Home care in Northeast Florida

The Jacksonville home maintenance calendar

Every Florida checklist online was written in Tampa or Orlando. Wrong side of the state. This one's for Duval and St. Johns. Our houses, our weather, no fluff.

By Rocco Vaglica · September 5, 2026 · 4 min read

JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec
  • Hurricane season
  • Peak risk
  • This month

I've been inside more houses in this town than I can count. Here's the thing. The ones that hold up aren't the newest or the priciest. The owners just do a few small things at the right time. That's it. That's the whole secret.

Three things make our area its own animal. The river puts houses in flood zones that don't look like flood zones. Salt air eats anything metal east of the Intracoastal. And we get real freezes. Miami doesn't. We do.

Change the AC filter

Monthly in summer, every other month in winter. Skip it and your AC blows cold while the house still feels like a swamp. Number one reason, every time.

Flush the drain line

Cup of white vinegar down the access tee. Thirty seconds. Algae loves our drain lines, and when one backs up you either lose the AC or get a brown stain on the ceiling. Your call.

Walk the outside

Five minutes. Water where it shouldn't be, soft wood, anything green growing on the siding. Catch it now or pay for it later.

Month by month

Three things a month. That's all I'm asking. Green cards are hurricane season. Gold is right now.

January

Cold snaps, painting weather
  • Freeze night? Cover the hose bibs and the irrigation backflow. A cracked backflow is a water bill you won't forget.
  • Drain a few gallons off the water heater. Our water's hard, sediment builds fast.
  • Paint and caulk outside now. Low humidity means it actually cures. Sunny sides first, they fail years before the north side.

February

Live oaks drop
  • Live oaks drop in February, not fall. Clear the gutters once they're done, late in the month.
  • Recaulk windows and doors before the rains.
  • Best month for roof work. Roofers aren't buried in storm claims yet.

March

Termites swarm
  • See winged bugs or shed wings on a windowsill? Call pest control that week, not that month.
  • Pressure wash the pollen off the driveway and siding. Soft wash the roof if it's got black streaks.
  • Irrigation goes to twice a week. That's the water district's limit during daylight time, not a suggestion.

April

Hurricane prep starts here
  • Get the AC serviced now. By late May every HVAC company in town is slammed and you're waiting weeks in 95 degrees.
  • Trim trees off the roof and away from power lines.
  • Count every shutter panel and bolt. Lube the tracks. Don't find out one's missing during a hurricane watch.

May

Rainy season arrives
  • Gutters again. Between the oaks and the pines they fill twice a year.
  • After a week of storms, walk the yard. Water pooling against the foundation is a problem, not a puddle.
  • Restock the storm kit. The state says seven days of supplies now, not three.

June

Season opens June 1
  • Photograph every room and the outside. Ten minutes. Timestamped photos are what win an insurance claim.
  • Look up your flood zone on FEMA's map. Zone X doesn't mean you're safe.
  • Start the generator. Replace fuel older than a year.

July

Peak humidity
  • Indoor humidity under 50 percent. Can't get there? The AC's not doing its job, get it looked at.
  • Check the attic for damp insulation and stains. Mold starts there first.
  • Clean the dryer vent. Lint plus humidity is a fire risk and a mold risk at the same time.

August

The danger window opens
  • Know where every outdoor item goes and how fast you can get it there.
  • Binoculars on the roof: lifted shingles, cracked tile, exposed nails.
  • Test sump and drainage pumps.

September

Highest risk month
  • Nothing new, stay ready. Named storm on our coast means furniture in, tub full, everything charged.
  • After a storm: stay off the roof, take photos, temporary repairs only, keep every receipt.
  • Insurance pays for the tarp. It won't pay for a roof you replaced before the adjuster came out.

October

Season winds down
  • Check fences, screen enclosures, soffit and fascia for wind damage.
  • Smoke and CO detector batteries. Pick a month and stick to it.
  • Beach homes: rinse the AC condenser with fresh water, check the fins for corrosion.

November

First cool weather
  • Season ends November 30. Store the panels and restock while you still remember what ran out.
  • Replace weatherstripping on exterior doors.
  • Chimney sweep, if you actually use the thing.

December

Dry season, cold nights
  • Irrigation to once a week on standard time.
  • Cover tender plants and disconnect hoses on freeze nights.
  • Book the big projects for January and February. Trades have openings and the weather cooperates.

Live east of the Intracoastal? Everything metal on this list is due twice as often. Salt is why a condenser at the beach dies years before the exact same unit in Mandarin. Not the brand. The salt.

Do it yourself vs. send it out.

Do these yourself

  • Filters
  • Vinegar down the drain line
  • Walking the property
  • Covering plants and hose bibs

Send these out

  • AC service
  • Tree trimming, roof and gutter work
  • Pressure washing, termite treatment
  • Anything plumbing, electrical, or over $1,000

The right column is what Domas does. Send it from your phone. See the price. A background-checked pro shows up in your window, and your card is charged 48 hours after the completion photo, once you've had time to look it over. Joining's free and stays free. Simple. Domas in Jacksonville or St. Augustine.

Rocco Vaglica

Rocco VaglicaFounder of Domas & Co. Our story

Common questions

How often should I flush my AC drain line?

Monthly May through October, every other month the rest of the year. Vinegar, never bleach. Bleach eats the pan and the fittings and now you've got two problems.

When is hurricane season?

June 1 to November 30. Do the physical prep in April and May, not when a storm's already got a name. Our coast takes its hits mid-August through mid-October.

Does a Jacksonville house need winter maintenance?

Yes. We get a few freezing nights most years and people act shocked every time. Cover pipes, hose bibs, backflow preventers and tropical plants on those nights. Upside: winter is the best time here for paint, roofs and anything outdoors.

Consider it handled.

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