Hello You Tube, it’s Rob from Maxwells Grass Cutting Services, based in the North East of England.
Today I want to talk about winter work. Adding another service to your business.
Success is the ability to extend your season and survive the winter lean months.
Gutter clearing, is there money in it.
Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for watching and supporting the channel.
Please like and subscribe.
Remember, when the green gold is growing, keep mowing.
All the best.
Rob.
47 Comments
You're business You're decisions to make Rob
I've got a V-tuf gutter vac excellent bit of kit
Merry Christmas Mate. It’s hard here in Hertfordshire too. Great idea by the way, I’ll add it in my business.
Hi Rob I'm a gardener and my mate is a window cleaner who does jet washing and gutter vac he's says he earns more money doing the jet washing and gutters than doing the windows. But he's also said a word of warning if you are thinking of only doing gutters in the winter months he's had to cancel some jobs as the gutters are totally frozen up and the vac just won't touch the ice. Just a thought…
This cold snap has come an an annoying time, flat out with work till Xmas but frozen lawn/ground has made doing the final tidys impossible. Still plenty of hedges/pruning that can be done though.
the gardens i work in rightly or wrongly i generally clean gutters out for them as part of my service it generally gets done after all the leaves are down it’s up a ladder with a bucket and scraper but it is food for thought to offer it elsewhere 👍
I'm a window cleaner who also does Gutter Clearing. It's a great stand alone add on. It can definitely be done without fascia cleaning. Personally i love clearing gutters, easy work and good money. Fascia cleaning is hard work. Market it to your current customer base around September each year, and book the jobs in from November, once the leaves have come off the trees. Good luck.
Go for it mate, what you got to lose? I've also been looking into that myself alot of people also asking about Gutters cleared/cleaned by me… if the gutters are flowing keep on blowing!🤣
Hello Rob,
Just something I've seen and that's the gutter cleaning attachment that fits on the wolf garden telescope handle,I've seen a couple people cleaning gutters and facia boards with this, just a thought just to start off with to test the water! Another great video Rob 👍
Kev in Ireland I have a sky vac atom it's great it's lite and you can take it anywhere it's never let me down keep up the good work kev
I would be wary of spending a lot of money on equipment that won’t get used that often. Especially gutter clearing as it’s never as easy as it looks or sounds. Trust me I’ve tried it and there is no way you can do it without getting up there with a ladder as you will find gutter vac can’t get rubble and bits of slate out etc. Also, you need ladder as you will be surprised how many times you knock end caps off or how many people ask you to fix leaks etc. Not trying to put you off mate, just warn you it’s never as easy and simple as it sounds. I learned the hard way.
I usually do painting and decorating for clients. They Just hang on until the end of the year for me to do it
I used to try and stick to gardening until I realised I was limiting myself
Hi Rob. I have the GVS 3000W with the aluminium poles from Guttervacuumsystems. I would highly recommend this company. Julia is fantastic to deal with. You wont be disappointed with their customer service. The Predator is the top model. You shouldn't need that model if your only using it seasonally. I only have a 5meter length of flexie hose. I would recommend going with 10 meters.
It's a good earner alright, and its handy work especially if your just doing "gutter emptying". Cleaning the gutters and facia and soffit can be tough work especially on a 2 story. I always use the customers water as i dont carry water cos I'm not a window cleaner.
Whether there's a market just for gutter emptying it's hard to know. Yes, certainly some folks are happy to have the gutters empty and aren't worried about how clean they look. (All depends on the colour of the gutters and facia/soffit too) Buying a waterfed pole wouldn't cost a fortune I guess. You wouldn't need a terribly expensive one. Check out squeaky clean Dave's channel or AE Macintosh for tips and advice. The ov8 pole is supposed to be good as its anti spin. I'm using a Gardiner clx 27 pole. I'd recommend something stronger and a bit longer.
Best of luck with whatever you decide.
Message back if you want any more advice. 👍
Have you thought about a branch chipping service or a twice yearly service for older people who like to do their own garden but can't do the heavier stuff
Hi Rob. I’ve added bungalow gutter clearing to my grass cutting round due to the minimal expense using kit I already own, Hendon ladders, bucket and rubber gloves. I’ve got a Stihl vacuum/blower which is compatible to the Stihl gutter cleaning kit (under £40) which is a cheap option in the grand scheme of things (no electricity needed). The tall stuff I leave to the guys with long ladders.
