Homes, strata and commercial buildings
Roof and Gutter Cleaning in Melbourne
Need roof and gutter cleaning in Melbourne without chasing a tradie for a callback? We vacuum the gutters and take every bag of debris away, flush the downpipes, wash roofs with a method the material can handle, and send before and after photos of each run we touch.
Your job reportSample layout
- Every gutter run, before and after
- Downpipes flushed and flowing
- Defects noted for a roof plumber
Most people find us after water has already come over the gutter edge: a stain on the eaves, a dripping pergola, a ceiling mark after a storm. Others book ahead because the gum out the back sheds half its canopy every summer, or the strata committee wants a clean on record before fire season. Either way, roof gutter cleaning has the same core. Get everything out of the gutters, prove the water runs to the downpipes, and show you what was done.
Our roof and gutter cleaning services cover the whole water path, from the ridge to the stormwater pit. That means gutters and valleys, downpipes, the roof surface itself, moss and lichen, and roof cavities when rats or years of dust have moved in. Each one is priced on its own, so a quote only includes what your roof actually needs.
We don't repair roofs, repoint ridge caps, paint or fix plumbing. When the crew finds a cracked tile, a rusted gutter joint or a downpipe broken underground, it goes in the photo report with a plain note you can hand to a roof plumber. No upsell on the day, and no mystery extras on the invoice.
The service, defined
What does roof and gutter cleaning in Melbourne include?
Roof and gutter cleaning in Melbourne means removing leaves, silt and nests from gutters and valleys, clearing and flushing the downpipes, and washing moss, lichen and grime off the roof surface. A proper job finishes with water run through the system and photos of the result.
- Gutter clean
- Every eave gutter emptied down to bare metal, including corners, brackets and outlets.
- Valley clean
- The channel where two roof slopes meet, cleared of leaf mats and tile grit.
- Downpipe flush
- Cleared from the pop down, then water run through to the pit or grate.
- Roof wash
- Dirt, black streaking and growth washed off with a method set by the material.
- Moss treatment
- Moss and lichen killed at the root, then rinsed as it lets go.
- Cavity clean
- Dust, droppings and nesting vacuumed out of the ceiling space.
- 1Leaf mat on top holds water like a sponge.
- 2Silt and seed pods settle underneath and add weight.
- 3Water spills over the back edge into fascia and eaves.
- 4The outlet chokes first, so the downpipe runs dry.
Point three is the one people miss. Water that overflows on the inside edge doesn't drop onto the garden bed. It runs behind the fascia board, soaks the eave lining and can reach the top of the wall frame. A quick scoop of the top leaves leaves the silt and the choked outlet behind, so the gutter spills again at the next heavy downpour.
Gutters, roofs and buildings
What do we clean for Melbourne homes and buildings?
We clean gutters, downpipes, roofs and roof cavities on houses, strata blocks and commercial buildings. Each of the ten services below has its own page covering the method, the scope and what moves the price, so you can match the service to the problem on your roof.
Residential gutter cleaning
Single and double storey houses, from Edwardian weatherboards to new estate builds. Gutters and valleys vacuumed, downpipes flushed, photos of every side of the house. Most homes are finished in one visit.
HomesCommercial gutter cleaning
Box gutters, sumps, rainheads and overflows on warehouses, offices, schools and retail. Induction, SWMS and certificates sorted before work starts, with a report facilities teams can file against the asset.
BuildingsVacuum gutter cleaning
An industrial vacuum and carbon-fibre poles pull leaves and silt out from the ground or the eave line, so less time is spent on the roof. Waste goes straight into sealed bags and off the property.
GuttersRoof cleaning
Soft washing for tiles, Colorbond and slate, using low pressure and a treatment suited to the surface. Clears grime, black streaks and growth without lifting glaze, scratching paint or cracking brittle tiles.
RoofsRoof pressure cleaning
High pressure is kept for sound concrete tiles and similar hard surfaces. Before any water goes on, we explain what it removes, what it can strip, and whether the roof will need sealing afterwards.
