[mark mann]

hi guys

id really like a vac system but itll have to wait untill spring - moneywise.

in the meantime im getting aske if i do them occasionally even when canvassing.
getting tired off missing out on the chance to earn some extra.

a mate is keen to work with me on them and looking to go in at 40quid a side - do you think this about right or can you get a little more?

[krave]

I would charge about 70-80 for gutters in and out on a average house.

[bobby p]

be wary, gutters arent as easy as they appear on the surface.  this summer i had a spell doing loads of gutters and it seemed all okay-i bought a folding gutter scraper,these screw onto a pole,  and are sold on ebay ,cheap,works great. HOWEVER  ,recently  now it rained ,i got a few complaints of gutters leaking and running down walls all  because i didnt check  the downspouts  /downpipes were clear.i had to go back and spend ages looking for a problem i could not see in dry weather / these turned out to be blocked inside ,one with a tennis ball . i have stopped doing gutters now . it would be easy to get a major claim against you if damp is found on a house and you had touched a gutter  ,
      i also found that often roof tiles sometimes had slid into the gutter, blocking , do you just push em back into place and say nothing or tell the homeowner you did it ? later the wind may blow a tile off somewhere and guess who theyll blame  . it is just grief and i wont do gutters now

[e newlands]

ive done gutters for ages never had a problem and always done by hand but now looking for a guttervac

ive got a couple tennis balls wrapped in tape that i put in the downpipe inlets to stop debris going down the pipe just big enough to fit in the gutter and to big to go down the pipe stops any grief later

[e newlands]

interesting
but i have a schedule of rates for gutter works and have a set charge for downpipes then its the custies choice  whether they are cleared or not
the ball is there to prevent any further debris entering the pipe it seems to work as I said I've never had a problem
used bungs and air bags in the past but they take time installing

I also charge for clearing hoppers and gullies additionally as they can take time

[WinTech]

I charge by the mtr.
Clean the gutters and check the down pipes. I then poor water into the gutter to check for leaks.

Custies are told repairs are extra.

I also advise custies about down pipe guards. This is a good add on because I normally keep a stock in the van. I charge a £ more than I buy them for.

Never has a problem so far.

Good to get a stand off for the ladder. Makes life simpler and safer.

[bobplum]

it must be me or the area i live in  i cant belive how much you guys charge for clearing gutters
i dont think any of my customers would pay £60- 70 to have gutters cleared
or are you doing more than clearing out,ie cleaning them
i think £20.00 WOULD BE TOPS



must be me
bob

[elite mike]

it must be me or the area i live in  i cant belive how much you guys charge for clearing gutters
i dont think any of my customers would pay £60- 70 to have gutters cleared
or are you doing more than clearing out,ie cleaning them
i think £20.00 WOULD BE TOPS



must be me
bob

glad your not round here

i charge 30 per side of the average house/ bung

i think that is a fair charge

[e newlands]

Going back to original question I charge 3-50 per m
I find that most people are happy with this rate

[mark mann]

Going back to original question I charge 3-50 per m
I find that most people are happy with this rate

i understand its a fir pricing structure by the metre and have a general idea of what a metre looks like length wise - but do really measure up and say uh yeah thats 4 mtr side and price accordingly or guess at the meterage?

[mark mann]

be wary, gutters arent as easy as they appear on the surface.  this summer i had a spell doing loads of gutters and it seemed all okay-i bought a folding gutter scraper,these screw onto a pole,  and are sold on ebay ,cheap,works great. HOWEVER  ,recently  now it rained ,i got a few complaints of gutters leaking and running down walls all  because i didnt check  the downspouts  /downpipes were clear.i had to go back and spend ages looking for a problem i could not see in dry weather / these turned out to be blocked inside ,one with a tennis ball . i have stopped doing gutters now . it would be easy to get a major claim against you if damp is found on a house and you had touched a gutter  ,
      i also found that often roof tiles sometimes had slid into the gutter, blocking , do you just push em back into place and say nothing or tell the homeowner you did it ? later the wind may blow a tile off somewhere and guess who theyll blame  . it is just grief and i wont do gutters now

I charge by the mtr.
Clean the gutters and check the down pipes. I then poor water into the gutter to check for leaks.

Custies are told repairs are extra.

I also advise custies about down pipe guards. This is a good add on because I normally keep a stock in the van. I charge a £ more than I buy them for.

Never has a problem so far.

