FAQ's Gutter Cleaning

Our World leading Vacuum system allows the operator to connect carbon fibre poles together to reach up to a massive 12 metres height from the ground.​

We don't need to lean ladders up against your gutters potentially snapping gutter brackets and bending and scraping the paint from your gutters nor do we flush the debris down your downpipes with water which may lead to debris blockages in your downpipes or even worse, underground. ( great for those on water tank as you do not need to divert your water before or during the clean since nothing goes down the downpipes )​

We have also seen plenty of damage on roofs from various trades walking on roofs leaving cracked tiles and dents in the metal roofing. ( plumbers, electricians, cable tv installers etc )

​Finally and most importantly, our system reduces your compliance responsibilities with the Health and Safety Act for any onsite accidents at your premises from ill-equipped tradesmen.​

We may not be as cheap as the guys leaning ladders against your gutters, but that's because we are operating thousands of dollars of equipment to get the job done safely and with no damage to your roof or gutters.

No. ( unless you have an internal power switchboard and overhead powerlines to your house that come close to the gutters where we have to arrange a power disconnect with the lines company - ref to the section below on this for more info.)

Our units have their own onboard power and do not require any external power source. We just ask that you provide us with access ( padlock combination/gate pin code and room to work ) as well as lock up your dogs if applicable.

Our vacuum system will remove debris like decomposing leaves, live plants, sticks, insects, dead birds, plastic, wasp nests and other foreign matter from your gutters so that water can flow correctly through to your downpipes. The goal is to get the water flowing again !!
We do not scrub or polish the inside of the gutter so some minor sediment or baked-on dirt may remain in the gutter after the cleaning. This should be flushed away by water over time once your gutter is cleared out and the water is flowing correctly.
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This is an interior vacuum of your gutters. We do not clean or wash the outside of the gutter unless you are after a chemical soft wash service which should be specifically requested and quoted. The gutter vacuum service does not include valley gutters unless that is specifically covered in your quotation.
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( Note: we clean around the head of downpipes but our tools are not designed to vacuum down a downpipe. Sometimes live plant root systems can grow into downpipes and we are unable to remove them. Any blockages in a downpipe may need to be flushed out or may even need a new downpipe - this may mean using a specialist drain unblocker or plumber or roofing company )
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Time is money both for you and for us. Our high-tech specialised machinery allows us to complete the job as efficiently as possible without compromising on the quality of service.​

Prior to starting any job we will come to the site and complete a site survey and risk analysis to make sure we can complete the job in a safe manner. We are effectively looking for hazards like steep slippery slopes, power lines, animals, fences etc as well as ensuring that we can safely move our machinery around on site.

Our domestic gutter clean charges are based on the individual gutter lengths per floor as well as the type of gutters and access. We will need to know this information in order to quote - we may do a laser measure on-site survey to prepare our quote.

Commercial gutter cleans are far more complex to quote. We will arrange a time to come and see you to fully understand the requirements of the cleaning.

​Please note that all gutters must be free from gutter guard, gutter whiskers and gutter foam prior to the clean. We can quote for the removal of these products on a case-by-case basis.

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Gutters perform an important function to the watertight integrity of your house which for most people is their most valuable asset.

​We believe it is best to have gutters vacuumed out at least every 12 months to avoid the potential for costly water-related damage problems and peace of mind when those big rain events hit.

However, some environments we have seen require the owner to clean their gutters at least every 4 months. The worst culprit is nearby deciduous trees like oak trees along with lots of shade.

If you are on water tank, we do recommend that you install a diverter on your main tank feed if possible so that you can then open this a few times a year to flush any debris that may have gotten trapped in the lines. It is also a good idea to do a regular anti-bacterial dosage to the water in your tanks. Something like Pour n Go or similar from Malmacs in Whitford or any Mitre 10.

Yes, we can certainly try and accommodate urgent calls outs although there will be an urgent call-out fee and travel time charges subject to location and the extent of the job. Just remember that if your urgency is due to a heavy rainfall event, then we are probably dealing with multiple urgent callouts at the same time.

​That's another reason why it is beneficial to get your gutters regularly cleaned out and save the anxiety of tracking us down for an urgent call out.

Yes, we will remove all of the vacuumed material from your gutter and dispose of it off-site.

Gutter guards will prevent the vacuum tool from accessing the gutter. We can quote on removing this before we clean. This may involve an elevated work platform subject to your site and the gutter height.

In our opinion, gutter guards are totally overrated. Native trees like Pohutukawa and Northern Rata drop needles as do Pine trees. These pierce the mesh causing blockages on top of the guards.

Seeds from all sorts of plants can also fall through the mesh and germinate causing blockages. The debris then jams behind the growing plant causing even worse problems.

Debris from some trees also builds up both on top of the guard and above the guard. This means a wet area sitting permanently on your roof - never a good idea !!

In addition, lichen and mould tend to like growing on the roof under the guard and moss tends to like to grow in the nice moist shaded gutter.

We can supply photos of what can typically lurk underneath gutter guard if you are interested in a quotation from skyHIGH.

From time to time we come across houses where the original roofers have not left a decent gap into the gutters with long-run iron, or the bottom row of tiles has slipped over time and closed off some or all of the gutters.

​Our gutter vacuum is designed to allow the operator to clean from the ground so we cannot climb up a ladder or climb on a roof to push tiles back into place nor can we trim long-run iron. This will need an experienced roofing co to fix the problem.

We will clean as best as we can in these circumstances with our 20mm vacuum blade attachment and advise the property owner of the issue.

Many houses and commercial buildings still have power running from the power pole to the side of the house below the gutters. There are strict rules under the New Zealand Electrical Code of Practice  ( NZECP 34:2001 ) regarding how close we can legally work next to power lines as there is a significant risk of the electricity arcing to our cleaning equipment. 

We will cone off 4 m on each side of the overhead power lines and go no closer than that during the cleaning process unless you organise for the power to be temporarily turned off to your house or commercial building whilst we are at work. We can guide you on the full process.

Please contact your Power Lines company should you wish this to be actioned. Refer to https://www.ena.org.nz/lines-company-map/ for more information. Normally there is no charge from the Power Lines for this however please note the time frame required to organise in advance. ( Skyhigh does charge a power disconnection attendance fee on each quote to cover the invariable waiting time and having to work with a fixed job booking in your suburb which can potentially impact on how we manage other jobs in other locations eg you are in Remuera but we have multiple other jobs to do in Manukau and further South ).

​The Lines company will need access to your switchboard both when disconnecting and reconnecting the power. This is no problem with an exterior switchboard, but someone will need to be home in each instance for interior switchboards.

We will need to meet the Power Lines Company representative on-site as your power is disconnected prior to starting any clean where this has been arranged.

Please refer to our Terms and Conditions Section 5 regarding your responsibilities and potential costs that may be applicable in relation to Health and Safety and power disconnection non-compliance.