Gutter cleaning in Croatia: how to clean gutters and downpipes

The leaves have come down, and the first heavy rain shows whether your gutters still drain. If water spills over the edge or leaves wet streaks down the facade, the gutter is blocked. Gutter cleaning is one of the cheapest jobs around the house, and if you skip it, the water ends up in your walls, foundations and roof.

In this guide you will learn when to clean gutters, how to clean them step by step, how to work safely on a ladder, what to do about a blocked downpipe and whether leaf guards are worth it. At the end you will find approximate prices, a checklist for your request and an example.

Gutter cleaning: when and how often

Clean your gutters at least once a year, ideally in late autumn, once the leaves have fallen. If tall trees grow next to the house, add a spring clean too, because twigs, blossom and seeds collect then. It is also worth checking the gutters after strong wind or a storm.

Don't wait for the first frost. Wet leaves and sludge freeze in the gutter in winter, the water has nowhere to go, and the ice that forms puts extra load on the gutter brackets.

Signs that a gutter is blocked

• water spills over the edge of the gutter when it rains,
• you see wet or dark streaks on the facade below the gutter,
• nothing or only a thin trickle comes out of the downpipe in the rain,
• grass or moss grows in the gutter,
• the gutter sags in the middle or has come away from its brackets,
• water pools by the foundations, and damp appears in the basement or ground floor.

A wet wall under the gutter eventually becomes a problem indoors as well. If damp is already visible on the wall, see the guide damp and mould on walls.

How to clean gutters step by step

This applies to a bungalow or a house with a low roof edge that you can reach safely from a ladder. Pick a dry day without wind.

1. Get your kit ready. You need gloves, a plastic scoop or an old container, a bucket with a hook to hang on the ladder, a rubbish bag and a garden hose. Safety glasses help too.
2. Work from the downpipe towards the end of the gutter. That way you don't push leaves into the downpipe opening.
3. Remove the coarse debris. Put leaves, twigs and sludge into the bucket, not onto the lawn below you. Avoid sharp metal tools, as they can damage the coating or the edge of the gutter.
4. Rinse the gutter with a hose. Run water from the far end towards the downpipe. It should flow gently and disappear into the downpipe.
5. Check the fall. If water stands in one spot, the gutter has sagged there and needs adjusting on its brackets.
6. Inspect joints and brackets. Dripping joints, rust or holes mean the gutter needs repair.
7. Check the downpipe and the ground drain. Run water into the downpipe and see whether it flows out freely at the bottom. Clear the gully or grate next to the house as well.

If the gutter is badly clogged, it is usually easier to clean while the sludge is still wet than after it has dried hard.

Ladder safety

The biggest risk when cleaning gutters is not the gutter but falling off the ladder. So:

1. Stand the ladder on firm, level ground, not on soft soil or on boards wedged underneath.
2. Mind the angle. The rule is 1 in 4: for every four metres of height, move the foot of the ladder about one metre away from the wall.
3. Don't lean the ladder against a plastic gutter. It can crack or bend.
4. Climb facing the ladder and keep three points of contact: two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand.
5. Don't stand on the top three rungs and don't lean out to the side. Climb down and move the ladder instead.
6. Have someone hold the ladder and pass you things. Carry tools in a pouch, not in your hand.
7. Don't work in rain or wind or on wet rungs. Watch out for power lines near the roof.

Don't clean the gutter from the roof. If the roof edge is too high or the roof is steep, it is a job for a tradesperson with the right equipment.

Blocked downpipe: what to do

The downpipe is the vertical pipe that carries water from the gutter to the ground or into the drain. When it blocks, the gutter fills up and overflows even after cleaning.

• Tap the pipe from the bottom up. Where the sound turns dull, that is usually where the blockage is.
• Run water through it with a hose from the top and, if the downpipe has an opening or a bend at the bottom, from below as well.
• Remove the bottom bend if it comes off without tools, and clear out the debris.
• Don't force a rod or wire through a thin metal pipe. You can puncture it or pull the joints apart.

If the downpipe goes into the ground and water backs up, the blockage is lower, in the underground drain. Then call a drain-clearing professional.

