Winter gutters are the unglamorous job that protects the brick

Overflow in January stains the same wall you paid to soft wash in June.

Pressure washing slows when the holidays start. The houses do not. Oaks drop late here, pines drop whenever they like, and a gutter that was ‘fine in October’ is a waterfall onto the facade by the first long rain.

The damage is boring and expensive: fascia rot, a dark vertical on painted brick, a basement corner that never quite dries. None of it photographs as well as a clean driveway, which is why it gets skipped until it is obvious.

A proper visit is not a leaf blower from the ground. It is a clean-out, a bag, and a flush of every downspout. The elbow at the bottom is where ‘I can see the gutter is empty’ goes wrong. If you have guards, we still need to know whether they are helping.

On the Estate winter plan this is scheduled, not remembered. If you only want the one visit, book it after the heavy drop and before Christmas company. Valley and Pine Mountain houses that sit empty should not wait for the owner to notice from the driveway on Friday night.