A gutter inspection camera is a small camera fixed to the top of a long pole, linked to a screen or tablet held by the operator on the ground. It is raised above the gutter so you can see inside it without a ladder. It is used to check whether gutters need clearing, to guide the clean, and to show you the result afterwards.
In this guide
Why use a camera at all?
Because you can’t see inside a gutter from the ground. The outside face can look clean while the inside is half full of silt.
Most gutters sit above head height, and the front lip hides what is behind it. Without a camera the only ways to know what is in there are climbing a ladder, leaning out of an upstairs window, or waiting until the gutter overflows. A camera on a pole answers the question in a few minutes, from the garden, without touching the gutter.
It also keeps everyone honest. You don’t have to take the cleaner’s word for it that the gutters were full, or that they are now clear. You can watch the screen yourself.
How does it work?
The camera sits on the end of a telescopic or sectional pole. The operator raises it above the gutter and angles it down, and the picture appears live on a screen on the ground.
The pole is usually the same type used for a gutter vacuum, often carbon fibre or aluminium because they are light and stiff. The camera head can be tilted so it looks down into the gutter and along it. The screen may be a dedicated monitor, a tablet or a phone, connected by a cable or wirelessly. Many systems can record photos or video, which is useful for showing you a before-and-after.
What does a camera inspection show?
Debris levels along each run, blocked outlets, plants growing in the gutter, standing water, and obvious damage such as cracks, splits or dropped joints.
- How full the gutter is. Whether it is a light layer of leaves or deep silt.
- The outlets. Whether the hole above each downpipe is clear or covered.
- Growth. Moss, grass and seedlings rooted in the gutter.
- Standing water. Water sitting in a clear gutter can mean it has lost its slope.
- Damage. Cracks, split joints, missing end caps, loose brackets that are visible from above.
- The roof edge. Slipped tiles or moss on the lower courses close to the gutter.
How is it used during a clean?
Before, to see where the debris is. During, to guide the vacuum nozzle. After, to show each gutter is clear.
On a gutter vacuum system, the camera is often mounted next to the nozzle, so the operator sees exactly what the nozzle is doing. That matters because the nozzle is several metres above them. Without a picture they would be working blind, guessing whether a section is clear.
At the end, a pass along each gutter with the camera is the simplest proof that the job has been done. Ask to see it. If you are not at home, ask for photos.
What can’t a camera tell you?
It can’t see inside downpipes or under the tiles, and it can’t tell you whether a slow leak is from the gutter, the roof or the wall.
A camera looking down into a gutter sees the top of the outlet but not far into the downpipe. A blockage at a bend partway down needs a different check: running water through and watching where it stops. The camera also can’t see under roof tiles, behind fascias, or inside the walls, so a damp patch inside the house still needs proper investigation if the gutter looks fine.
The picture is only as good as the light and the angle. Bright sun, rain on the lens or a deep gutter in shadow can all make it harder to see detail.
Can I use a camera myself?
Yes, in a simple way. Some people use a phone on a selfie stick or a cheap pole camera to check single-storey gutters from the ground.
A phone on a long stick, set to record video, held above a bungalow gutter will show you roughly how full it is. It won’t give you the steady, live view a proper inspection camera gives, and it gets awkward above single-storey height. Whatever you use, keep the pole well away from any overhead cables, including the supply cable to the house.
If you just want to know whether your gutters need doing, asking a cleaner to look with their camera before you book is a reasonable request.
Does Full View use one?
Yes. In Essex, Full View Window Cleaning clears gutters with a gutter vacuum from the ground and checks them with an inspection camera, so you can see the gutters before and after.
We are a family business based in Wickford, and we work across Essex. If you are outside Essex, the questions in what to ask a gutter cleaner include asking whether they use a camera and can show you the result.
Key points
- A camera on a pole shows inside the gutter from the ground.
- It shows debris, blocked outlets, plants, standing water and visible damage.
- Before-and-after pictures are the simplest proof a clean is done.
- It can’t see far into downpipes or under tiles.
- Keep any pole well away from overhead cables.
Quick questions
Do I need to be home for a camera check?
It helps, so you can see the screen. If you can’t be, ask for photos or a short video of each gutter.
Can a camera find a leak?
It can show cracks, splits and dropped joints from above. It can’t always tell whether a damp patch is from the gutter, the roof or something else.
Is a camera inspection the same as a survey?
No. It is a look inside the gutters. A building or roof survey covers much more and is done by a surveyor.
