sweep
  • Droppings, accumulating insects, webs at baseboards

What systems and safety checks belong on every visit?

Systems checks separate a professional from a neighbor with a key; the NHWA pairs visual inspection with reviews of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical.

• HVAC
  • Holding the agreed set-point — mold risk climbs once indoor humidity passes roughly 60%
  • Air filter condition
  • Condensate line and drip pan clear — the classic silent flood
• Water heater
  • No leaks or corrosion at base, fittings, relief valve
  • Vacation mode or powered down, per plan
• Main water valve
  • Position matches the plan — off for most absences, on where irrigation or pool autofill needs it
  • Smart shutoff or leak sensors online and alarm-free
• Electrical
  • No tripped breakers; note any intentionally off
  • GFCI outlets test and reset correctly
• Life safety
  • Smoke and CO detectors: no chirps or low-battery warnings
  • Fire extinguisher present and in date
• Sump pump (where fitted)
  • Lift the float; confirm the pump cycles
  • Discharge clear, draining away from the foundation
• Security and connectivity
  • Cameras, router, and smart devices online
  • Re-arm the alarm and photograph the keypad on exit

What seasonal checks should you add for hurricanes and freezes?

Layer these on by season and region.

Hurricane add-ons (Atlantic season: June 1 – November 30)

The Atlantic season runs June 1 through November 30 (NOAA National Hurricane Center); coastal operators commonly go weekly.

• Pre-season: shutters inventoried and operable, hardware present
• Pre-season: yard items secured; trees trimmed off the structure
• Pre-season: generator fuel and a test run, where fitted
• Photograph a pre-storm baseline for insurance
• Storm cycle: execute the lockdown plan — shutters up, furniture in, water off
• Post-storm: roof, screens, and enclosure damage from the ground
• Post-storm: water intrusion at every ceiling, window, and door
• Post-storm: power status; fridge and freezer after any outage

Freeze and winter add-ons

In freeze country the insurer often dictates cadence: Snowbird Advisor’s hiring guide notes requirements “can be quite specific and include everything from daily to weekly inspections,” and missed checks can void a claim.

• Heat holding the agreed set-point — commonly recommended no lower than the mid-50s °F
• Furnace cycling normally; no error codes; filter clear
• Where winterized: water off, lines drained, traps protected — verify nothing thawed and leaked
• Hose bibs disconnected, drained, and covered
• Icicles and ice dams at eaves; interior staining below them
• Attic frost or condensation on sheathing
• Snow load, drifting at doors, and an occupied-looking driveway and walk
• Sump discharge not frozen shut

How often should each item be checked?

Weekly is the working standard for a home empty for months; bi-weekly is the common shoulder-season floor; monthly is a hard minimum for low-risk homes. The stakes are contractual: standard policies typically limit or exclude coverage once a home is unoccupied 30 to 60 consecutive days, and documented visits are how owners satisfy it. Cadence is also the biggest pricing lever — see home watch pricing.

How should you document a home watch visit?

An undocumented visit did not happen — not to an insurer, not to an anxious owner three time zones away. The standard: a photo on every item that matters, a note where something changed, a flag on every issue, and a same-day written report under your business name — the report is what the client is buying.

This is where software earns its keep. Home Watch Crew runs this exact checklist from a phone, free: per-home editable checklists; photos, notes, and an issue flag on every item; and a finished visit emails the owner a branded report under your letterhead. The owner’s family also sees each report inside the Family Matters family app — a real app, not a PDF in one inbox. In fairness, some paid platforms add GPS-verified check-ins, route optimization, and team roles, which Home Watch Crew does not have. Weigh the trade-offs in best home watch software.

Home watch checklist FAQ

What is included in a home watch service checklist?

An exterior walk-around (roof, gutters, windows, pool, irrigation, intrusion and pest signs), an interior walk-through of every room (ceilings, floors, odors, refrigerator, running water, flushing toilets), and systems checks (HVAC, water heater, main water valve, breakers, smoke and CO detectors, sump pump), plus hurricane or freeze add-ons.

Is a home watch checklist the same as a home inspection checklist?

No. A home inspection is a one-time, in-depth evaluation by a licensed inspector, usually for a sale. Home watch is a recurring visual check for obvious issues and change, reported after every visit.

How often should a vacant home be checked?

Weekly for homes empty all season; bi-weekly is a common shoulder-season floor. Coverage typically tightens after 30–60 consecutive days unoccupied, and some insurers require documented checks weekly or even daily.

What temperature should an empty house be kept at?

Whatever the owner and insurer agree to — commonly cool enough to hold indoor humidity under roughly 60%, and no lower than about the mid-50s °F where pipes can freeze.