RoofsRoof moss removal
Moss and lichen are treated at the root and left to die back, then rinsed off. Scraping and blasting tear tile surfaces and wash spores into the gutters, so we avoid both on older roofs.
RoofsRoof cavity cleaning
Dust, rodent droppings, old nests and loose debris removed from the ceiling space with HEPA-filtered vacuums, bagged on the way out. Often booked before a sale, a renovation or new insulation.
RoofsDownpipe cleaning
Downpipes cleared from the pop down, flushed and checked for flow at the pit. When a blockage sits below ground we show you where, because that part belongs to a licensed plumber with a camera.
GuttersGutter guard installation
Mesh guards fitted only after a full clean, with the mesh chosen for the leaves around your house. Guards cut maintenance rather than end it, and the quote says how often they'll still need a check.
GuttersStrata gutter cleaning
Programs for owners corporations: scheduled cleans across every building, residents told ahead of time, and one report per building that the strata manager can table at the next committee meeting.
BuildingsMethod and proof
How does vacuum gutter cleaning with photo proof work?
A high-suction vacuum unit and long carbon-fibre poles lift leaves, silt and seed pods out of the gutter into sealed bags, often without anyone standing on the roof. We photograph each run before and after from the same spot, then send the set through the same day.
It suits Melbourne houses because so many have tiled roofs that don't take kindly to foot traffic, and double-storey walls where the ladder is the riskiest part of the whole job. Where a pole reaches, nobody needs to walk the tiles. Where it can't, such as a deep valley or a three-storey townhouse, the crew goes up under a proper height plan. You can read more about how our vacuum system clears gutters, including what it can't reach.
- Walk-around firstDownpipes, fascia and visible roof condition are checked from the ground, and anything already damaged is photographed so it's on record before we touch it.
- Before photosEach gutter run is photographed with the debris still sitting in it.
- Vacuum, then hand finishPoles do the bulk of the work. Corners, brackets and outlets get a hand scoop and a brush, because suction alone misses packed silt.
- Flush and flow testWater goes in at the far end of each run to prove the fall carries it to the outlet and the downpipe runs clear.
- After photos and notesSame angles, empty gutters, plus a short note on anything that needs a roof plumber or other trade.
North gutter run Cleared
Rear valley Cleared
Downpipe by laundry Note
Flows clear to the pit. Gutter bracket above is loose; worth a look by a roof plumber.
Roof washing
Which roof washing method suits your roof material?
Match the method to the material. Soft wash Colorbond and slate, treat terracotta with low pressure only, and save high pressure for concrete tiles in sound condition. The wrong method can strip coatings, crack tiles or cause leaks, so we ask about your roof before quoting a wash.
Colorbond and other metal roofs
Found on newer estates in the west, south-east and outer north, and on extensions and carports everywhere. Metal sheds leaves easily, but grime and salt collect in the pans and under the eaves.
The maker's maintenance advice for Colorbond steel is regular washing with clean fresh water, with areas rain can't reach hosed down at least every six months, and more often near the coast. Abrasive pads and harsh solvents scratch the paint.
Concrete tile roofs
The standard roof on brick veneer homes built from the 1970s to the 2000s, right across the eastern and south-eastern suburbs. Tough, heavy and porous, so it grows lichen and holds dirt.
Pressure cleaning takes off the worn surface coat along with the dirt. Old, faded tiles often look patchy afterwards and may need sealing or a restoration coat. We tell you that before starting, not after.
Terracotta tile roofs
Common on Federation and interwar homes in the inner north, the inner east and Bayside, plus newer glazed profiles. Fired clay lasts for generations but gets brittle with age.
High pressure can erode unglazed terracotta and drive water up under the tile laps. Loose ridge pointing gets photographed and reported, not blasted off.
Slate roofs
Seen on Victorian and Edwardian houses in Kew, Hawthorn, Brighton, Carlton and Fitzroy. Beautiful, very long-lived, and easy to break with a single wrong step.
