Home & Yard

Seasonal maintenance, utilities, and practical guides for Tri-Cities homeowners.

A residential gas furnace in a home basement, the kind of equipment covered by Cascade Natural Gas rebates

Home & Yard

Cascade Natural Gas rebates can trim furnace costs before Tri-Cities winter hits

Tri-Cities homeowners heating with Cascade Natural Gas can tap furnace rebates and an income-qualified weatherization program before the cold settles in.

November 6, 2026

Bagged leaves stacked at the curb next to a waste cart on a residential Tri-Cities street in fall

Home & Yard

Kennewick's free leaf pickup ends Friday; here's the Tri-Cities yard-waste rundown

Kennewick's free bagged-leaf collection runs through Friday, Nov. 6, while Richland's gray-and-green can system works differently. Here's what to know.

November 5, 2026

A residential backflow preventer assembly above an irrigation valve box in a suburban yard with frost on the lawn

Home & Yard

The backflow test homeowners miss — and why West Richland can shut off your water over it

Kennewick, Pasco and West Richland all require annual tests on irrigation backflow preventers under state law. In West Richland, skipping the test can get your household water shut off, not just your sprinklers.

November 1, 2026

Boxelder bugs clustering on a sunny exterior wall, a common fall sight in the Tri-Cities

Home & Yard

Boxelder bugs and stink bugs swarm Tri-Cities walls as nights turn cold

WSU Extension explains why boxelder bugs, stink bugs and ladybeetles are clustering on Kennewick, Pasco and Richland homes now — and how to clear them out without pesticides.

October 30, 2026

A utility power line sways in strong wind above a Tri-Cities neighborhood street at dusk.

Home & Yard

When the power goes out this fall, here's who to call in the Tri-Cities

With fall wind season approaching, here's how Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and West Richland homeowners should prepare for power outages and report them safely.

October 29, 2026

A wood stove burning in a home living room on a cold fall evening

Home & Yard

Lighting the wood stove this weekend? Check chimney safety, $500 swap first

As frost hits Kennewick, Pasco and Richland this weekend, here's how to check your chimney, claim Benton Clean Air's $500 stove swap and meet Washington's CO alarm law.

October 23, 2026

A residential sprinkler backflow device on a frosty lawn in autumn, ready for winter shutoff

Home & Yard

Not on Kennewick Irrigation District? Here's who to call for your sprinkler shutoff this fall

Columbia Irrigation District, Pasco, Richland, West Richland and Badger Mountain all run separate fall shutoff schedules — here's who to call before freezing temperatures hit.

October 19, 2026

A homeowner building a wood fence in a suburban backyard on a sunny fall day

Home & Yard

Before you build that fall fence or shed, check these Tri-Cities permit rules first

Dry weather this week is a good window for finishing fall fence, shed and deck projects. Here's what Pasco, Kennewick and Richland actually require — and what West Richland homeowners should check before they start.

October 18, 2026

A large wheeled recycling cart sits at the curb of a suburban Kennewick home

Home & Yard

Kennewick's new recycling carts arrive in November: here's what to do

Kennewick households get new 96-gallon recycling carts and every-other-week pickup starting in November; here's how to find your schedule and curb rules.

October 17, 2026

Close-up of copper mesh being packed into a gap around a utility pipe to block rodent entry

Home & Yard

Tri-Cities homeowners: seal these gaps now before mice move in for fall

As Columbia Basin fields are harvested, pest control firms say mice and rats head for Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and West Richland homes within weeks.

October 16, 2026

A controlled brush pile burns in a rural backyard under a hazy fall sky

Home & Yard

Benton County sets fall burn-day rules for Kennewick, Richland, West Richland

Kennewick, Richland and West Richland homeowners must check Benton Clean Air Agency's daily burn-day status before lighting any outdoor fire this fall.

October 16, 2026

A homeowner trims a street tree along a sidewalk in a Tri-Cities neighborhood during fall

Home & Yard

Tri-Cities homeowners: know the rules before pruning street trees this fall

Kennewick, Pasco and Richland homeowners face different permit rules for street trees this fall, plus a WSU-backed deadline for watering trees before winter.

October 15, 2026

A residential water meter next to utility bills on a kitchen counter

Home & Yard

Pasco, Kennewick utility bills set to rise as gas rate case looms

Pasco and Kennewick residents face higher water and sewer bills next year, and a Cascade Natural Gas rate case could raise heating costs across the Tri-Cities.

October 15, 2026

A rural highway nearly obscured by blowing dust during a Columbia Basin dust storm

Home & Yard

What killed a West Richland couple on SR 397 — and how to survive the next dust storm

After a fatal 12-vehicle pileup on SR 397, here's how Tri-Cities drivers and homeowners can prepare for the dust storms that peak each October.

October 14, 2026

Contractor installing attic insulation in a Tri-Cities area home ahead of winter

Home & Yard

Benton, Franklin PUDs will pay Tri-Cities homeowners to insulate and air-seal before winter

Benton PUD pays up to $16 per square foot for window upgrades and $2 per square foot for wall insulation; here's how Tri-Cities homeowners can claim it before winter.

October 4, 2026

A homeowner shovels snow from a sidewalk in front of a suburban home

Home & Yard

Who clears the sidewalk? Snow rules differ across Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, West Richland

Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and West Richland all put sidewalk snow duty on homeowners — here's each city's rule, plow priority list and parking advice before winter hits.

September 30, 2026

Frost forming on an outdoor hose bib and coiled garden hose on a suburban house exterior

Home & Yard

Freeze warning hits Kennewick, Pasco, Richland: update your pipe checklist

A National Weather Service freeze warning for Kennewick, Pasco and Richland this week means it's time to drain hoses, check pipes and have an outage plan ready.

September 27, 2026

A homeowner's lawn covered with small aeration plugs during fall lawn care season in the Tri-Cities

Home & Yard

Tri-Cities homeowners have two weeks to aerate, overseed and feed lawns before shutoff

With mild weather this week and Kennewick Irrigation District's Oct. 12 shutoff approaching, now is the window to aerate, overseed and fertilize Tri-Cities lawns.

September 26, 2026

A pile of fall leaves being raked toward a curbside yard-waste cart outside a suburban home

Home & Yard

Kennewick leaf pickup resumes as new recycling carts roll out this month

Kennewick's fall leaf pickup weeks and new recycling cart rollout both start this November — here's what residents need to do and by when.

September 22, 2026

A residential furnace in a home utility area, illustrating fall HVAC maintenance season in the Tri-Cities

Home & Yard

Tri-Cities homeowners: line up furnace service now, before rebates and cold snap hit

Kennewick and Tri-Cities homeowners can claim Benton PUD and Cascade Natural Gas rebates on furnace and HVAC work before the season's first real cold snap arrives.

September 22, 2026

A pop-up sprinkler head spraying water across a suburban lawn in fall

Home & Yard

Irrigation shutoff nears: KID ends full deliveries Oct. 12, blowout season follows

Kennewick Irrigation District ends full water deliveries Oct. 12, 2026, giving Tri-Cities homeowners about three weeks to finish watering and book a sprinkler blowout.

September 22, 2026