Local services · idea 23 of 52
Gutter cleaning in autumn
A ladder, a scoop, a bucket and a street of houses with maple trees. Every house on the street needs it done in the same six weeks.
- Who pays you
- Homeowners pay you per house, usually a flat price by house size and storeys, in cash or by transfer on the day. Many book you again for spring.
- Outcomes
- 0 receipts. Nobody's reported back on this one yet. Receipts open when accounts launch.
How it works
Once the leaves come down, gutters block, and blocked gutters cause the kind of damp problems homeowners fear. Most people don't own a tall enough ladder and don't want to be on it. You walk a street with a flyer, or post in the local group, price by the house, and clear the gutters and downpipes by hand, bagging the debris. A quick photo of what came out is your proof of work.
What it actually takes
- An extension ladder that reaches a two-storey gutter, a ladder stand-off, gloves, a scoop and buckets. Under a hundred if you own the ladder; the ladder is the cost if you don't.
- Real ladder discipline: level ground, someone footing it, never over-reaching.
- Flyers or a post in September, before the rush.
- Liability cover, which is cheap for this kind of work and expected by many homeowners.
Where it goes wrong
- Falls. Read that twice. If you wouldn't be comfortable on a second-storey ladder in wind, do single-storey homes only.
- Damaging gutters by leaning ladders on them. Use a stand-off.
- Underpricing bungalows and then being asked to do a three-storey Victorian for the same money. Quote by storeys and length.
- It's six weeks a year. Pair it with pressure washing or holiday lights, or accept it as a seasonal bonus.
Published 22 Aug 2026