This Etobicoke job was booked as a $170 gutter cleaning. Once the trough was open, our crew found that the brackets holding it had been cut through when the system was installed, and that two of the underground downspouts were blocked.
Downspout repair in Etobicoke: a $660 visit that started as a cleaning
Quick answer: In October 2026 DT Cleaning cleaned the gutters of a brick house in Etobicoke for $170, replaced the cut brackets along the eavestrough for $250, and fitted 2 hinged downspout extensions at $120 each: $660 in all. Our crew also found 2 underground downspout runs blocked with roots and leaves and told the client about them.
Why the gutter brackets had to be replaced
Quick answer: During the cleaning our crew found that the brackets holding the eavestrough had been cut through by the company that installed the system. In our crew's words, a system fastened like that falls apart in about 10 years. The old brackets came out and new ones went in almost everywhere, because the cut ones were everywhere, for $250.
A bracket, or hanger, is the strip of metal that spans the trough and screws into the fascia; it is what carries the weight of the eavestrough and whatever is in it. The client was told what the crew had found, and the brackets were replaced the same visit.
How the new brackets went in
Quick answer: The crew took the old brackets out and screwed new aluminum hangers across the trough with a cordless driver, almost everywhere along the run, on the same visit as the $170 cleaning. The $250 for the bracket work covered the whole house; the number of brackets was not recorded.
Two underground downspouts blocked with roots
Quick answer: On this house the downspouts run into plastic pipe that goes underground and snakes across the backyard, about 25 feet long and possibly 50. Our crew says pipe like that has many small holes, roots grow into the holes and widen them, leaves from the roof wash in, and the run blocks. 2 of the underground downspouts here were blocked.
The client was told about both blocked runs. In the crew's words, the problem with underground downspouts of this kind is the plastic itself: once roots are in the perforations, debris catches on them, and the pipe fills from the inside. Clearing an underground run is a separate job from a gutter cleaning, and it was not part of the $660.
Hinged downspout extensions: the fix for a yard people walk through
Quick answer: The client said she often has guests and wanted downspout extensions she could lift out of the way and put back, or that would come down on their own when it rains. Our crew fitted 2 hinged extensions at $120 each: when there is no rain and people are walking through, the extension folds up against the wall; when it rains, it folds down and carries the water away from the foundation.
"We proposed a solution: for $120 each, special downspouts that fold when needed. When guests come and there is no rain, you can fold it up and it does not get in your way at all, and when it rains, you can fold it down."
DT Cleaning crew, Etobicoke, October 2026 (translated from the crew's voice note)
The City of Toronto's downspout disconnection page warns against the thing a fixed extension does in a walkway: "Avoid creating a tripping hazard; do not add extensions across a walk-way or in front of a gate or doorway."
How far should a downspout extension carry the water?
Quick answer: At least 2 metres, about 6 feet, from the foundation, in the Government of Canada's flood guidance, and ideally two metres in the City of Toronto's. On this Etobicoke house the 2 hinged extensions fold down to carry water away from the wall and fold up when the yard is in use, which keeps both rules without a pipe lying across the walkway.
The federal page on eavestroughs and downspouts puts it this way: "Using a downspout extension, direct downspouts to flow towards an area on your front or back yard with good drainage, such as a vegetated area or rain garden, and at least 2 m (6 ft.) away from the foundation of all surrounding homes, if possible". The City of Toronto's basement flooding advice says: "Make sure your disconnected downspouts are draining properly, ideally two metres from your foundation walls."
How much does downspout repair cost in Etobicoke?
Quick answer: $660 on this Etobicoke house in October 2026: $170 for the gutter cleaning, $250 for the bracket replacement along the eavestrough, and $240 for 2 hinged downspout extensions at $120 each. Clearing the 2 blocked underground runs was not part of it. One documented job, not a rate card: every house differs in height, roof and access.
| Line | Detail | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Gutter cleaning | The price the visit was booked at | $170 |
| Bracket replacement | Old cut brackets out, new ones in, almost the whole run | $250 |
| Hinged downspout extensions | 2 at $120 each | $240 |
| Total | Etobicoke, October 2026 | $660 |
| Job record | Detail |
|---|---|
| Place | Etobicoke, Toronto |
| Month | October 2026 |
| House | Brick, asphalt shingle roof |
| Found | Brackets cut through at installation; 2 underground downspout runs blocked with roots and leaves |
| Done | Gutter cleaning, bracket replacement, 2 hinged extensions fitted |
| Not done | Clearing the underground runs; number of brackets not recorded |
The price of every line was given to the client before the work was done. Repairs in general are on our downspout repair in Toronto page, cleaning prices by house type on our eavestrough cleaning cost page, and the service itself on our gutter cleaning in Etobicoke page.