Slipped slates and rusted nails are common on old roofs. We work from ladders or a platform, not the slates, and report anything loose for a specialist slater.
| Roof material | Soft wash | Low pressure | High pressure | Main risk if done wrong |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorbond and metal | Yes | Yes | No | Scratched or chalky paint finish |
| Concrete tile | Yes | Yes | Only if tiles are sound | Surface coat stripped, patchy look |
| Terracotta | Yes | Yes | No | Eroded clay, water forced under laps |
| Slate | Yes | From access gear | Never | Cracked or slipped slates, leaks |
Not sure what your roof is? A photo from the street is usually enough for us to tell. The full breakdown sits on our page about washing roofs by material type, and if you're weighing up blasting a concrete roof, read when pressure cleaning is worth it before you decide.
The jobs next door
What about moss, downpipes and roof cavities?
These three jobs sit right beside gutter cleaning and are often booked with it. Moss is treated and left to die off, downpipes are cleared and flushed through to the stormwater point, and roof cavities are vacuumed with HEPA filtration. Each one can also be booked on its own.
Moss and lichen
Moss grows wherever a Melbourne roof stays damp: south-facing slopes, under overhanging branches, and anywhere a gutter has overflowed for a few seasons. Its roots hold water against the tile and lift the edges of slates. We apply a treatment that kills the growth, then rinse off what has let go. Heavy growth can take a few weeks of weather to release fully, and the quote says so up front.
See our moss treatment method
Downpipes
Most blocked downpipes are choked at the top, where the pop meets the gutter, or at the first bend. We clear from above, then run water through and watch it arrive at the pit or grate. If it doesn't turn up, the blockage is underground, often tree roots or a cracked pipe, and that goes to a plumber with a drain camera. You'll know which it is before we leave.
How we clear and flow test downpipes
Roof cavities
Roof spaces collect decades of fine dust, and plenty of Melbourne houses have had rats or possums through at some stage. We remove droppings, nesting and loose debris with HEPA-filtered vacuums and bag it on the way out. We don't strip insulation or deal with live animals. Possums are protected in Victoria, so that's a licensed wildlife controller, and we say so at the quote stage.
What a roof cavity clean coversLocal knowledge
Why do Melbourne gutters block so quickly?
Melbourne mixes native gums that shed all year with European street trees that drop in autumn, then adds spring and summer storms that wash grit off the roof. A gutter under a big tree, or below a valley, can go from clear to overflowing in a single season.
Gum trees never really stop
Eucalypts drop leaves, bark strips and gum nuts in every month and shed hardest in hot, dry spells, when a stressed tree lets leaves go to save water. The long bark strips are the real trouble. They bridge across an outlet and knit loose leaves into a mat that water can't get through.
Plane trees arrive all at once
Plane trees line streets from the city fringe through the inner north and west, and their broad leaves come down over a few weeks from late April. One leaf is big enough to sit flat over an outlet like a lid. In spring their seed balls break up into a fine fluff that packs into the silt.
The roof shape does the rest
Valleys, where two roof slopes meet, collect everything that slides down both sides. Box gutters behind parapets on terraces and old shopfronts have very little fall and nowhere to overflow except inwards. Houses downhill from a park or reserve get a steady feed of whatever the wind carries.
A general pattern for metro Melbourne, drawn from the jobs we plan around. Your own trees and roof set the real timing.
Timing
When should gutters be cleaned before fire season?
Clean gutters in early spring, before the Fire Danger Period is declared in your area, then check again over summer if trees keep dropping. The CFA's guide to preparing for bushfire season lists clearing leaves, twigs and rubbish from gutters among the jobs to finish first.
The reason is embers. In a bushfire, embers can land on a house well ahead of the flames and set fire to whatever fine fuel they find. Dry leaves packed into a gutter are exactly that fuel, sitting against timber fascia and tucked under the edge of the roof.
