Preventing Water Damage Before It Happens: A Homeowner's Checklist

Know where your main water shutoff is

Every household member should know how to shut off the home's water supply. In an active leak, this is often the single most effective thing you can do before help arrives.

Check supply lines and hoses annually

Washing machine hoses, dishwasher lines, and ice-maker lines are common failure points. Rubber hoses in particular are worth replacing with braided stainless steel versions, which are more failure-resistant.

Inspect your water heater

Look for rust, corrosion, or moisture around the base. Most water heaters have a working lifespan of roughly 8–12 years — if yours is approaching that range, it's worth having it inspected rather than waiting for a failure.

Clean gutters and check grading

Clogged gutters and downspouts that don't direct water away from the foundation are a common contributor to basement water intrusion. Ground should generally slope away from the house.

Test your sump pump before storm season

If you have a sump pump, test it periodically and consider a battery backup, since power outages during storms are exactly when you need it most.

Address small leaks immediately

A slow drip under a sink or a small ceiling stain rarely gets better on its own. Small, cheap-to-fix issues are far less costly than the water damage they can eventually cause if ignored.