This is a full top-to-bottom checklist for your eavestroughs, split into four zones with a clear pass test for every item. Run it each spring and fall and after any severe storm, and you will catch problems while they are still small.
In This Article
How to run the checklist
Every item here matches a common way water ends up where it should not: behind the trough, down the wall or against the foundation. Catching the cause early is usually simpler than repairing the damage. Set aside an hour in dry weather. Bring a phone for photos and a notepad. Score each item as pass, fail or unsure, and count unsure as a fail until you have looked more closely.
Most of Zones 1, 3 and 4 can be done from the ground. The inside of the trough in Zone 2 usually needs a ladder or a camera on a pole. Climb only at single-storey eaves, on firm level ground, with a standoff on the ladder and no wires within 3 metres.
Zone 1: the walk-around from the ground
- Straight line. Pass: each run looks level to the eye, with no dips or waves.
- Tight to the fascia. Pass: no gap between the back of the trough and the board behind it.
- Clean walls. Pass: no vertical stains on siding, brick or fascia below the trough.
- Plumb downspouts. Pass: pipes hang straight, brackets are snug, and no section bulges or has slipped apart.
- Overhead. Pass: no branches rub the roof edge, and you know where the wires and service mast are before any ladder goes up.
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Zone 2: the roof edge and the trough
- Debris. Pass: you can see the bottom of the trough along its whole length.
- Standing water. Pass: none a day after rain.
- Slope. Pass: water from a hose at the high end travels to the outlet without pooling. See why gutter pitch matters.
- Hangers. Pass: spaced every few feet, firm, and not tilted forward.
- Seams, corners and end caps. Pass: no gaps, cracked sealant or drip tracks.
- Shingle grit. Pass: a light dusting. Thick drifts suggest tired shingles, so mention them to a roofer.
- Guards or screens. Pass: if fitted, they sit flat and carry no mat of debris on top.
- Roof edge. Pass: shingles lie flat, a drip edge is present and water drops into the trough, not behind it.
Zone 3: downspouts and the landing zone
- Flow test. Pass: a hose at the outlet produces strong flow at the bottom within seconds.
- Elbows and joints. Pass: tight, with the upper piece sitting inside the lower one.
- Extension. Pass: water is carried well clear of the wall. Many guides suggest at least 1.8 metres (6 feet), and the downspout extension guide shows the options.
- Landing zone. Pass: discharge does not run toward a window well, a walkway or a neighbour.
- Splash blocks. Pass: in place, tilted away from the house, not sunk.
- Underground connection. Pass: water disappears at the drain and does not back up after a flush.
Zone 4: fascia, soffit, walls and foundation
- Fascia. Pass: a screwdriver tip pressed near each hanger meets solid wood.
- Paint and finish. Pass: no peeling, bubbling or bare, dark patches. The fascia and soffit maintenance guide explains what those signs mean.
- Soffit. Pass: no stains, sags or gaps where animals could get in, and vents are clear.
- Siding. Pass: no green or black film below the eave line.
- Foundation and window wells. Pass: dry after rain, with no white crust or damp patches.
- Inside. Pass: no ceiling stains near exterior walls and no damp smell in the basement.
Scoring your results
Use this as a simple sorting tool, not a formal rating. Zero or one fail means routine care. Two to four fails mean booking a cleaning and fixing small items this season. Any fail involving moisture at the foundation, soft fascia or a run pulling off the house means a professional assessment, whatever the total.
Fails often cluster. Three fails at the same corner usually share one cause, such as a blocked outlet, so look for the shared cause before you price three separate repairs.
Keep the notes and photos with the date. Next time you can compare, and you will see whether a problem is stable or growing. D&D Home Services offers gutter cleaning across Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph, with free quotes confirmed in writing before work begins.
Key Takeaways
- Work through four zones: ground walk-around, roof edge and trough, downspouts and landing zone, then fascia, soffit and foundation.
- Give each item a pass test, and treat unsure as a fail until you have looked more closely.
- Do the inspection each spring and fall and after severe storms, keeping dated photos to track change.
- Moisture at the foundation, soft fascia or a run pulling away from the house needs a professional assessment.
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