This isn't only a hills problem. Fringe suburbs from the Dandenong foothills to Eltham, Diamond Creek and the outer west grasslands sit in or beside bushfire-prone land, and embers travel a long way on a hot northerly. Closer in, a clear gutter still decides whether a summer downpour runs away from the house or into it.
Aug to OctPre-season
Nov to MarSummer
Apr to JunAutumn
JulWinter
How often depends on your trees more than the calendar. Our guide on how often gutters need cleaning in Melbourne breaks it down by tree cover and roof type.
About insurance. Be wary of anyone who claims a dirty gutter automatically voids your cover. What is true is that many home policies exclude damage caused by wear, tear or poor maintenance, so a claim for a water-stained ceiling can be questioned if the gutter above it was obviously blocked. Read the maintenance section of your policy's product disclosure statement, and keep the dated photo report from each clean on file.
Owners corporations and facilities
How do strata and commercial gutter programs work?
We work to a written program: an agreed frequency for each building, access and induction sorted before the day, a safe work method statement for the height work, and a separate photo report per building. Invoices go to the strata manager or facilities team, never to individual residents.
Strata and owners corporations
Shared gutters, shared problems
Townhouse and apartment blocks share gutter runs, so one blocked outlet above unit four can flood the balcony of unit two. We clean the whole common property roofline in one visit, give residents notice, and work around cars, balconies and shared driveways. Committees get a report showing each building, each run and any defect worth a roof plumber's visit, which keeps the maintenance plan honest. See how our gutter programs for owners corporations are set up.
Commercial and facilities
Box gutters that overflow inwards
Box gutters on warehouses, schools and shopping strips carry far more water than a house gutter, and when a sump blocks, the overflow usually ends up inside the building. We clear sumps, rainheads and leaf guards, check the overflows are open, and flag ponding or rust. Visits are planned around trading hours and site rules. More detail sits on our box gutter and commercial roof service page.
- Pre-start packSWMS, insurance certificate and induction records, sent before the first visit.
- Program by buildingFrequency set by tree cover and roof type, not a blanket schedule.
- Dated photo reportsOne per building, ready to file against the asset or table at a meeting.
- Simple billingOne invoice to the manager, with your PO numbers if you use them.
Coverage
Which Melbourne regions do we cover?
We do gutter cleaning Melbourne-wide, split into six regions: the eastern suburbs, south-eastern suburbs, western suburbs, northern suburbs, Bayside, and inner Melbourne with the CBD. Each region has different trees, roof types and access problems, with its own page.
- Vacuum clean and hand finish
- Downpipes flushed to the pit
- Photo report the same day
- One fixed price, set before booking
Same crews and the same kit in every region. Suburb lists and local notes are on the Melbourne areas we serve page.
Box Hill to the foothills
Eastern suburbs
Doncaster East, Ringwood, Croydon and around. Big established gardens, tall gums and liquidambars, and plenty of double-storey homes. The heaviest leaf loads we see.
Dandenong to Frankston
South-eastern suburbs
Narre Warren, Berwick, Cranbourne and Frankston. Estates with young street trees, older brick veneer closer in, and salt air on the bay side that makes rinsing metal roofs worthwhile.
Footscray to Werribee
Western suburbs
Maidstone, Sunshine, Point Cook and further out. Fewer big trees but more wind, so gutters fill with dust, silt and blown litter. The older inner west has weatherboards and clay tiles.
Brunswick to Epping
Northern suburbs
Coburg, Preston, Reservoir and the newer estates beyond. Inner-north terraces and bungalows with hidden box gutters behind parapets, plus plane trees in the older streets.
Brighton to Black Rock
Bayside
Hampton, Sandringham and Beaumaris. Period homes with slate, coastal tea tree and cypress, and sea air that settles on every roof. Slate means soft washing from access gear, never walking.
