Gutter Cleaning in San Rafael, Where Storms Meet the Tide
Parts of San Rafael flood from the bay and the hills at the same time. The City’s storm checklist opens with gutters, downspouts and private drains, and we clear the first two for homes and buildings across the city from our Santa Rosa office.
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Gutter cleaning · San Rafael
What month should San Rafael gutters be cleared out?
In October or early November, ahead of the jump in rain. NOAA’s 1991-2020 normals for the San Rafael Civic Center station show 1.46 inches in October, 3.49 in November and 7.81 in December. Under oaks and bays that keep dropping, plan a second look in January. We clear by hand and flush every downspout.
San Rafael’s winter storm page describes the city flooding from two directions at once: rising water from San Francisco Bay and heavy rain running down from the hills. Much of East San Rafael and the Canal neighborhood sits on filled marshland at or near sea level, behind levees and City pump stations. When a big storm arrives at high tide, the storm drains can’t empty by gravity, and water backs up into streets and garages. Roof water from a clogged gutter only adds to it. Our gutter cleaning gets that water moving before the storms do.
In San Rafael
What does San Rafael ask residents to do before a winter storm?
Clear leaves and debris from gutters, downspouts and private drains, and rake leaves off the nearest storm drain from the sidewalk without lifting the grate. The City also suggests picking up sandbags early and checking your address on the County of Marin’s hazard map. A blocked downspout during a high-tide storm sends water toward the house.
The 2026-27 winter may test that list. The City’s winter storm and El Niño page passes on the National Weather Service’s outlook that a strong to very strong El Niño is likely through early 2027, a pattern historically linked to wetter conditions in parts of California, and it names back-to-back storms among the things the city could see. The last long wet run shows what that means for a gutter: NOAA’s daily records at the Civic Center station add up to 18.56 inches between December 26, 2022 and January 16, 2023. Gutters under trees can refill partway through a stretch like that, so a mid-winter check is worth booking.
Oak and bay are the trees to watch. China Camp State Park, four miles east of the city on San Pablo Bay, is known for lush oak woodlands, and its picnic meadow sits among oak and bay. Dave Stankas puts oak and bay leaves on his list of “extraordinarily acidic” debris, the kind that rots out a gutter, so a load left wet all winter does damage as well as blocking flow. San Rafael is also a Tree City USA community, and street trees add their own leaf drop along the curb. Our San Rafael page covers the City’s Zone 0 rules for roofs and gutters.
From a customer
“The crew did a great job of cleaning our gutters. I was so happy not to go on the roof myself.”
FAQ
San Rafael gutter cleaning FAQ
Do you clean gutters on hillside homes in San Rafael?
Yes. On a sloped lot, where the gutter empties matters as much as what’s in it: the City lists landslides among its winter hazards, so a downspout dumping onto a bare bank deserves attention. Mention steep drops, decks or retaining walls below the roofline when you call so the crew can plan its setup.
Why does my gutter overflow during storms even after a cleaning?
Look at where it spills. Overflow at one spot often points to a clogged outlet or elbow that a flush can clear; overflow along a whole run can mean the gutter has sagged and holds water, which is a repair. Our San Rafael gutter repair page covers that side of the job.
What about the storm drain in front of my house?
The City asks residents to help keep the storm drains on their street clear by raking leaves off the grate from the sidewalk, never lifting it. That’s separate from the gutters on the house, but both matter in a storm. Flooding and blocked drains can be reported to the City through the numbers on its storm preparation page.
Can the roof be cleared on the same San Rafael visit?
Yes. Leaves left on the shingles wash into the gutter with the next storm, so clearing the roof first makes the cleaning last longer. We also remove and treat moss through roof cleaning; Steve F. wrote that four years after his treatment there was “still no sign of the moss coming back.”
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Get San Rafael gutters ready for storm season
Call (707) 940-7875 and book a cleaning before the December rain sets in.