To clean high gutters safely, decide by how full they are. Loose, dry leaves on a second-storey gutter can come out from the ground with a scoop or vacuum on a telescoping pole. Packed, wet debris needs your hands in the trough, which means an extension ladder set at the right angle with a standoff. And if the gutter is above a second storey, over sloped ground, or the roof is wet with moss, that is the point to hand it off.
We’re Alex and Emma of Shine Pros, a husband-and-wife exterior cleaning team in Greater Victoria. We’ve cleaned gutters on over 250 homes since August 2022. Here’s how we’d clean high gutters if we were doing our own, and where we’d stop.
How high is too high for cleaning gutters yourself?
Height alone isn’t the line. A single-storey gutter sits roughly 10 feet up and a two-storey gutter roughly 20, and plenty of homeowners clean both. What makes a gutter too high is height plus one of these:
- The ladder has to stand on a slope, a deck or a garden bed. A ladder needs a firm, level base. Soft Victoria lawns in October aren’t one.
- The gutter is above a second storey, or over a lower roof you’d have to lean across.
- You’d be working alone, with nobody to foot the ladder or call for help.
- The debris is packed and wet. An average set of Victoria gutters holds 20 to 30 kg of needles, moss and grit by the time we see it. That weight is what pulls people off balance when they reach for it.
If none of those apply, the methods below will work. If two or more do, the honest answer is that the gutter is too high to clean yourself.
How do you clean high gutters from the ground?
Ground tools work when the debris is loose. They struggle when it’s compacted, because you can’t see into the trough and a 20-foot pole gives you almost no force at the tip.
- Telescoping gutter scoop or claw. Cheapest option. Good for dry leaves on a single-storey or a low two-storey eave. Slow, and hard to aim past about 16 feet.
- Wet/dry vacuum with a pole kit. Lightweight carbon or aluminum poles on a shop vac. This is the best ground method for second-storey gutters because it lifts debris out instead of throwing it around. It clogs on wet moss and fir needles, so empty it often.
- Hose wand with a hooked nozzle. Use it last, to rinse fine grit toward the downspout once the bulk is out. Water pressure alone won’t move a packed gutter.
- Pressure washer with a gutter attachment. It works on loose debris, and it sprays that debris across your siding, windows and roof. We cover when it’s worth it in can you safely clean gutters with a pressure washer.
One tip from the trade: tape a phone to the end of the pole on video, or use a camera pole, and look into the gutter before and after. Cleaning tall gutters blind is how people leave a plug sitting right above the downspout.
What’s the best way to clean gutters up high with a ladder?
For packed debris, a ladder is the faster and cleaner method, as long as it’s set up properly. WorkSafeBC’s ladder rules for workers are a good standard for homeowners too.
- Use an extension ladder tall enough to keep you off the top rungs. Stand where your hips stay below the top of the ladder.
- Fit a ladder standoff. A standoff is a U-shaped bracket that rests the ladder against the wall or roof instead of the gutter. It keeps the ladder from crushing the gutter and gives you room to work in front of it. Our crew uses them.
- Set the angle. WorkSafeBC calls for about 75 degrees, which works out to roughly one foot out at the base for every four feet up.
- Put the feet on a firm, level surface. Never on bricks, blocks or a tilted deck board. Have someone foot the ladder.
- Clear around the downspout first by hand, so nothing gets pushed into it.
- Scoop into a bucket hung on the ladder, working away from the downspout in arm’s-length sections.
- Climb down and move the ladder every few feet. Overreaching is the most common way people fall.
- Flush with a hose toward the downspout and watch that water runs freely out the bottom.
Should you clean gutters from the roof?
On a dry, low-slope single-storey roof, some homeowners kneel at the edge and scoop, and it can be safer than a ladder. In Victoria we’d say don’t, for most of the year. Our roofs stay damp from October to spring, and moss makes shingles slick. An average Victoria roof carries 20 to 40 kg of moss when we’re called to clean it, and you can’t see how slippery it is until you’re standing on it.
If you do go onto the roof, WorkSafeBC’s rule is that the ladder should project about 1 metre above the edge so you have something to hold as you step on and off. Never step on or off over the gutter itself.
What tools and safety gear do you need for high gutters?
- Extension ladder rated for your weight plus tools, with a standoff
- A helper on the ground
- Thick gloves (gutters hide screws, broken hangers and sharp seams)
- Safety glasses, because grit falls when you scoop overhead
- A plastic gutter scoop and a bucket with a hook
- A hose with a shut-off nozzle for the final flush
- Non-slip shoes, and a dry day
How do you clear a downspout on a high gutter?
Start from the bottom. Pull the downspout off at the elbow if you can, and feed a garden hose up into it at full flow. Most clogs sit in the elbows, and pushing water up from below breaks them without anyone on a ladder. If that doesn’t clear it, a plumber’s snake from the bottom usually will. Once it runs, flush from the top to check the whole pipe drains.
When is it time to hire a gutter cleaner?
When the gutter fails the “too high” test above, or when you’d rather not find out. We’ve met a customer who, after a bad experience with a previous company, decided to do her own gutters. She fell off the ladder and broke her back. That story is why we’re careful about telling people what’s safe to do themselves.
Here’s what a professional clean from us includes:
- Every channel cleared by hand with ladder standoffs, so no ladder rests on your gutters.
- Downspouts flushed and tested.
- Debris bagged and hauled away. Nothing left in your beds.
- A walk-around with you at the end, and if we miss a spot we come back and fix it at no charge.
We carry $3 million in liability coverage and are in good standing with WorkSafe BC. Gutter cleaning runs $235 for a 1,500 sq ft single-storey to $448 for a 3,500 sq ft two-storey; the full breakdown is in how much gutter cleaning costs in Victoria. Or see our gutter cleaning service in Victoria and get an exact price on the free quote form, or call (778) 743-4377. Thanks for reading, and keep both feet steady.
Questions about cleaning high gutters
Can you clean high gutters without a ladder?
Yes, if the debris is loose. A wet/dry vacuum on a pole kit is the best ground method for second-storey gutters. Packed, wet debris usually needs hands in the gutter and a ladder.
What is the safest way to clean gutters that are too high?
Use ground tools for loose debris. For anything heavier, use an extension ladder with a standoff at about 75 degrees on firm, level ground, with someone footing it. Above two storeys or over a slope, hire a crew.
How long does it take to clean high gutters?
It depends on the house and how full the gutters are. We break down real job times in how long gutter cleaning takes.
How often should high gutters be cleaned in Victoria?
It depends on the trees over your roof. Homes under conifers and big deciduous trees fill faster. We cover Victoria timing in how often to clean gutters.