There is work doing guttering especially around trees, I do a few but, not many out of choice, just remember wet cold hands in winter so waterproof thermal gloves are a more 👍
Hi please take this advice I've been cleaning gutters for 30 years and it's a hard game to be in overseen so many lads but gutters back and they end up in cash converters. The best t hung to do is build your own one. There is a guy on you tube made one himself . First but wet and dry vac from tool station good 1500 watt moter. £80 . Then eBay 20 foot flag l pole it will fit in sections. Then bu y from eBay the blue angle spout. I've seen him use as gutters vac works purfect. I'm building one myself soon as I'm using ladders to clean gutters to risky paying loads of money to them company's
The guy you mentioned has some really good videos. He tries out lots of gear. Not sure about the window cleaning. You need to filter the water, but if you get the gear to clean facia boards, you may be able to soft wash roofs. I would start with the customers you already have. We are still mowing but it is slowing down now. First daffodils flowering last week.
Rob my friend works in emergency in our local hospital, and said the biggest volume in admissions is men over 50 falling off ladders !
Gutter cleaning over here is done by professionals who have a truck and vacuum an do a great job , There are a lot of gardening companies that provide a gutter service using a ladder and bucket but unless you have the correct equipment to clean the most important thing .. downpipes , those portable vacs are useless for sucking from them so unless you geared up with the truck unit a ladder and a hose is required .
There is good money though 350 au for a standard house
so what do you do if it’s double story ??? do climb that high , remember mate the chances of falling increases with age !!
Good to see you post some thought provoking ideas though and when I was young I made good made from gutters .. 2 jobs a day used to equal a days mowing back in the day
Keep your money in pocket Rob. I have quite a lot of customers & have to say not many ask me to clean the guttering over the 12 years. When they ask i pass it on to the m8 but it's not very much. I fine people only ask when they are blocked or they have trees close to the house.
Hi Rob,
Same as you I was thinking what I could do but my regular customers made my decision for me, asking if I can pressure wash their patios and drives. So I've got myself a petrol pressure washer and a flat surface cleaner in the black Friday deals and I start doing them this week. That £2k for a gutter vac is a bit steep for me a the moment!! Maybe next year?🤣 👍🏻
I like the way you think Rob, its good to have different services so you've got multiple streams of income. I know a few guys who just do the gutters without the fascias so it's definitely possible… maybe you could get a few booked in (weather permitting) and hire the equipment in before investing? All the best mate 👍🏾
Hey Rob.
Absolutely go for it. Ashley and Dave are great guys, and they have some great advice. Check out Ashley's training courses.
Exterior detailing us the next step up from exterior cleaning. You could link up with a local window cleaner, and maybe offer jet washing as a service too.
Do you listen to Ashley's podcast ?
Check it out if you don't.
Hi Rob, As well as gardening we also pressure wash and gutter cleaning in the winter months. We use a generator with the gutter vac, therefore not having to use the clients electricity. Have a look at ‘Gutter Vac’ I paid around £500 a couple of years ago and I can reach two storey property’s no problem.
Hi Rob
It’s adrian
I do gardening / pressure washing / gutter clearing and cleaning / and other jobs; fencing and fence repair. based in Barnsley South Yorkshire/ (WhiteRose gardening and pressure washing and gutter cleaning ) I’ve got my van wrapped advertising all this;
I use a sky vac with carbon pole’s fantastic. I do use a big boy for cleaning, but if customers haven’t got out side tap I just clear the gutters. One thing I do have is a portable generated that I use to run the vac in case the customer is out. And yes you can subsidise your earnings through autumn and winter, doing this. Also I do conservatory roof cleaning which is a good hernia. I’m 60 now and used to do flagging and stuff but I try to stay clear now, the old back doesn’t like it now:::
This is how I work my year… from march I do my gardening work Monday to Thursday: then Fridays I do pressure washing:: then mid November I start pushing the gutter work and cleaning work till mid January then I finish and me and my wife go away, for a month or so, and then start again::: but in this weather nothing is happening: all the gutters are frozen and you really don’t want to be spraying water round. Hope this helps, I got all my gear from spin a clean in Northampton, good luck for next year mate👍
Regards Ady
I add it on as an additional service, but just use triple ladders that I already owned, I bought a set of " gutted pro " shaped tools that fit onto an extendable 5 metre pole.
This allows me to reach over conservatories and single storey extensions, unless the house is massive, with a five metre pole you move the ladder very few times. Outlay £100.
