How Much Does a Gutter Cleaner Cost?

It’s that time of year again – spring cleaning is upon us. And if you want to see just how harsh this past winter was, then get up on a ladder and peer into your gutters.

Chances are, there’s a multilayered hodgepodge of mud, leaves, sticks, and other debris that would make a beaver envious. You can bet it’ll take more than a garden spade and a leaf blower to clear those gutters out.

Should you do it yourself? Do you really want to spend a Saturday or Sunday perched precariously on a ladder? Do you relish the thought of scraping slimy, caked-on goo out of your gutters with a hand tool (or maybe even your hands)? Do you look forward to poking poles or rake handles into downspouts to unclog them?

The other option is to hire someone else to come in and clean out your gutters. But how much is that going to cost you?

There are many different types of businesses who will handle this dirty job for you – from gardeners and roofers to handymen and general contractors. A few businesses even specialize in gutter debris removal. Many of them will even come out and give you a free estimate on what they’ll charge to clean your gutters. But the final bill will likely depend on a number of factors, including:

• The number of linear feet of guttering you have
• The square footage of your roof
• Whether your home has one or two stories
• Whether your downspouts are severely clogged

If you call a few companies and get some estimates, you’ll probably notice their prices can vary widely. But if you want a general rule of thumb on how much you’ll have to spend to get your gutters cleaned out, estimate about a dollar per linear foot of guttering on your home. If your home is small, it may be a little less; if your home is large or multi-story, then factor in a bit more.

So if you have a home with 150 linear feet of gutters and you want to have your gutters cleaned about three times a year, that’s an annual cost of about $450 to keep your rainwater flowing smoothly off your roof. If you think that this figure is a bit pricey, then you may want to revisit doing it yourself – or perhaps make an investment in a gutter guard system like Gutter Helmet. It will add to the overall value of your home and may pay for itself over time with the money you save from not having to hire gutter cleaners.

There’s no right answer to this conundrum. The only wrong answer is to do nothing – and allow the mounds of debris to build up to the point where water is running off everywhere and your gutters risk falling apart. Then you’ll have a real problem on your hands!