How do you know your gutters need cleaning?
Rain tells you first. If water spills over the front of the gutter instead of running to the downpipe, or a downpipe stays dry in a downpour, something is blocking the flow.
From the ground, look for seedlings growing along the gutter line, sagging sections and dark streaks down the walls or fascia.
How often depends mostly on trees. Monier, the roof tile maker, recommends cleaning gutters, downpipes and valleys at least once a year, and twice in tree-lined areas. Under big gums or pines, some gutters fill again within a season.
What makes one clean dearer than another
Height is the big one. A second storey means taller ladders, more setup and sometimes a harness or a cherry picker.
After that it's how full the gutters are and how hard they are to reach. Compacted sludge, guards that have to come off and go back on, tight side paths and steep blocks all add time.
A downpipe blocked underground is a separate job, often for a plumber with a drain jetter (a high-pressure hose that clears pipes). Check whether taking the waste away is included, too.
Before you lean a ladder on the house
Gutter cleaning is the one roof-edge job plenty of homeowners do themselves. It's reasonable on a single-storey house with firm, level ground, a sturdy ladder and someone holding the bottom. It isn't when the gutter is two storeys up, the ground slopes or is soft, or the power line into the house runs near where you'll be working. Never step from the ladder onto the roof, never lean out past the rails, and don't do it on a wet or windy day. Safe Work Australia notes that small jobs like cleaning gutters carry the same fall hazards as bigger roof work, and falls are the major cause of death and injury on roofs. If any of that gives you pause, pay someone.
Cleaning single-storey gutters yourself
Set the ladder up properly
Pick a dry, still day. Stand the ladder on firm, level ground against the wall or a solid section of gutter, have someone foot it, and move it every arm's length instead of stretching.
Scoop, then bag as you go
Wear gloves, because gutters hide sharp screws and broken glass. A plastic scoop and a bucket hooked to the ladder beat a leaf blower, which sprays muck everywhere.
Flush with a hose
Run water from the far end towards each downpipe. Puddles that won't drain mean the gutter has lost its fall (the slight slope that carries water to the outlet). Watch for drips at the joins too.
Take care on older roofs
Leave the pressure washer in the shed, because the kickback can push you off a ladder. If the roof might be asbestos cement, leave the gutters alone. The national asbestos agency, ASSEA, says gutters under those roofs will likely collect asbestos debris that should be treated as friable (easily crumbled into dust).
Check each downpipe runs freely
If water backs up, try flushing through the cleaning eye near the bottom, if there is one. If it still won't clear, the blockage may be underground, and that's work for a plumber.
Your job, or someone else's?
You can
- Clean single-storey gutters from a ladder on firm, flat ground, with a helper
- Trim branches you can reach safely from the ground, so less ends up in the gutters
Leave to a roofer
- Gutters two storeys up, above sloping ground or near the power line
- Box gutters and valleys, which can only be reached from the roof itself
- Gutters under a roof that might be asbestos cement
- Rusted, sagging or leaking gutters, which need a roof plumber rather than a cleaner
What to ask before you book a gutter clean
- Is the price for every gutter and downpipe on the house, or only the easy runs?
- Do you take the leaves and sludge away, or leave them bagged?
- Will you send photos of the gutters before and after?
- Do you carry public liability insurance?
- If I have gutter guards, is lifting and refitting them included?
Where we'd start
If it were our single-storey house on flat ground, we'd do the first clean ourselves, mostly to see what's up there: rust holes, dripping joins, how quickly it filled. If it's two storeys, the ground slopes or the power line is close, we'd pay for it every time. And if you're cleaning more than a couple of times a year, price gutter guards before the next clean.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.