Morning Rob, I bought a kiam gutter vac 2yrs ago paid £1200 brand new it had a camera with it.
3 1200w motors, so it was 3600 w. I was charging £50 a house here garages and extensions that was extra. I used it the whole winter Rob it made me money no bother it was a good investment the only reason I sold it was because i soley didn't depend on that type of work I was busy else where a man made me an offer and I sold it on.
I used the customers electricity it's not a problem at all there happy to let you use it so don't worry about that.
I bought an extra attachment to add to the machine as to stop blockages which was really good.
ROB let me tell you if your trying to clean fascias with a 30ft wfp it is real hard graft and really difficult to do I found.
So now we clean fascias with an extension wand that attaches to the power washer with high pressure jet nozzle.
ROB get a unit with at least 3600w that's enough power to suck the worst gutters out.
AND yes you will definitely make £300 a week off it that's part time that's all can think of at the minute but if you have any questions I didn't answer ask away 👍
I'm a window cleaner and always busy so don't need any add ons.
A pal of mine who does says it's fairly lucrative, but the only caveat is on some jobs the downspout will be blocked at the gutter and the only way you'll clear it is by climbing a 🪜 so you'll always need a ladder and a head for heights. 👍 Good luck in what you do.
I use a long ladder, trowel, bucket and wash the gutter out with water (from a tap). Very low tech but works better and quicker than a vacuum. Also you're 2k down at the start. I clean a few windows using a brush and a bucket of water. Then wash everything down with a cheap battery driven jet wash using pure water (3.5p a litre). Never any complaints. Start off cheap then by all means build up to expensive stuff but honestly, no one is interested in watching a video of their gutter being cleaned. You have an honest business so people trust you. Keep us informed as it's interesting how people think. Thanks Rob.
I watched the same the video from premier lawns and was also considering it. Decided not to bother with it due too buying and storing the equipment plus watching some of the other gutter videos most end up going up ladders. Might be hard to sell with out being prepared to do repairs and cleans too roof gutters. If you do have a go at it just invest in a basic set up, see if it pays before going for the pro kit Am hoping to get out if this ice thaws tomorrow or thurseday still a couple tidy ups to do All the best Mark
Hello Rob, I started gutter clearing about 18 mnths ago, just to extend the season and to stop me getting too bored just sat at home. Its a nice little extra, I wouldn't say it will get me early retirement but its decent money.
I started just with ladders and a couple of Pro Gutter attachments fixed to an extendable painters pole – still doing me proud. Come spring I will have enough saved to buy the Spinaclean Gutter Vac system, so next season I'm ready to go. Any repairs needed can be highlighted and added to the bill ie broken clips, etc
The only issue I have found is when the gutters are frozen, but I always check using my action camera attached to my extendable Wolf Garten Pole. Honestly mate us gardeners are resourceful chaps/chappettes always find a way round obstacles. I also keep it away from my gardening business just so people don't get confused – magnetics on the van really help also.
Good luck mate and wishing you & yours a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Hi Rob, we are a partnership, and we are a gardening company primarily. We do offer gutter clearing, but we just spent £1k on a great ladder system. We clean gutters with our hands and a bucket.
Go for it Rob. Setup as separate business name. I’d get advice from the accountant for the best way tax wise to setup.
How many times have you paid for or cleaned your own gutters, not many would be my guess, get more lawn treatments and get them on a subscription, I have started doing 6 a year for my customers (not every two months, none in winter but more in spring and summer) I offer pay as you go or subscription, they all do subscription, I get paid monthly (lower cost per month than one off) for them, keeps you in regular contact with the customer and you do get a genuine and visible benefit after each visit and keeps a few pound coming in over winter.
Hi Rob i looked at this once and i think the window cleaners all have sky vac's and do this in the winter, and have most of the market for this. I recon you will get some work but i asked a few of my garden clients and they all have the window cleaner do it. I get a few people ask about lawn treatments too but i turn them down (tell them about the big two) as don't get the time plus don't want the hassle of storing and buying kit etc. One of my mates has a few office contracts where he blows and litter picks the car parks early on Sat mornings when they are empty i'm looking at getting some of those 🤔😉. keep the videos coming mate. ps i know what you mean about your chipper just sold mine 👍.
Good Luck
I have a garden services business doing mainly grass and hedges but bought a skyvac this autumn and have found there's good work out there for gutter clearing. Haven't been asked about facia/soffit cleaning at all. I feel I've barely scratched the surface yet. December not been a Great month due do everything being frozen though.
