How Much Does Gutter Cleaning Cost?

Gutters are located high and out of sight, so it's easy to forget about them or minimize their importance. Gutters are a key element of roof drainage, which keeps the foundation in good condition and eliminates or minimizes other conditions like pests and landscape damage.

Learn about gutter cleaning costs, both DIY and professionally, to keep gutters clear and your home and yard in top condition.

Gutter Cleaning Costs

The total linear feet of gutters and how many stories they span will impact the price. To clean the gutters on a one-story home with up to 200 linear feet of gutters, you may be charged around $250. To clean the gutters on a two-story house with 200 linear feet of gutters, prepare to pay around $325.

Factors That Influence Gutter Cleaning Costs

Length of Gutters

Calculating the length of the gutters is a convenient and relatively simple way to figure out the cost of gutter cleaning. Gutter length can be measured from the ground with a tape measurer or laser measuring device.

Number of Stories

Second-story gutters cost about 50 percent more to clean than one-story gutters due to their height, complexity, and added safety concerns.

Location

The cost of professional gutter cleaning varies based on location. For example, Californians pay more on average than Americans in most other states to have gutters cleaned.

Additional Gutter Cleaning Costs and Considerations

Though the gutter length and house height are the main cost factors, gutter cleaning contractors will also consider the following:

• Roof pitch: Gutter cleaning services that include roof cleaning may also charge more for steeply pitched roofs.
• Type of gutters: Seamless gutters made from continuous metal strips are easier to clean because there are no seams to catch and stop debris.
• Downspouts: Cleaning the downspouts may require a surcharge of $5 to $20 per linear foot.
• Debris build-up: Cleaning gutters is easier in temperate seasons such as summer when there is less debris to clean. It will cost less if the cleaning service only has to wash down the gutters with a power washer.
• Gutter repair: For an extra fee, contractors may perform simple repairs such as replacing gutter guards or reattaching seamed gutters.

4 Signs Your Home Needs Gutter Cleaning

Poor or no water flow, sagging gutters, and visible debris are the main signs that your home needs its gutters cleaned.

Downspouts Not Flowing

During rain, the bottoms of the downspouts where they contact the ground should have water outflow. Little or no water outflow means that the gutters or downspouts are clogged. Always check the downspout extensions first.

Water Flowing Over Gutters

During rain, water flowing over the edges of gutters may mean that the gutters or downspouts are blocked and need cleaning. It may also mean the gutters and downspouts are incorrectly sized and need replacing.

Sagging Gutters

Gutters sagging from the fascia boards can mean that the gutters are full of debris or water and need cleaning. This may also mean the gutters have sagged over time and need re-attaching or complete replacement.

Visible Debris

Built-up debris in one-story gutters is often visible from the ground. Debris seen over the edge of gutters should be cleaned immediately.

5 Benefits of Gutter Cleaning

Home roof drainage is a linked system that begins with gutters and ends at the end of a downspout extension. Keeping gutters clean is important because they are the first link in this system.

Preserves the Foundation

Clogged gutters send water off the edges of the gutters to the ground around the foundation, increasing soil erosion and possibly leading to subsidence. Gutter cleaning ensures all roof runoff is directed through the downspouts and ends at safe locations far from the foundation. 

Increases Gutter Lifespan

Gutters have weight and gallon capacities—easily exceeded when the gutters are full of debris and water. One foot of standard 5-inch K-style gutters holds 1.2 gallons of water. It's important to keep water moving through the gutters to avoid build-up.

Reduces Landscaping Damage

Maintaining and cleaning gutters prevents gutter overflow, which damages foliage and washes away soil.

Minimizes Pests and Vermin

Keeping the house perimeter drier discourages pests and vermin. Spiders, cockroaches, termites, rats, snakes, and mosquitoes are a few of the pests and vermin attracted to standing water.

Keeps the House Cleaner

Eliminating gutter overflow eliminates mud splatter on the house siding. Clean gutters also prevent ice dams from forming in the gutters in cold seasons. Water backs up on top of ice dams and is forced under the shingles to create leaks in the attic. With clean gutters, the water cannot back up.

DIY vs. Professional Gutter Cleaning

With the right gutter cleaning tools and enough time, do-it-yourselfers can clean gutters. Professional gutter cleaning is costlier but safer and saves a homeowner significant time.

DIY Gutter Cleaning Costs

Do-it-yourself gutter cleaning costs range from no cost (if you own the tools) to $250 to $400 to purchase a 20-foot fiberglass extension ladder, the right height for cleaning second-story gutters.

The main advantage of DIY gutter cleaning is the cost savings. After the upfront cost for tools, there are few or no ongoing costs.

Professional Gutter Cleaning Costs

Professional gutter cleaning costs range from around $250 for a one-story house to around $325 for a two-story house.

Though professional gutter cleaning is more expensive than doing it yourself, it ensures your safety, saves time, and encourages more frequent gutter cleaning, especially if you put the home under a gutter service contract.

How to Save on Gutter Cleaning Costs

Cleaning your own gutters is one way to save on gutter cleaning costs. Other ways to save on the cost of gutter cleaning include the following:

Attaching Gutter Guards

Plastic or aluminum snap-on gutter guards cost about $1 per linear foot. Gutter guards will not fully eliminate the need to clean the gutters, but they will reduce the amount of debris that clogs them up. 

Installing Clog-Free Gutters

Clog-free gutters have integrated micro-mesh filters on top or curved top edges allowing water but not debris to flow into the gutter.

Signing a Service Contract

By signing an annual gutter cleaning maintenance contract, the cost of each cleaning may be less than if you purchased an individual cleaning. Service contracts often include related services like roof cleaning and gutter inspection at no extra charge.

Cleaning More Frequently

Frequent gutter cleaning means less debris that needs to be removed each time. Regular cleaning will help you avoid expensive problems like repairing sagging gutters or complete gutter replacement.

Cleaning the Gutters Yourself Some of the Time

Alternate professional gutter cleaning with DIY gutter cleaning to save money. Schedule the professionals for periods when the weather is inclement or when you don't have time for the task. Clean the gutters by yourself when the weather is fair and when it's safer to mount a ladder.