Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums

Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!

Gutter pro franchise

Monster

New member
Messages
1
Location
Birmingham
Hi all,out today doing my regular window cleaning work,and noticed a gutter pro franchisee clearing the gutters on a property opposite.after reading up on the company I found out all there work is carried out with a vac and camera no ladders whatsoever.is it really possible to offer a gutter cleaning service without even having ladders on the van?any one here not use ladders at all?how do you get on if the vac simply won’t clear the blockages?how do you get on with blocked swan necks and down pipes?

 
Very good copy of their site.

Looks like no use of ladders. Of course we all have our views but I do not believe that you can be an industry specialist without having an ability to work at height either on a regular or planned basis.

Think of how many the following will occur:

  • Three storey building may have blockage
  • When tiles are in so close over the gutter
  • An end cap get knocked off the gutter

Perhaps they have special adapter to unblock the bends as I know there is some devices available to do so from the ground but I think there needs to be some ability to do the odd task at height in a gutter job.

Issue is they may just outsource it but you are not necessarily seen as the full job having to get someone to sort an element you can't.

However, that said, 80/20 rule will likely prove that doesn't matter. Do 80% of the straight forward jobs and it'll work smooth.

No different in a way than window cleaners not doing one off cleans in a way.

Depends on the aims of the business and your own viewpoint.

 
I do a lot of gutters and wouldn't turn up to a job without ladders. Some jobs are quicker just using ladders and sometimes you have to take the gutter apart to unblock the downpipe. Probably can do 95% of jobs with just a vac.

 
I met the franchise owner at the NEC franchise event a few years ago and got chatting about the job etc I remember thinking that the prices they were charging were good and it had legs for a good one man buisness if they got their marketing right. If I remember correctly they had a decent website that generated leads and a person taking referrals etc. I’d not want to be doing gutters every day I think that would get old quite fast.

 
I would say 95 percent of gutter I clear I dont need a ladder. But I visit most jobs to quote so know whether ladders need to be taken.

 
Hi all,out today doing my regular window cleaning work,and noticed a gutter pro franchisee clearing the gutters on a property opposite.after reading up on the company I found out all there work is carried out with a vac and camera no ladders whatsoever.is it really possible to offer a gutter cleaning service without even having ladders on the van?any one here not use ladders at all?how do you get on if the vac simply won’t clear the blockages?how do you get on with blocked swan necks and down pipes?




Having been vaccing gutters for over 15 years no its impossible to unblock all gutters with a vac , unless you do a thourough survey before quoting with a camera and dont take on difficult jobs , most can be done without but not all .

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Was talking to someone else they said drain rods straight up the downpid vac gutter up top must say I've allways got my ladders 




Normal drain rods will work on a straight pipe but no good in bends , evan the fibreglass chimney thin coil on a role will struggle on some bends but with a vac at the top and hose or other fibreglass rods from the bottom most can be done from the ground if there is a shoe on the bottom of the pipe if not you need to fit an inspection hatch I have posted about them a number of times we fit loads of them on downpipes that go into soakaways , the picture below shows the type of thing we use .but I only use it as a last resort but it’s amazing where you can get it to go , I cannot remember the diameter of the pole but the thinnest you can get works best for gutters but don’t force it feed it gently and it will dislodge most stuff 

784E7D86-3F14-448D-85EE-D708A4FE5F1A.png

 
They will be doing 99% of there work with 1% of there work for a need of a ladder, if this problem arises you just tell the customer u are unable to deal with it, I think I may be getting into skyvac in the future, heard a lot of good things about skyvac and there camera.

 

Latest Posts

Back
Top