Protecting gutters from leaves: guards and catchers

Gutter leaf protection reduces how much debris gets into the gutter. It does not mean you never have to clean the gutter again. Guards eventually clog up with leaves and needles themselves, so they need checking and clearing too.

Approximate prices in Croatian shops (autumn 2026):

Measure the width of your gutter before buying. If a pine or another needle tree grows near the house, fine mesh or a comb guard fills up quickly, so regular cleaning still matters most.

When to do it yourself and when to call a tradesperson

Gutters are part of the roof, so roofers often check them on the same visit. If you are planning to wash the roof or facade anyway, combine the jobs. Approximate washing prices are in the guide facade washing cost per m². If the gutter leaks, is rusty or sags and needs replacing, see gutter cost per metre.

Gutter cleaning cost: approximate prices

Most tradespeople quote after seeing photos or the site. The price depends on gutter length, height, access and how clogged it is. Approximate estimates from public requests on one Croatian tradesperson portal in 2025 and 2026:

On taller buildings gutters are often cleaned using rope access or a lift, without scaffolding. Emergency call-outs, weekend work and repairs are charged separately.

This is a made-up example: you have a house with a ground floor and one upper floor, about 30 m of gutters and two downpipes, and the roof edge is around 6 m up. That is not a job for an ordinary ladder. Use the table as a rough guide to the tradesperson's price, and you will get the exact figure once you send photos. If you also want leaf guards, 30 m of gutter needs five 6 m rolls, which comes to roughly €40–70 for materials alone.

Gutter cleaning on an apartment building

On an apartment building, gutters are part of the roof and a common part of the building. If you notice water overflowing or a blocked downpipe, contact the owners' representative or the building manager and send photos. Gutter cleaning on a building is usually paid from the shared reserve fund, and on tall buildings it is done with equipment for working at height. Don't climb onto the roof or the building's canopy.

You can find building maintenance tradespeople in Zagreb in the building maintenance category.

How to write a good request on Gigron

Include:

• the type of building: house, holiday home or apartment building, and how many storeys,
• how high the gutters are and roughly how long,
• how many downpipes there are and whether they go into the ground or onto the surface,
• what is happening: overflowing, leaking joints, sagging gutter, blocked downpipe,
• whether you also need leaf guards or repairs,
• town, access and timing: can a van get there, is there room for a ladder.

Add photos of the gutter taken from the ground and of the facade below it. If you are not sure what to include, see the guide how to write a request to a tradesperson.

Example request (made up): "House in Velika Gorica, ground floor plus one storey, gutters about 6 m up, around 30 m in total and two downpipes. When it rains, water overflows at the back and one downpipe doesn't drain. I need cleaning and a quote for leaf guards. Parking is available in the yard. Next week suits me."

On Gigron, browse the roofs category or roofers in Zagreb. If you also need the roof washed, see roof washing in Zagreb, and if the facade is already damaged by water, facade repair. Other autumn jobs are covered in the guide preparing your home for winter.

Find a gutter tradesperson on Gigron

On Gigron you post a request and local tradespeople reply with offers. It's free and you don't have to call ten numbers.

Download the app:

• App Store
• Google Play

Frequently asked questions

When is the best time to clean gutters?

In late autumn, once most leaves have fallen and before the frost. If trees grow near the house, check the gutters in spring as well. If you clean them too early, leaves that fall later can block them again.

Can I clean gutters with a pressure washer?

A strong jet easily throws sludge onto the facade and windows, and it can damage an old or thin gutter. Remove the coarse debris by hand first, then rinse with a garden hose. If you do use a pressure washer, turn the pressure down and don't aim the jet at the joints.

Do I need to clean gutters if I have leaf guards?

Yes, just less often. Leaves collect on top of the guard, while fine needles and dirt pass through and settle in the gutter. At least once a year, lift the guard in a few places and check what is underneath.

In short: do your gutter cleaning at least once a year, in late autumn. Start at the downpipe, remove debris by hand, rinse the gutter with a hose and check that water flows through the downpipe. On the ladder, keep three points of contact and never lean it against the gutter. Leaf guards reduce the work but don't remove it. If the gutters are high, the roof is steep or the gutter leaks, call a tradesperson.