gutter cleaning and repair

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Average Cost to Clean Dirty or Clogged Gutters on Your House

The average cost for cleaning gutters on your home is around $30 for a hand cleaning with minimal repairs and DIY cleaning. For a Handyman or local gutter service company, expect to pay around $140 for cleaning and minor repairs. Very tall homes, or those with a complex gutter system can cost up to $360.

This price generally includes a local pro climbing on your roof and cleaning the gutters by hand. In many cases, they place the leaves and debris into garbage bags, which helps avoid a mess on the ground beneath your stopped up gutter. Once done, they will run water through the gutters and downspouts, refasten any sagging spots where water collects, and do a thorough cleanup. It usually takes 1-2 hours for gutter cleaning.

Last Updated: Wednesday, January 12, 2022

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Overview of Gutter Cleaning

When gutters fill with leaves and debris, rainwater overflows them and falls next to your home. It splashes on siding and garage doors to discolor and possibly cause rot. In worst-case scenarios, it leaks through cracks in the foundation where it causes flooding, mold and water damage in a basement. If you have basement egress windows, the water could overflow the gutters and puddle in the wells or worse, seep into the basement. When water in clogged gutters freezes, the result is gutter damage, an avoidable expense. Gutters on homes with large trees nearby should be cleaned in the spring and after the leaves fall in autumn. (Learn about seasonal yard cleanup costs) Gutter guards are another option for those homes, and having large, overhanging tree limbs removed will reduce the leaf problem, however your gutters will still need to be inspected and cleaned at least annually. Where there are fewer trees, gutter cleaning can be done on an as-needed basis.

This page of Business Finance News gives you gutter cleaning costs, basic repairs, as well as gutter maintenance costs you may have to pay during semi-annual cleanings. You’ll see they’re a fraction of the cost of replacing siding, rotten fascia boards, dealing with basement flooding or installing a french drain system and the damage plugged gutters can cause. All our cost estimates are itemized, providing greater detail and accuracy than you’ll find anywhere else. In addition, we share costs from around the web and homeowners just like yourself who have had their own gutters cleaned recently.

Cleaning and Repair Cost Details

Cleaning Cost Factors

How much does rain gutter cleaning cost? The price you’ll pay depends on factors related to the scope of the project.

• Who Does the Work – If you clean your own gutters, your costs are limited to purchasing the tools you don’t already have. Keep in mind that working on a ladder or from the roof comes with a falling risk and potential serious injury, even if cleaning the gutters on a single-story home.
• Linear Feet of Gutters – Many gutter cleaning companies have a set minimum fee for small homes with additional costs per linear foot for larger homes.
• Amount of Debris – Some companies inspect the gutters and write an estimate based on how full of debris they are – the more debris, the higher the cleaning cost.
• Clearing Downspouts – When debris is thick enough to clog downspouts, cleaning costs will rise by 20 to 30 percent.
• Cleaning of Underground / Diversion Drains – Many homes connect their downspouts to an underground drain pipe to move it away from the foundation. If these drains are blocked, add a bit to your cost as well.
• Washing Gutter Exterior – Over time, gutters will accumulate stains on the exterior. Most gutter cleaning services offer an add-on of washing the exterior gutter face, to remove the stains.
• Roof Steepness – Some professional gutter cleaners work from the roof when possible, an approach that goes much quicker and is less costly than having to move a ladder every 4-6 feet when steep roof pitch makes working from the roof unsafe.
• Upper Stories with Gutters – Upper stories are more difficult and time-consuming to reach, so increased cost should be expected.
• Repair and Replacement – To properly move water away from your home, gutters must be in good condition. If the cleaning process exposes damaged material, the cost will go up based on how many sections of gutter and downspout need to be repaired or replaced.

Cost of Supplies

Here’s an itemized list of the items needed to clean, maintain and replace your gutters if you tackle the work yourself.

