# What Clogged Gutters Cause: Basement Water, Rot and Ice > Clogged gutters spill roof water at the wall. It can soak into the basement and cause mold and rot. In winter a full gutter can freeze and add to an ice dam. Page: https://fannonpropertyservices.com/guides/what-happens-if-gutters-are-clogged/ Last changed: 2026-10-30 --- # What happens when gutters clog? The roof's water lands where it should not: at the wall, in the basement, in the ice at the roof edge. - Insured - Locally owned - Free estimates ![A worker on a ladder scooping wet leaves out of a gutter into a bucket, beside a white downspout](https://fannonpropertyservices.com/assets/gen/services/gutter-cleaning-desk.webp) ## Four places the water goes. 1. ![Drawing of a roof edge with a gutter packed with leaves, rain water spilling over its front and landing against the house wall](https://fannonpropertyservices.com/assets/drawn/clog-overflow.svg) **Over the edge.** A few inches of rain on a roof: several thousand gallons. 2. ![Drawing of a house cut through the ground, with the soil along the foundation soaked and arrows showing water passing through the basement wall](https://fannonpropertyservices.com/assets/drawn/clog-basement.svg) **Into the basement.** Soaked soil lets water wick in, then mold and rot. 3. ![Drawing of a snowy roof edge with a ridge of ice over a full gutter, icicles below it and melt water working under the roof into the attic](https://fannonpropertyservices.com/assets/drawn/clog-ice-dam.svg) **Into an ice dam.** A full gutter can freeze and add to one. 4. ![Drawing of a gutter cut across, holding still water and wet leaves, with mosquitoes flying over it](https://fannonpropertyservices.com/assets/drawn/clog-standing-water.svg) **Sitting in the gutter.** Maryland lists clogged gutters among the main places mosquitoes breed. ### What damage can clogged gutters do to a house? Clogged gutters spill roof water at the wall, where a few inches of rain can mean several thousand gallons. The soil soaks, water can wick into the basement and lead to mold and rot, and in winter a gutter full of ice can add to an ice dam. We clean gutters around Annapolis, and estimates are free. Sources: Building America Solution Center, National Weather Service and Maryland Department of Agriculture. Checked October 8, 2026. ## Packed, then cleared. - ![A gutter packed with wet leaves at the edge of a metal roof](https://fannonpropertyservices.com/assets/own/portfolio/img_0368.webp) Before: packed with wet leaves. - ![A gutter cleared of leaves, seen from the ladder](https://fannonpropertyservices.com/assets/own/portfolio/img_0439.webp) After: clear, so rain can reach the downspout. ## What you can see from the ground. - **Water over the edge** Rain pours over the front, not down the downspout. - **Water that stays put** Asian tiger mosquito larvae are in Maryland water April through October. - **A soaked strip below** The soil under the gutter line stays wet. ## Check where the water goes. - [Gutters overflowing in heavy rain](https://fannonpropertyservices.com/guides/gutters-overflowing-in-heavy-rain/) - [Where downspouts should drain](https://fannonpropertyservices.com/guides/where-should-downspouts-drain/) ## Questions ### Can clogged gutters cause basement flooding? They can. Roof water that spills at the wall soaks the soil around the foundation, and from there it can wick through into the basement or crawlspace. ### Can clogged gutters cause roof leaks? Not on their own. Ice dams come from snow that melts by day and refreezes at night, and after several of those cycles water can work under the shingles into the attic. A gutter full of leaves and ice can add to a dam that is already forming, so clear gutters before winter. ### How do I keep ice dams from forming? Clear leaves and sticks from the gutters and downspouts before winter, so melting snow can drain. Keep snow and icicles off them all winter. Good attic insulation, with air flowing under the roof from the eaves, also helps. ### Do clogged gutters attract pests? Standing water does. Pooling water attracts a variety of pests, and leaves and plant debris built up in a gutter can invite animals to nest. Sources and further reading - [Building America water guidance](https://basc.pnnl.gov/resource-guides/gutters-and-downspouts) - [National Weather Service ice dams](https://www.weather.gov/grr/roofIceDams?lv=true) - [Maryland mosquito guidance](https://mda.maryland.gov/plants-pests/mosquito-control/mosquito-basics/asian-tiger-mosquito) ## Get a free estimate. We clear gutters packed with leaves around Annapolis and on Kent Island. Send the address for a free estimate. [Call (443) 223-8643](tel:+14432238643) [Gutter cleaning](https://fannonpropertyservices.com/gutters/) [How estimates work](https://fannonpropertyservices.com/estimates/) [Towns we cover](https://fannonpropertyservices.com/service-area/) ![Illustration of a Fannon Property Services Ford F-150 pickup in navy and blue](https://fannonpropertyservices.com/assets/gen/truck-cutout.webp)