Rob. I think I'm the only person on here airing a word or two of caution. But I can see quite a few potential negatives. So here goes.
1. I think it would be a physically hard job. Even with light weight carbon poles, stretching up 20+ft and moving them along a gutter filled with debris I think would be hard work. Sore arms, aching neck, and none of us are getting any younger.
2. Access. Will you be able to reach gable ends of semi-detached houses or over garages to the house?
3. It's not repeat work. You get the job, go and do it and thats the customer done for 12-24 months. So your constantly having to advertise for new work.
4. Return on investment. At say £2500 set up costs and £80 a pop. You'd need about 31 customers to break even and the machine to pay for itself. That could easily be 1+ yrs. Depending on take up.
5. Liability. If you damage a gutter. I know you've got a mate who can help you out. But do you want the headache?
6. Tax. If your going to do it. I'd set up a separate business for tax reasons and possibly make it a Ltd company for tax and liability reasons.
7. Cleaning machine and Waste. Where you going to put the sludge you've just collected? Customers waste bin?
If you do decide to give it a go I'd advise keeping gardening and gutters very separate. You don't want to weaken your gardening brand and be seen not as a professional gardener, but more of an odd job handy man.
I Don't want to piss on your parade. I just thought I'd mention some potential negatives so your at least aware of them.
Hi Rob , I saw a fella and his Mrs cleaning a 3 story town house block gutters with the fibre poles and cameras , in what looked like a franchise written van in Malton , If you don't mind a walk beating pays ok about 15 hours a week , but as your saying the cold has shut us down atm , but I try and offer a broader service to the gardening to get ahead of the part time £8 / £15 grass cutting merchants .
Hi Rob… hope youre feeling a bit better.. that's the issue with gardening – you definitely need a few arrows in your bow for different things. I used to have a number of things and basically through the year I would either leave leaflets with customers, or Id be casually mentioning things I notice and pop them down into a "winter job" list to pick and choose from. Youd be amazed how many weird and wonderful jobs you can get through the year – plenty of folks are happy to wait for some big jobs to be done over winter – fencing, new borders, pressure washing etc. As for your questions, I honestly believe you can make money from any of these but like anything it'll take a good few years as people tell theirfriends the following year and so on.. Good luck in your decision mate, Ive 100% been there several years ago and its one of those horrible situations.. really feel like getting on a plane for a month and go relax. all the best for xmas and new year….
Hi Rob, check out GVS systems as in my opinion the best on the market. Obviously it's regional specific and seasonal but should be a good long term investment. I went for a powerful domestic and commercial machine and glad I did. As mentioned, there's always gonna be competition and those that will do it dirt cheap however in my option you get what you pay for. Good luck. Mark
A gutter vac, beats hanging off a ladder all day long!
100 per cent, carbon fibre poles. I wouldn't bother with the all-singing all-dancing vac's, that's for the guys doing loads of cleaning week in, week out.
Rob, leave the outside of the gutters, that will be more hassle than it's worth. Window cleaners use pure water and water-fed poles…
It's an easy sell to your current clients.
Once you say to Mrs Jones on the last cut, btw we also do those gutters up there in the winter. Boom, sold.
They know and trust you, plus the grass-cutting has ended.
Before you buy one, you could email your regulars individually and say you are thinking about offering the new service, for their house, it will cost X amount and see how much interest there is before spending the money. You might end up with the expensive one after all 😜
Thanks for the mention too 😁
Hi Rob,
First of all is a good idea. I was thinking the same about gutter cleaning. I like because you're always thinking on something how to improve your income. I just started this year the gardening business so I find out you always have to do more task's. I am doing decorating during winter as I am painter but I enjoy more gardening then painting. So I think is a good idea to start cleaning gutters.
squeaky dave 👍 ashley seems more like a salesman these days….gvs predator good vac,but icey weather is no good for gutter cleaning
The gutter clearing sounds good plan , i do gutter clearing but only for bungalows as much easy to do
Oh blimey.
Rob, you have me thinking now. Well, that’s Half true as I was already thinking about this myself. There’s one chap I follow on YouTube but I’ve forgotten his name. When I remember, I’ll tell you as his kit With a camera cost about £1,200.
I have Just quit my full time job to take a less paid one with better hours so I can focus on my Handyman business.
I’m thinking, Gutters could be a good string to my bow.