Spring in Utah is the most revealing season for a home. As snow recedes and the ground thaws, your house shows you what winter did to it. This is the room-by-room checklist we use during spring visits — and what we do when something more than maintenance is needed.
Spring inspection isn't optional in Utah. The freeze-thaw cycle, the snow load, the wind, the wildlife pressure during winter — all of it leaves marks. The owners who catch issues in March and April fix them cheaply. The ones who wait until summer end up with compounding problems.
Here's the checklist, organized the way we actually walk a property.
Exterior walk — start at the roofline
We start at the roof and work down. From the ground (we don't climb roofs as part of regular maintenance):
- Shingles. Any missing, curled, or visibly damaged. Especially after a heavy wind event in February or March.
- Gutters and downspouts. Sagging, separated, or blocked. We check downspouts for proper extension away from the foundation.
- Fascia and soffits. Discoloration, peeling paint, or visible water staining — all signs of ice dam damage from the winter.
- Chimney and flashing. Visible cracking, missing mortar, displaced flashing.
Foundation and exterior walls
- Foundation cracks. New ones or expanded ones since fall. Hairline cracks are normal; horizontal or step cracks are not.
- Grading. Soil should slope away from the foundation. Winter often shifts grading and creates pooling we can address.
- Caulking and weatherstripping. Around doors, windows, exterior penetrations. Cold temperatures are hard on sealants.
- Exterior paint and siding. Bubbling, peeling, gaps, or warped boards.
Sprinkler system startup
If you have an in-ground irrigation system, spring is when it needs to wake up. We check for:
- Broken sprinkler heads (most damage happens during winter from freeze and lawn equipment)
- Leaking valves at the manifold
- Coverage gaps from heads that have shifted
- Backflow preventer condition
Sprinkler startup is in our seasonal add-on services for both plans.
Decks, patios, and outdoor structures
- Deck boards and railings. Cracking, soft spots, loose fasteners, separated joints.
- Stairs. Loose treads, separating risers.
- Outdoor furniture. Winter damage if not stored properly.
- Outdoor faucets. Crack-test by turning on slowly and listening for water in wall (a sign of a winter freeze split).
The frozen-faucet test
Turn each outdoor faucet on. Place your hand on the pipe inside (in the basement or crawlspace) where it enters the wall. If you feel water flowing freely outside but no movement inside, the pipe split during a freeze and is leaking into your wall. This is the most common winter-to-spring discovery we make.
Interior — start in the basement
- Water heater. Look for any signs of leak around the base or fittings. Listen for excessive cycling.
- Furnace. Visual check of the unit. Replace the filter (Rock Canyon does this on every visit). Note any unusual smells, sounds, or fault indicators.
- Water softener. Salt level, brine tank condition, any leaks at the bypass valve.
- Sump pump. Test it by pouring water into the pit. It should activate quickly and clear the water.
- Crawlspace or unfinished areas. Signs of water intrusion, pest activity, anything that's changed since the last visit.
Interior — main living spaces
- Ceilings. Any staining or discoloration — often the only visible sign of an ice dam that pushed water under shingles weeks ago.
- Windows. Condensation between panes (seal failure), cracking in the frame, draft check.
- Smoke and CO detectors. Annual testing happens once a year on both plans; spring is a natural moment to verify.
- HVAC vents and returns. Visible dust, airflow check, return filter condition.
Kitchen and bathrooms
- Under-sink check. Drips, staining, soft cabinet floors.
- Toilet bases. Any sign of water staining at the floor — usually a wax ring issue.
- Caulking around tubs, showers, sinks. Cracking, separation, mold.
- Garbage disposal. Drain speed, unusual sounds, deep clean if Premium plan.
- Refrigerator water filter. Replacement on Premium plans.
What we do — and what gets escalated
A spring Rock Canyon visit covers the maintenance side of every item above: filter swaps, drain clearing, caulking, sprinkler turn-on, water softener refill, photo documentation of everything we see. The full inspection above is the kind of detailed walk we conduct quarterly for Premium members.
The pattern
Spring inspection isn't about finding catastrophes. Most years, you won't have any. What it's about is the small list of three or four minor things winter changed about your home — the cracked caulk, the loose downspout, the broken sprinkler head, the gutter that needs clearing — and addressing them before they compound into something that costs real money.
If you'd like Rock Canyon to run this walkthrough for you, request a free home wellness report. We'll do the full checklist above and tell you what we see. No commitment.