Spring — late April into May
Clear maple seeds, oak tassels and sweetgum flowers. This is the drop people skip because it isn't autumn, and it's the one that packs downspout elbows hardest.
While you're up there: check for winter damage. Ice loading bends front lips and pulls hangers, and it shows up as a new dip that wasn't there in October.
Summer — during the first real downpour
Go outside and watch. This is the single most useful five minutes of gutter maintenance there is, and it costs nothing.
Look for: water going over the front, water going over the back, a downspout that isn't running, and where the water ends up on the ground. Every one of those tells you something a ladder inspection won't.
Fall — mid-to-late November
Wait until the trees are actually bare, then clean everything and flush every downspout. Doing it in October means doing it twice.
Check that downspout extensions are still in place and haven't been knocked aside by a mower all summer.
Winter — before the first hard freeze
An empty gutter handles ice far better than a full one. A trough packed with wet leaves that then freezes is carrying enormous weight all winter.
If you get ice dams every year, that's an attic ventilation and insulation project to schedule for spring, not a gutter one.
Questions people ask
What's the most important seasonal gutter task?
Cleaning after the last leaves fall, and before the first hard freeze.
Should I clean gutters in spring too?
Yes. Maple seeds and oak tassels clog downspouts as effectively as leaves do.
How do I check my gutters without a ladder?
Watch them during a heavy rain. Overflow, dead downspouts and back-lip spill are all visible from the ground.
What should I do before winter?
Get the trough empty and the downspouts flowing. Ice on top of debris is what pulls gutters off a house.
Free estimate
We measure, we look at the fascia, and you get a number in writing.
Talk to a real St. Louis gutter company
Third generation, family-run since 1947. Somebody picks up, day or night.