The short answer
Gutters should be checked at least once a year, and the best time is autumn, after the leaves have come down and before winter rain arrives. Homes under trees, roofs shedding moss and gutters below a valley fill faster and may need a second look in spring. No fixed calendar suits every house, so let what lands in your gutter set the interval.
No single date suits every house. The trees around you, the state of your roof covering and the shape of the roof decide how fast a gutter fills.
Why one visit a year is the starting point
A gutter spends the summer collecting dust, seeds and the odd feather, then takes a heavy load in autumn. If the run is already full when the first hard rain arrives, water has nowhere to go and spills over the front, down the wall and onto the fascia, the long timber board that carries the gutter. Clearing before winter means the gutter is ready for the wettest months.
Is autumn really the best time?
Usually, yes, but only once the trees nearby have dropped their leaves. Clear a gutter in early October with a beech or an oak still holding its foliage and you may be back up the ladder by November. Late October or November works better in a leafy street. A quick look in spring picks up winter debris, loose brackets and any joint that has started to weep.
Think of this as a minimum rather than a rule. Our answer on why gutters overflow shows what happens when a run is left too long, and why the first signs appear on the wall below rather than in the gutter itself.
Trees, moss and valleys speed things up
Three things shorten the interval. The first is trees. Leaves, catkins, seed pods and sticky blossom all end up in the run, and overhanging branches drop twigs that jam the outlet. A gutter under a sycamore or a lime tree is a different proposition from one on an open bungalow.
What does moss on the roof do to the gutter?
Moss that grows on a roof loosens in rain and washes down into the gutter. A slate or tile roof with a well-established green mat can feed the run for months, and grit shed by weathered concrete tiles builds into a heavy silt along the base of the channel. If the roof is shedding that much, clean the gutter and consider the roof as well. Our page on roof cleaning and moss removal explains the options, and why Marley does not recommend jet washing.
The third factor is a valley, the dip where two slopes meet. A valley funnels leaves and debris from two slopes into one stretch of gutter, so the section below it fills first. If you only have time to check one section, check the stretch beneath the valley.
Signs a gutter needs clearing now
Waiting for a diary date is less reliable than looking. A few signs tell you to act sooner, whatever the calendar says.
How can I tell from the ground?
Watch the gutter in rain. Water streaming over the front lip, dripping from a joint or splashing off a corner means something is wrong. On a dry day, look at the top edge of the gutter: grass, weeds or small plants growing out of it tell you it has been full for a long time. Dark vertical streaks on the wall below show where overflow has run, and a green patch at the foot of the wall shows the same.
Listen as well. A downpipe that gurgles and chokes after rain is partly blocked, and a pipe that stays silent in a storm may be completely blocked. In frost, a gutter holding standing water can freeze, which adds weight and strain to the brackets, and a run that is already sagging suffers most. Our answer on whether ice can damage gutters covers that risk in more detail.
Clearing the run before a repair
Yes, a gutter repair starts with clearing the run. Silt and leaves hide cracked joints, failed seals and stretches with no fall, and until the channel is empty nobody can say whether it needs a new seal, a new bracket or a new length. The clear-out comes with the repair and needs no second visit.
What happens after the clear-out?
With the run empty we look along its length for sag, rust, splits and weeping joints, and check the outlets and downpipes. We then photograph the faults so you can see the cause for yourself. If a clean and one bracket will do, that is the advice you get. If the gutter has failed, you hear that too, with the reason.
Where a gutter has been left for several years, the fascia behind it deserves a look as well, because wet debris keeps the timber damp. Our gutters, soffits and fascias page covers that work. A photo from the ground of the worst stretch, sent with your address, is a good first step before we book the survey and quote.
More on keeping gutters clear
Should I clear gutters in spring or autumn?
Autumn matters more, once the leaves are down, so the run is empty for winter rain. A spring check finds what the winter left and catches brackets that have shifted. If you can only manage one visit a year, choose late autumn, and add a spring look from the ground if you have trees close by.
Do gutter guards mean I never need to clean?
No. Guards reduce the larger debris that gets in, but fine silt, moss and seeds still collect, and a guard can itself clog with moss. You will still need to check the run and the outlets. Our answer on whether gutter guards are worth it looks at where they help and where they do not.
The full picture: Gutters, soffits and fascias in Taunton ยท More short answers