Gutter clearing, leak repairs and new zinc or PVC gutters and downpipes for Rotterdam homes of every age
Gutters in Rotterdam have a hard life. Wind off the North Sea and the Nieuwe Waterweg drives the rain across the roof, the street trees drop their leaves every autumn and moss washes off the tiles: sooner or later the outlet blocks and rainwater pours over the edge and down your wall. We clear and flush gutters, track down leaking joints and sagging runs, and replace gutters and downpipes that have had their day. That covers ordinary hanging gutters in zinc or PVC as well as the box gutters (bakgoten) built into the roof edge of many older Dutch houses. If the roof or woodwork needs attention too, it all goes on the same quote.
Get a quote for your gutters
- 1Tell us where it leaks or overflows
- 2We come and look, up on the roof if needed
- 3You get a quote setting out the work
Call us, or email a few lines on what needs doing and where you live. Photos of the roof, gutter or paving help.
- Free quote
- Price agreed in writing
- Roof and ground
- Painting & cleaning
- English & Nederlands
Why it matters
Why gutters in Rotterdam are worth keeping clear
Nobody notices a gutter until it stops working, and by then there's usually damp somewhere. Here's what a clear, well-hung gutter saves you from.
Dry brickwork
Water spilling over the edge runs straight down the front of the house. The brick stays wet, mortar washes out of the joints and damp patches show up indoors. A clear gutter catches that water and sends it down the pipe instead.
Sound fascia boards
A dripping joint soaks the fascia board behind the gutter and the timber under the roof edge, and wet wood rots. Fixing the leak early costs far less than replacing a whole length of rotten fascia later on.
No leaks into the house
A box gutter sits inside the roof edge, so when its lining fails the water comes indoors rather than outside. Checking the zinc, bitumen or EPDM and sealing small splits straight away keeps top-floor ceilings dry.
No trouble with the neighbours
On a terrace or a block of flats the gutter often runs past several homes, so a blockage outside yours can overflow next door. We look at the whole run and tell you which part is yours to sort out.
Ready for autumn
Most leaves come down in October and November, just as the first autumn storms roll in. Book a clear-out for late October or early November and your gutters go into the wet, windy months empty.
One firm for the lot
If we spot slipped tiles, a cracked ridge or window frames overdue for paint while we're up there, we'll mention it. Roof, gutters and woodwork can all be handled by one firm on one quote.
Handling heavy rain
A downpour is the real test of a gutter
In a proper summer cloudburst, more water comes off a roof in a few minutes than a half-blocked gutter can carry. It then finds its own way out: over the lip, down the wall or through a joint into the house. So a gutter needs more than a clean. It has to fall steadily towards the outlet, and the downpipe has to be wide enough and clear all the way down. When we replace one, we size the new gutter and pipe for the area of roof that drains into it. Rather keep the rainwater than send it down the drain? The gemeente Rotterdam (the city council) encourages that, and its website explains the options.
- Clearing gutters and flushing the downpipes through
- Soldering split zinc joints and resealing PVC ones
- Rehanging sagging gutters on new brackets, with the right fall
- Relining box gutters with zinc or EPDM
- Fitting leaf guards where trees overhang the roof
How it works
Fixing a gutter in Rotterdam, step by step
Five steps, from your first message to the hosepipe test at the end.
- 01
Photos and a description
Send a few photos and tell us what happens when it rains. Is it leaking at a corner, overflowing along the whole length, or is nothing coming out of the downpipe at all? Each one points to a different problem.
- 02
A look on site
We go up by ladder or scaffold and check the whole run: brackets, joints, fall, the outlet and the fascia behind it. On a box gutter we also check the lining and the point where it meets the roof.
- 03
Quote and booking
Your quote says plainly whether the job is a clean, a repair or a replacement. If a repair will do, we tell you. For narrow streets and tall walk-up blocks we arrange a scaffold tower or a cherry picker.
- 04
The work
We empty the gutter, bag up the muck and flush the downpipe. Then come the repairs or the replacement: new brackets, soldered zinc joints, or a new gutter and pipe hung to the correct fall.
- 05
Water test and handover
Finally we run water into the gutter and watch it reach the outlet without a drip anywhere. You get photos of the finished work, including the parts you can't see from the street.
- →
What next?
Send us a message about what needs doing. A quote costs you nothing.
Ask for a quote →
Questions
Gutter questions we hear a lot
How often should gutters be cleaned?
Once a year is enough for most houses, ideally after the leaves have dropped in late autumn. If big trees stand right by your house, like the ones lining Rotterdam's singels (tree-lined canals) or the streets of Hillegersberg and Kralingen, twice a year is safer: once in spring and once after leaf fall. A mossy roof also sheds a fair amount into the gutter.
Should I repair my gutter or replace it?
A loose joint, a bent bracket or a small hole is usually a repair. If a zinc gutter has worn thin over long stretches, leaks in several places or sags along much of its length, replacing it works out cheaper than patching it year after year. We'll show you photos of its condition so you can make the call with us.
What is a box gutter, and why does it leak indoors?
A box gutter (bakgoot) is a rectangular channel built into or onto the roof edge, rather than hanging below it on brackets. They're common on pre-war Dutch houses and walk-up blocks. Because it sits within the structure, a leak runs into the building instead of outside, often showing first as a stain on a top-floor ceiling. That's why its zinc, bitumen or EPDM lining has to stay intact.
Zinc or PVC: which is better?
Zinc lasts a long time and suits pre-war houses like those in Kralingen and Delfshaven, but it costs more and needs proper soldering. PVC is lighter, cheaper and quick to fit, though it expands and shrinks with sun and frost and turns brittle with age. On a listed building or in a protected cityscape (beschermd stadsgezicht) such as Historic Delfshaven or Kralingen-Midden, zinc is often the obvious choice. Check with the gemeente Rotterdam what's allowed.
Can you deal with the fascia and roof at the same time?
Yes. If the fascia behind the gutter has rotted, we repair or replace it before the new gutter goes on, and it can be painted afterwards. Loose tiles or a cracked ridge go on the same quote, so you only need a ladder or scaffold against the house once.
Service area
Where we clear and fix gutters
From our base in Spaanse Polder we work on gutters across Rotterdam, from Blijdorp and Overschie to Kralingen, IJsselmonde and Hoogvliet, and in Schiedam, Vlaardingen and Capelle aan den IJssel too.
- Rotterdam
- Schiedam
- Vlaardingen
- Capelle a/d IJssel
- Krimpen a/d IJssel
- Barendrecht
- Ridderkerk
- Rhoon
- Berkel en Rodenrijs
- Bergschenhoek
- Maassluis
- Spijkenisse
Gutter full or leaking? Get it sorted before winter
Send us a few photos or ask for a quote. We'll come and look and tell you what it needs.