Metro Vancouver's rain season punishes any building whose drainage is not clear. We clear gutters, troughs, roof drains, and scuppers, flush-test every downpipe, and return a photo record you can file against your depreciation report or insurance.
Clearing the trough is the visible half of the job. Confirming the water actually leaves the building is the half that prevents claims.
Overflowing gutters send water down cladding and into wall assemblies. In a rainscreen or stucco envelope that is a moisture-ingress path, and remediation costs orders of magnitude more than annual clearing.
Blocked drains on a flat roof hold water that adds structural load and shortens membrane life. Overflow scuppers are the last line of defence, and they silt up too.
Water-ingress claims are routinely challenged where no maintenance record exists. A dated photo record of annual clearing and flush testing is straightforward evidence of reasonable maintenance.
Downpipes discharging to grade rather than a leader create winter icing and pooling at entries and walkways — a foreseeable slip exposure on commercial property.
The Lower Mainland's pattern is predictable: leaf drop through October and November, then sustained rain from November into March. A gutter that is clear on 1 October may be full by mid-November on a site with mature maples, and a blockage that forms in December will sit unnoticed through the wettest months while water tracks down the envelope.
For most commercial buildings we recommend a primary clearing in late autumn once leaf drop has finished, and a spring visit for sites with conifers, moss growth, or aging asphalt roofs shedding granules. Buildings with a single annual visit should book it late rather than early — clearing in August protects nothing.
Where roof access is restricted or gutters sit on elevations without safe tie-off, we clear using the same access methods used for the window program, and we frequently bundle clearing into the same mobilisation as an exterior clean to save a separate site visit.
Two paths depending on where you are in the process.
Full service detail: methods, documentation, safety procedures, and how clearing integrates with roof maintenance.
Read more →Build a per-visit and annual budget range for gutter clearing alongside your other exterior services, with a downloadable PDF.
Read more →We inspect roof drainage, confirm access, and return a fixed scoped proposal — no obligation.
Read more →Late autumn, after leaf drop and before the heaviest rain, is the single most important visit. Buildings with mature deciduous trees, cedar, or moss-prone roofs generally need a second clearing in spring to remove needle litter and moss debris that accumulates through winter.
Water sheeting over the gutter edge during rain, staining or efflorescence down the cladding below a joint, standing water on a flat roof more than 48 hours after rainfall, and plant growth in the gutter line are the four common signals. Interior ceiling staining near the perimeter usually means the blockage has already been there a while.
Both. Clearing debris from the trough without confirming the downpipe and underground leader actually run is the most common shortcut in this trade. We flush every downpipe after clearing and report any that back up, because a blocked underground leader will overflow a perfectly clean gutter.
Yes. Work is done from roof level with tie-off, or by rope access and lift where roof access is limited, with drop zones marked at grade. On strata and office buildings we issue notice for any area where pedestrian routing changes for the day.
Yes. Flat and low-slope roofs across Metro Vancouver rely on internal drains, overflow scuppers, and strainers that silt up with granules and organic debris. We clear the strainer baskets, confirm flow, and photograph anything showing ponding or membrane damage for your roofing contractor.
Every visit returns dated before-and-after photos per elevation, a note of any downpipe that failed the flush test, and observations on roof or fascia condition. Strata councils use that record directly in depreciation report and maintenance planning discussions.
The pages most closely connected to this one, plus the areas we service nearby.
Gutters, scuppers, and internal drains cleared and flush tested, with photo documentation of every downpipe.
Read more →Rope access, swing stage, BMU, and water-fed pole glazing programs with documented anchor and rescue plans.
Read more →Plazas, parkades, walkways, and cladding cleaned at the correct pressure for the substrate, with water containment.
Read more →High-rise and commercial window cleaning, pressure washing, and gutter clearing across the City of Vancouver — curtain-wall towers, heritage masonry, retail podiums, and strata highrises.
Read more →Commercial and strata window cleaning, pressure washing, and gutter clearing across the City and District of North Vancouver — Lower Lonsdale, Shipyards, Lynn Valley, and business parks.
Read more →Commercial and strata window cleaning, soft washing, and gutter clearing in West Vancouver — Ambleside, Dundarave, Park Royal, and British Properties commercial buildings.
Read more →Autumn slots fill quickly across Metro Vancouver. Tell us your building and we'll schedule ahead of the heavy rain.