How to Clean Gutters Safely, and When to Leave It to a Pro

Yes, if the house and the day are right. That means a single-storey gutter you can reach from a ladder on flat, firm ground. It means dry, still weather, and a second person to hold the base. Take any one of those away and the job gets riskier fast. That's the point to hand it over.

Plenty of people do it themselves. Product Safety Australia (opens in a new tab), the ACCC's safety site, lists gutter cleaning among the jobs people get the ladder out for at home. It also warns: “It's often the split-second decision or risky shortcut that results in a fall.”

So this guide sticks to the safety side. What to check before you climb, how to set up, what never to do, and when to call someone. It won't show you how to get onto the roof. If a gutter needs that, it's a job for a pro.

For what Queensland hospital research found about ladder falls at home, read our guide on whether gutter cleaning is dangerous.

Stay well clear of it. Queensland's Electrical Safety Office (opens in a new tab) names gutter cleaning in its advice, and says to keep well away from the service line, the wire that connects your house to the power. The office's page doesn't give a set distance for gutter cleaning. So if the line runs close to the gutter, don't clean that part yourself.

Here's the reason, in the office's words: “While these lines are usually insulated, the insulation may become brittle with age and a simple knock may cause it to break away and expose live wires.” A ladder swinging into place can be that knock.

You don't even have to touch a line to get a shock. Electricity can jump, or arc, across an air gap. And the office says powerlines can be hard to see, even on a sunny day. They're harder to spot in low light, rain or cloud, and at dawn or dusk.

Not sure where your lines run? The office points to the Look Up and Live map, which shows where powerlines are on your property. Whoever cleans the gutters, tell them about the line before they set up.

On flat, firm ground, with the base one metre out from the wall for every four metres of height. That's the 4:1 rule (opens in a new tab) from the Queensland Government's ladder advice. Secure the top of an extension ladder before you start work. Then climb up the middle of the ladder, holding on with both hands.

Securing the top matters. WorkSafe Queensland reported (opens in a new tab) that in 2025, a worker died after falling about 3.8 metres from a ladder while getting onto a house roof. Its early findings say the ladder may not have been secured to the building. WorkSafe says those findings aren't confirmed yet, and it's still investigating.

Know where to stop climbing, too. On a step ladder, don't stand above the second step from the top. On an extension ladder, don't stand above the third rung from the top.

Once you're up, keep one hand on the ladder and work within arm's reach. When the next bit of gutter is out of reach, climb down and move the ladder. It's slower. It's also how you stay on it.

Never lean out to grab the next handful of leaves. Never stand on the top steps, and never work in rain or wind. Don't build a platform out of ladders and planks, and don't climb onto the roof to get at a gutter. Every one of those saves a few minutes, and that's what makes them tempting.

The government's ladder safety videos (opens in a new tab) show how it goes wrong. Mick set two ladders too far apart, with a plank between them, to trim a hedge. They gave way, and he broke four ribs and fractured five vertebrae. Paul says he was leaning over, instead of climbing down to move the ladder, when he fell.

In a third video, John talks about his father, who put two ladders on top of each other to check a leaking roof. He fell and hurt his head and back. John says he hasn't completely recovered.

The roof is our own line. If you'd have to step off the ladder and onto the roof to reach a gutter, stop there. Old tiles crack underfoot, and it's a long way down.

Call someone when the gutter's on a second storey, or you'd need the roof to reach it. Do the same if the service line runs close to the gutter, there's no flat ground for the ladder, or nobody's home to hold it. And if you're on medication or not steady on your feet, we'd call that reason enough.

Height is the big one. Our guide to what changes on a two-storey house covers the extra risk, and what Queensland's work safety rules say about it. A sloping block can do the same to a single-storey home. Around Brisbane's high-set and hillside homes, the downhill gutter can be a full two storeys up, and a sloping block often has no flat ground for a ladder.

Age matters as well. If you're older or live with a disability, the Queensland Government says you may be eligible for home maintenance help. Our guide to Home Assist Secure explains who qualifies for one program.

When you hand it over to us, we clear the leaves, twigs and sludge out of your gutters, then check the water runs to the downpipes. We're fully insured for roof work, and we clean two-storey homes. Tell us how many storeys when you ask for a quote.

Then ask us about gutter guard for your home. It keeps the leaves out of the gutter, so there's less to clear out of it. Leaves still land on the roof, so it's worth a look now and then. Every install includes a free gutter clean, and it's backed by a written 10-year no blocked gutter guarantee.

We've been family-owned for over 25 years. We clean gutters and fit gutter guard across Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast. Book a clean, or get a free on-site quote for gutter guard. You don't need gutter guard to book a clean.