Autumn Roof & Gutter Checklist: 8 Jobs to Do Before Winter

Every year it’s the same. The clocks go back, the first proper storm rolls in, and my phone starts going with people saying their gutters are pouring over the front of the house. Nearly every one of those calls could have been avoided with an hour of looking around in October.

So here’s the autumn roof and gutter checklist I’d give a friend. Most of it you can do from the ground with your phone camera. A few bits are worth leaving to someone with the right kit, and I’ll be honest about which ones.

Why autumn is the time to check

Round here in Tadley, Baughurst and the villages towards Newbury, we’ve got a lot of mature trees. Lovely in summer. In October and November they dump the lot straight into your gutters. Add a few weeks of rain and those leaves turn into a wet, heavy sludge that blocks the downpipes and holds water against your fascias.

Then the frosts start. Any water sitting in a blocked gutter, or soaked into moss on the tiles, freezes and expands. That’s how small problems in October become cracked tiles and damp patches by February. Sorting things now, while it’s still mild and reasonably dry, is a lot cheaper than sorting them in January.

Your autumn roof and gutter checklist

1. Walk round the house and look up

Pick a dry day, stand back about 20 to 30 feet from each side and have a proper look. Use the zoom on your phone and take photos as you go. You’re looking for anything out of line: slipped or missing tiles, a ridge tile that looks lifted, or a gap where something used to be.

2. Check the gutters for plants and sagging

If you can see grass or little saplings growing out of the gutter, it’s full. Simple as that. Also look along the length of each run. A gutter that dips in the middle is usually holding water and weight it shouldn’t be, and the brackets will be under strain.

3. Watch what happens when it rains

This one’s free and tells you more than anything else. Next time it chucks it down, pop outside with a coat on and watch. Water should disappear down the downpipes. If it’s spilling over the front edge, dripping through the joints, or the downpipe’s barely trickling, there’s a blockage somewhere. We wrote more about what that does to a house in our guide to the 7 signs your roof needs cleaning.

4. Look at the bottom of the downpipes

Check the shoe at the bottom and the drain it feeds into. Leaves and moss washed off the roof tend to collect there, and a blocked gully means the whole system backs up.

5. Check for moss on the tiles

A bit of green on the north-facing slope is normal in Hampshire. Thick clumps are a different story. Moss holds water like a sponge, and once the freeze-thaw cycle gets going it starts lifting tiles and washing debris straight into your newly cleared gutters. If you’re curious why it’s so bad here, we covered it in why British roofs get so much moss.

6. Look at the fascias and soffits

Those are the boards that run along under the gutter. Dark streaks, green staining or flaking paint usually mean water’s been running down the back of the gutter instead of through it. Catch it early and it’s a clean and a gutter clear. Leave it and you could end up needing new fascia boards, which is a much bigger job.

7. Trim back overhanging branches

Fewer leaves landing on the roof means fewer leaves in the gutter. It also lets more light and air onto the tiles, so they dry out quicker and moss doesn’t get such an easy ride. Even taking back one or two branches helps.

8. Pop up into the loft

On a dry day, take a torch and have a look at the underside of the roof. Damp patches, water stains on the timbers, or daylight where there shouldn’t be any are all worth getting checked before the winter weather really sets in.

What to leave to a professional

I’ll be straight with you. Clearing gutters on a bungalow from a stepladder is one thing. Leaning a ladder against a two-storey house in October, when everything’s wet and slippery, is how people end up in A&E. It’s honestly not worth the saving.

When we do an autumn visit, we clear the gutters by hand, flush the downpipes to make sure they’re running, and take before and after photos so you can see exactly what was done. If the roof’s mossy, we remove it by hand (never a pressure washer, it damages the tiles) and apply a biocide treatment to slow it coming back. You get a photo report at the end and a 12-month written guarantee on the roof work.

If you’d rather keep it simple, have a look at our services page to see what we cover, or check out the gutter work we’ve done around the area.

Frequently asked questions

How often should gutters be cleared?

For most homes, once a year in late autumn after the leaves have come down. If you’re surrounded by trees, twice a year (spring and late autumn) is safer.

Is October too early to clear gutters?

It depends on your trees. If they’ve still got most of their leaves on, late October or November is often better, otherwise you’ll be clearing them twice. The roof check, though, is worth doing now while the weather’s still kind.

Can I clean my roof in autumn?

Yes, as long as it’s done by hand and you get a dry spell for the biocide treatment to work. Spring and summer are ideal, but a dry autumn week is fine. Our guide on why regular roof cleaning extends your roof’s life explains how often it’s worth doing.

Do I need to be at home?

Not usually. As long as we can get to the house safely, we’ll send you the photos when we’re done.

Not sure what you’re looking at?

Take a few photos from the ground and send them over. I’ll tell you honestly whether it needs doing now, can wait until spring, or doesn’t need doing at all.

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