• $25 – $50 | Tools used to clean gutters from the ground (though they can be difficult to use, don’t allow you to see whether all debris is gone and won’t clear fine debris)
• $85 – $165 | 8′-10’ aluminum or fiberglass step ladder
• $160 – $270 | 24’ aluminum or fiberglass extension ladder
• $4 – $8 | Garden trowel used to scoop out leaves and debris
• $0 – $5 | Empty 5 gallon bucket to collect the debris as you clean gutters
• $8 – $30 | Garden hose used to rinse gutters to remove fine debris
• $9 – $15 | Protective gloves for working near sharp shingle edges
• $0.50 – $0.85 per linear foot | Replacement aluminum and vinyl gutter and downspouts
• $1.50 – $2.65 | Gutter supports/hanger, 1 needed every 36” in mild climates and 18” where ice buildup in gutters is possible
• $4 – $7.50 per tube | Exterior silicon caulk to seal gutter connections to stop or prevent leaks

Permits, Inspection, Related Costs and Installation Time

Permits and Inspection Cost

• $0 | No permit is required for this project in most communities, even when gutters are replaced. However, if your neighborhood has a homeowner’s association (HOA) that has strict bylaws, you should read them to discover if something as minor as changing the gutter color must be approved.

Related Costs and Labor

Let’s look at four related tasks: gutter cleaning prices, gutter guard installation, gutter repairs and complete gutter replacement. Some price guides base their estimates on the home’s square footage, but that approach doesn’t yield accurate estimates because gable ends don’t have gutters and homes with hip roofs have gutters on all sides. Knowing your home’s dimensions and knowing where gutters are located on single-story and multistory homes will produce accurate estimates using the costs below. Where your own costs fall on the spectrum below will be determined by the cost factors discussed earlier.

Gutter cleaning:

• $0.65-$0.95 per linear foot | Gutter cleaning, single story homes
• $0.80-$1.45 per linear foot | Gutter cleaning, multistory homes
• $25-$50 each | Removing debris and obstacles from heavily clogged downspouts

Gutter repair:

• $7.15-$10.75 per linear foot | Gutter repair costs are higher per linear foot than replacement costs because fitting new gutter sections into existing gutter systems is more time-intensive
• $5-$10 per location | Sealing leaking connections between gutter pieces and between gutters and downspouts

Gutter replacement:

• $6.85-$9.25 per linear foot | Gutter replacement with all-new material

Gutter guard installation:

• $7.25-$10.50 per linear foot | Gutter guards professionally installed cost the equivalent of having gutters cleaned professionally 10-15 times, so they’ll pay for themselves in 5-8 years where gutters require cleaning twice per year

Gutter Repair and Cleaning Time Schedule

Gutter cleaning is more affordable than many home maintenance projects because it goes quickly. Repair and replacement take longer. Here are time estimates for one or two workers:

• 1-4 hours: Gutter cleaning on most single-story and two-story homes
• 4-8 hours: Gutter cleaning on large multi-story homes
• Up to 4 hours: Gutter repair and replacement of a limited number of gutter runs and/or downspouts
• 4 hours to 2 days: Gutter replacement, depending on the linear feet of gutters and downspouts being replaced

DIY or Hire a Pro?

I don’t do too well when I get on the roof, near the edge of our home. We live in a ranch style home with a basement, and the house is built on a hill. That means my roof is about 12 feet off the ground on one side and 24′ on the other. While I have and still do clean my gutters in a bind, I usually hire a local handyman to clean them now and his prices are very affordable. For me, it’s the peace of mind I get from not having to get on the roof where I am not my best.

• Requires comfort on the roof, or working from a ladder.
• Many trips up and down the ladder to empty the bucket of debris.
• A friend or helper to assure your safety while cleaning gutters.

If my home was a single level home, I would clean my gutters every time. Due to the height, I recommend anyone not comfortable on a roof or ladder, hire a handyman or call your gutter company to handle it for you.