Gutters are the least interesting part of a property and one of the most expensive to ignore. A blocked run backs water up under the roof edge, over the fascia, and down the side of the building. On a Seattle lot the overflow usually lands in the same spot every storm, which is how a soggy patch beside the foundation turns into a permanent one.
We empty the gutters, flush the runs, and confirm each downspout is actually discharging. Debris comes off the property with us rather than going into a bed.
What the visit covers
- Debris removed from every gutter run by hand
- Runs flushed so water is seen to move
- Downspouts checked and cleared, from the elbow to the outlet
- Roof edge and valleys cleared where debris has collected
- Any splitting seam, loose hanger or detached elbow reported with a photo
- All debris hauled off the property
Timing
The useful window is after the leaf drop finishes and before the rain settles in, which around here puts it in November rather than September. Book earlier and the last of the canopy fills the gutters again a fortnight later.
Properties under Douglas fir or cedar are a different case. Conifers drop needles year-round, and needles pack tighter than leaves. Those properties generally need two visits a year rather than one.
They are also the properties that grow moss on the roof, for the same reason: shade and damp that never quite lifts. Where that is happening we treat the roof on the same trip. See roof moss control.
When the gutter is not the problem
Sometimes we empty a run, flush it, and the water still pools against the house. At that point the gutter was never the issue and the grade or the buried line is. We will say so rather than sell you a second gutter visit. See drainage and French drains for what that work looks like.
Common questions
When should gutters be done?
After the leaf drop finishes and before the heavy rain settles in, which in Seattle usually lands in November. Properties under conifers need a second visit, because needles fall all year.
Do you check the downspouts?
Yes. An empty gutter feeding a blocked downspout still floods. We flush each run and confirm water is leaving where it should.
What if the water has nowhere to go?
That is a drainage problem rather than a gutter problem, and we will tell you if that is what we find. See our drainage work.