Spring and fall cleanups are where Nanaimo properties really earn their keep. The mild winter doesn't stop debris from accumulating — between maple leaves, arbutus drop, conifer needles, fallen branches, and whatever blew in from the neighbours' yards, every property needs at least one major reset per season.
We handle full cleanups twice a year (or once, depending on your property) and haul everything away.
Fall cleanup — before the rains stay
The Vancouver Island fall transition is unforgiving. One week it's warm and dry, the next the rains move in and don't leave until April. The window for getting a property properly cleaned up is real, and it usually closes in mid to late October.
A proper Nanaimo fall cleanup includes:
- Leaf removal across the entire property
- Conifer needle clearing (driveways, paths, beds)
- Garden bed clearing and prep for winter
- Final mow at the right height for winter
- Lawn debris removal so grass can breathe
- Gutter cleaning (a Nanaimo essential — rain volume is real)
- Branch and storm-debris cleanup
- Composting facility haul-away
For the full timing breakdown and what gets cut vs left, see our fall cleanup checklist for Vancouver Island.
Spring cleanup — the big reset
Spring is the bigger job in most Nanaimo years. Five months of rain, wind, and minimal yard activity leaves a property covered in fallen branches, soggy leaf piles in corners, matted lawn, mossy patios, and overgrown hedges. Spring cleanup resets the whole thing.
The spring scope includes everything from the fall list, plus:
- Storm debris and branch removal
- Bed clearing and edge re-cutting
- Lawn dethatching where needed
- Hedge re-shaping after winter
- Walkway and driveway power wash (add-on)
- Pre-season fertilization timing
For the full spring sequence — what to do first, what can wait, and what most homeowners miss — see our spring lawn prep guide.
Nanaimo's specific debris challenges
A few things make Nanaimo cleanups distinct. Arbutus drops bark and leaves all year and the bark in particular is awkward to clean (it doesn't compost as fast and it tracks everywhere). Conifer needles from cedars, firs, and hemlocks pile up in gutters and bed corners and acidify the soil over time. Maple leaves are voluminous in the fall — a single mature maple can produce hundreds of kilograms of leaf litter. We bring the right gear for each kind of debris and haul it all to the composting facility.
Gutters, before the heavy rain
Clogged gutters are a real winter problem in Nanaimo. The rain volume from October through March is enough that a partially blocked gutter overflows quickly, soaking foundations, eroding gardens, and causing siding damage. Gutter cleaning is part of a proper fall cleanup, and on most properties it's the single highest-ROI maintenance task of the season.
For more, see our gutter cleaning guide for Vancouver Island.
Late-spring property check
Beyond the two main cleanups, we offer a late-April property check — a single visit that catches all the small things that didn't make the spring cleanup list. The late-April checklist covers what to look for.
Want a clean reset? More on what we do across Nanaimo →