Good to get a stand off for the ladder. Makes life simpler and safer.

interesting
but i have a schedule of rates for gutter works and have a set charge for downpipes then its the custies choice whether they are cleared or not
the ball is there to prevent any further debris entering the pipe it seems to work as I said I've never had a problem
used bungs and air bags in the past but they take time installing

I also charge for clearing hoppers and gullies additionally as they can take time

all great advice all with valid points to consider - thanks guys - it would be a nice add on for me and help out as my wc round is only small at the moment. plus it maybe a way of saving for a guttervac system.

[squeek clean]

Marc,
Maybe its me but this topic always freaks me out!!  (  I've tryed a couple of gutter vacs before and honestly unless you just want to suck out LOOSE leaves etc. they dont work!!
The gutters I've been emptying for the past 5 years as part of my services are always best emptied by hand ( extendable pole with an attachment tool such as a pot cleaner bent to a 45' angle to pull the stuff to you & similar piece with prongs on for digging into the stuborn plantlife etc. and pulling towards you then into a bucket ).
 A good 70% of stuff in gutters is wedged / jambed in and nearly always needs to be wrenched free & out. Gutter vacs are useless when roof tiles come down to meet / cover gutters - you can barely get your fingers in! AS for debris in hoppers and downpipes sometimes these need to be opened, stuff removed aand re-fitted - 2min. job A gutter vac will not do this!
Stick with conventional approach and keep your money. A typical house normally has stuff in North & East side of building and little or no debris in South side. As regards price typically to empty here its €40 for average house and this would include a small kitchen extension etc. Time to just empty gutters (NOT clean pvc etc. ) c. 30mins. A ladder stand off is great for leaning against fascia & not putting pressure on the gutters themselves avoiding questions about damage, leaks etc.
cheers
Ray

[ants]

the point squeek made about tiles covering gutters is so true,ive got a vac but on at least half the jobs its ladders and bucket and a sore hand trying to push it under over hanging tiles.
they wont pay much round here either-  north east

[prestige cleaners]

i empty them the traditional way, was hoping to get a gutter vac soon, but your right about tight spaces, dont they make a small flat shaped nozzle for them?

i charge about £20-£30 per side gutter emptying, and same for external cleaning. i dont get why someone would ram a tennis ball down a down pipe though, why would you want to block it?

[e newlands]

It sits in the top of the outlet to stop any debris dropping down the downpipe just like using a bung or bag
I don't ram in down the pipe

[prestige cleaners]

It sits in the top of the outlet to stop any debris dropping down the downpipe just like using a bung or bag
I don't ram in down the pipe

how does water get past it?

[e newlands]

It's only inserted whilst cleaning
I bung the outlets to stop the crap entering the downpipes once I've removed all the debris they are removed and flushed thro

only block the outlets temporary as I find it easier to push the crud away from me than try to pull it nearer
I may be a crude system but I have never had anything go down the downpipes accidentally
I used to have a few 6 inch foam balls that use to scrunch up they were used to flush thro concrete pump lines
they were great but some toad nicked them

[Smudger]

Marc,
Maybe its me but this topic always freaks me out!! ( I've tryed a couple of gutter vacs before and honestly unless you just want to suck out LOOSE leaves etc. they dont work!!
The gutters I've been emptying for the past 5 years as part of my services are always best emptied by hand ( extendable pole with an attachment tool such as a pot cleaner bent to a 45' angle to pull the stuff to you & similar piece with prongs on for digging into the stuborn plantlife etc. and pulling towards you then into a bucket ).
 A good 70% of stuff in gutters is wedged / jambed in and nearly always needs to be wrenched free & out. Gutter vacs are useless when roof tiles come down to meet / cover gutters - you can barely get your fingers in! AS for debris in hoppers and downpipes sometimes these need to be opened, stuff removed aand re-fitted - 2min. job A gutter vac will not do this!
Stick with conventional approach and keep your money. A typical house normally has stuff in North & East side of building and little or no debris in South side. As regards price typically to empty here its €40 for average house and this would include a small kitchen extension etc. Time to just empty gutters (NOT clean pvc etc. ) c. 30mins. A ladder stand off is great for leaning against fascia & not putting pressure on the gutters themselves avoiding questions about damage, leaks etc.
cheers
Ray

 :

for tight gutters you use an oval shaped end that fits in better than your hand and it will pull out plants complete with roots.  we've pulled out everything from tennis balls to house bricks even ones 8 to 10 inches inside the downpipe

[JSMC]

oval end? any links

[Clive McDonald]

I sort of agree with sqeeky ray, but am prepared to think i might be wrong.

Ray there is a tool you should have, a long bendy spring thing, it unblocks gutter down pipes/bends without  disassembly.


Never found  a pair of satisfactory gloves.