Carlton to Port Melbourne
Inner Melbourne and CBD
Fitzroy, North Melbourne and the city. Terraces with shared box gutters, tight rear lanes, parapets and commercial roofs. On some of these jobs, planning access takes as long as the clean.
Pricing
What does roof and gutter cleaning cost in Melbourne?
The price comes down to storeys, the length of gutter, how full it is and how hard the roof is to reach. A single-storey house with open access costs least; a double-storey home under gums with several valleys costs more. We give you a fixed written price from the address before you book.
| Factor | What we look at | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Storeys | Single, double or three-plus, and whether the ground below is flat | Biggest |
| Gutter length | Metres of gutter and number of valleys, measured from aerial imagery | Biggest |
| Debris load | Months since the last clean, and trees hanging over the roof | Medium |
| Roof type and pitch | Steep, brittle or slate roofs need more setup and more care | Medium |
| Access | Narrow side paths, pools, sheds, tight lanes or parapets | Small |
| Add-ons | Roof wash, moss treatment, cavity clean or extra downpipe work | Priced separately |
Why no price list? A flat rate either overcharges a small single-storey cottage or undercharges a big double-storey home under gums, and the undercharged job is the one that gets rushed. What we can give you is a fixed number before you book, measured from aerial imagery of your roof, that won't change on the day unless you change the scope. Our pricing page covers gutter and roof cleaning cost in more detail, job type by job type.
Comparing gutter cleaners? Put these three questions to every quote.
Height safety
Why isn't gutter cleaning a ladder-and-weekend job?
Because it puts you at the top of a ladder, leaning sideways with a scoop in one hand, often on soft or uneven ground. On a low single-storey house with a good ladder and a helper, you can do it yourself. On a double-storey home, a steep roof or anything brittle, the risk climbs fast.
For paid work in Victoria, a fall risk of more than two metres triggers specific legal duties. WorkSafe Victoria's compliance code on preventing falls sets out an order of controls: work from the ground or a solid surface first, then platforms and guard rails, then restraint or fall-arrest systems, with ladders near the bottom of the list. Our crews follow that order.
- 1Vacuum poles from the ground wherever they reach
- 2A stable platform or properly set ladder for the eave line
- 3Roof anchors and harness where someone has to go on the roof
- 4No foot traffic at all on slate or fragile tiles
If you're doing it yourself
- Use a sound ladder on firm, level ground, with someone footing it
- Keep three points of contact and move the ladder rather than reaching
- Scoop toward yourself into a bucket hooked to the ladder
- Pick a dry, still day and stay off the roof itself
- Don't hose debris down the downpipe; it just moves the blockage
When to hand it over
- Double storey or higher, or a sloping block
- Steep, old or brittle roofs, and any slate
- Power lines running close to the roofline
- Box gutters behind a parapet
- Any job where you'd have to stand on the roof
Still keen to have a go? Our step-by-step guide on how to clean roof gutters safely covers the gear, the method and the point to stop.
Fixed quotes
How do I get a fixed quote?
Send your address, the number of storeys and what you want cleaned. We measure the roof from aerial imagery, check access on street view and send a fixed written price, usually within 24 hours. Most houses need no site visit; larger strata and commercial sites may get a short walk-through first.
- 1You send the basicsAddress, storeys, roof type if you know it, and anything awkward about access.
- 2We measure and price itGutter length, valleys and pitch come off aerial imagery, and the price is fixed in writing.
- 3You pick a dateIf rain moves the booking, the price stays the same. Photos land in your inbox after the job.
Want to know which gutter cleaning company turns up, and with what gear? Read about us.
Request your fixed price
Takes about a minute. Every field except the address is optional. Prefer the full form? Get a quote on the quote page.
Questions
What do people ask before booking a gutter clean?
The same eight questions come up on most calls to the quote desk: price, height, mess, roof damage, strata work, fire season timing, proof and speed. Short, straight answers are below, with a longer guide behind each topic.
- Roof and gutter guides, all in one place
- Removing moss from a roof without damage
- What gutter cleaning costs and why