Timing matters more here than in milder places, because the window between "the leaves are finally down" and "everything is frozen solid" can be uncomfortably short. Here is how the year actually runs.

The short version

  • Spring: late April to early June, once the melt is finished and the seed drop is done.
  • Fall: late September to late October, after leaf drop and before freeze-up.
  • If you only do one: make it fall. Always.

Month by month

March – April: assessment, not cleaning

Too early to clean — there is still ice in the trough and debris is frozen in place. It is a good time to walk around the house during the melt and watch where water goes. Overflow points, a downspout that is not running, ice building at one corner: note them all.

Late April – early June: the spring clean

Once things have thawed and, critically, once the poplar and birch have finished dropping seed pods and catkins. Clean too early and you will be picking seed out of the gutter a fortnight later.

The spring visit clears winter debris, confirms nothing broke over the cold months, and gets the system ready for summer storms.

June – August: repairs and guards

Warm, dry, long days — the right time for anything involving sealant, which needs dry conditions to cure, and for guard installs, since shingles stay flexible.

It is also the quiet season, which means better availability and no rush.

Late September – October: the important one

This is the visit that matters most. Leaves are down, freeze-up has not arrived, and whatever is in your gutters now is what will be there all winter.

It is also the busiest few weeks of our year by a wide margin. Booking in August or early September gets you the date you want; leaving it to the third week of October means taking whatever is left.

November onward: too late, mostly

Once things freeze, debris is locked in and ladder work becomes genuinely unsafe. We will still clear an emergency blockage where we safely can, but it is a worse and more expensive job than doing it in October.

Things that change the schedule

  • Spruce or pine overhead: needles drop year-round. You may want a third visit, or guards.
  • An older roof: shedding shingle grit builds a dense layer at the bottom of the trough.
  • Storm or hail: check afterwards. A single storm can fill a gutter.
  • New build: construction dust and offcuts often end up in the gutter. Worth a clean in the first year.
  • Selling: clean eavestroughs and a photo record are cheap reassurance during an inspection.

Why booking early is not just a sales line

The fall window is about four to six usable weeks for an entire city. Everyone wants the same two weeks in October. Booking in late summer costs nothing and means you are not the person calling on the first cold morning hoping someone can squeeze you in.

If you would rather not think about it at all, a maintenance plan books both visits at once and you are simply on the schedule.