Gutter Cleaning Cost

When seasons change, leaves detach from their tree branches. Whether a spring storm shakes leaves from tree limbs or the tree naturally sheds in the fall, leaves likely will end up in your gutter system.

How often should I clean my gutters?

Experts say how often you need to clean your gutters depends on the number of trees in your area.

“If you’re in a community with a lower population of trees, you may not need it at all,” says Kent Baake, owner of Metro Gutter and Home Services in Alexandria, Virginia. “If you have a lot of trees around your home, you may need to do it twice per year, in the spring and fall.”

If you only clean your gutters once a year, Baake adds, you should do so in the fall, after leaves start falling from trees.

How much will it cost to clean my gutters?

Experts say homeowners should expect to pay a minimum charge of about $125 to $175 when hiring a professional to come clean gutters.

However, certain factors will affect the cost of the job.

Gutter cleaning companies and homeowners alike use a variety of tools to keep gutters clean.

What affects the price of gutter cleaning?

If you have a gutter system on all four sides of your house, for example, it will cost you more.

The slant of your roof also affects pricing. If your roof has a steep slant, the cleaning crew will need to clean the whole gutter while moving around on a ladder the entire time. This increases the amount of time it takes to complete the job and therefore increases the cost. Ben Lincoln, owner of Lincoln Gutters in Tacoma, Washington, says a steeply slanted roof can increase the cost of the job by up to 15 percent.

What alternatives do I have to cleaning gutters?

Experts say you can install gutter guards to keep leaves out. However, they warn that not every product works well.

“There are no gutter screens that keep gutters 100 percent clean,” Lincoln says. “There are really good screens that keep the debris out.”

The screens still require maintenance. Lincoln says homeowners need to sweep the top of them every few years.

“Gutter screens are typically worth it, but nothing is maintenance-free," he says.

Lincoln says gutter screens can last the entire lifespan of your gutter system.

Hiring a company to install gutter screens can cost $6 to $8 per square foot. Lincoln says most homes average about 200 square feet of gutters.