Downspouts in Toronto have to be disconnected from the sewer
Quick answer: The City of Toronto says it is mandatory for all property owners in Toronto to keep their downspouts disconnected from the City's sewer system, so the water has to go onto the property: an extension, a rain barrel, or an underground pipe to a garden like the 2 on this house. Where it goes, and whether it can still get there, is what our crew checks at every cleaning.
The City's page gives the reason: "By disconnecting downspouts and directing stormwater onto the property instead, it can minimize the risk of sewer overloads." It also suggests where the water can go: "Consider extending downspouts under a deck, patio or to a grassed or garden area." On this house the water goes to underground pipe, and that is where the roots had got in.
What a gutter cleaning turns up
Quick answer: On this Etobicoke visit the $170 cleaning turned up cut brackets along the whole eavestrough and 2 blocked underground runs, neither of which the client could see from the ground. Our crew reports what it finds, prices the repair, and does the work only with the client's go-ahead; here the brackets and the extensions were done the same day.
Downspout repair and gutter cleaning across Etobicoke and the GTA
Quick answer: DT Cleaning cleans and repairs eavestroughs and downspouts in Etobicoke and across the GTA with 2 crews from 7 Inverleigh Dr in Etobicoke. The company has 500+ five-star Google reviews, $2M CGL insurance and WSIB, and is Working at Heights certified; Ontario's working at heights training page says workers on construction projects who use fall protection devices must take that training.
See our Etobicoke service area page. We work in these areas:
Downspout repair in Etobicoke: common questions
How much does downspout repair cost in Etobicoke?
On this Etobicoke house the whole visit was $660 in October 2026: $170 gutter cleaning, $250 bracket replacement, and 2 hinged downspout extensions at $120 each. It is one documented job, not a rate.
What is a hinged downspout extension?
An extension with a hinge at the elbow. Our crew's words: when guests come and there is no rain, you fold it up and it does not get in your way; when it rains, you fold it down.
How much does a hinged downspout extension cost?
$120 each on this Etobicoke job, 2 fitted.
Why were the gutter brackets replaced?
Our crew found the brackets had been cut through when the system was installed. In their words, a system fastened like that falls apart in about 10 years. New brackets went in almost everywhere for $250.
How does an underground downspout get blocked?
Our crew says the plastic pipe has many small holes; roots grow into them and widen them, leaves from the roof wash in and catch on the roots, and the run blocks. 2 runs on this house were blocked that way.
Did you clear the underground downspouts?
Not on this visit. The client was told about both blocked runs; clearing them is a separate job and is not part of the $660.
How far from the house should a downspout drain?
At least 2 metres, about 6 feet, from the foundation in the Government of Canada's guidance, and ideally two metres in the City of Toronto's.
Do downspouts in Toronto have to be disconnected from the sewer?
Yes. The City of Toronto says it is mandatory for all property owners in Toronto to keep their downspouts disconnected from the City's sewer system.
Can a downspout extension be a tripping hazard?
The City of Toronto says not to add extensions across a walkway or in front of a gate or doorway; a hinged one folds up when the yard is in use.
Was the client told before the extra work was done?
Yes. Our crew reported the cut brackets and the blocked runs, priced the bracket work and the extensions, and did them on the client's go-ahead.
Do you repair downspouts in Etobicoke?
Yes. This job was in Etobicoke. DT Cleaning works across the GTA with 2 crews, from 7 Inverleigh Dr in Etobicoke.
Is your crew insured and certified?
Yes. DT Cleaning carries $2M CGL insurance and WSIB, our crews are Working at Heights certified, and we have 500+ five-star Google reviews.
Related downspout case studies
A downspout extension in the way, or brackets that will not hold?
On this Etobicoke job our crew replaced the cut brackets and fitted 2 hinged downspout extensions that fold up when the yard is in use. Call for a quote on yours.
