Who Cleans Gutters? Here’s Who to Hire

When it comes to who to hire to clean gutters, your choices aren’t limited to one single pro. Gutter companies are the best pick, especially if you need gutter repairs. However, experienced handypeople and landscapers are often equipped for the job—and may charge less to boot. Learn who cleans gutters so you can hire the best pro for this important maintenance task.

The Benefits of Hiring a Professional Gutter Cleaning Service to Clean Your Gutters

Gutter specialists have the upper hand when it comes to gutter cleaning since their skills and experience focus on all things gutter. Hiring a professional gutter cleaning service also means you get an added layer of safety since these companies have liability and workers’ compensation insurance. If your gutter pro hires subcontractors, you’ll also need to get insurance information for them. 

Gutter pros can also spot potential problems that may not seem obvious to other types of pros. If your gutters need any repairs, a gutter service can likely help there too.

These pros are also likely to have reviews posted online and will often give you names of references you can call to ask about their work.

Other great reasons to hire a full-service professional gutter cleaning company are that they:

• Have a tried and true method of what works

• Will they notify you if they find problems that need to be fixed

• Will not leave you with a mess to clean up

Do Landscaping Professionals Clean Gutters?

If you’ve already hired a landscaper to tend your garden, you might be wondering if they can take care of cleaning your gutters while they’re at it. In most cases, they can, but they need to be covered by liability insurance because of the risks inherent in a task like this. Working at the top of a ladder is no small feat, and you might end up paying big time if they aren’t insured and an accident occurs. That’s why it’s a good idea to always double-check that they’re protected before allowing them to help with gutter cleanings.

Can I Hire a Handyperson to Clean Gutters?

Handypeople are equipped to do all sorts of tasks, including but not limited to gutter cleanings. You may pay less by hiring a handyperson instead of a gutter pro. When executed by a gutter company, cleanings cost between $120 and $230 on average, but a handyperson may charge as little as $75 for the same job. Plus, if you need additional household repairs unrelated to gutters, they can take care of those, too—which is something a specialized gutter company won’t be able to offer.

How Gutter Cleaning Professionals Clean Gutters

Gutters should be cleaned out semi-annually, once in the fall and once in the spring. This job involves getting up on a ladder, pulling the gunk out, and flushing the gutters and downspouts with water from a hose.

Installing gutter guards might be another project to look into if you’re worried about debris collecting in your gutters. Gutter guards are like screens with larger holes that prevent large sticks and other things from clogging up your gutters. The average cost to install gutter guards is between $610 and $2,275, with a national average of $1,300. Talk to your pro about whether or not they install gutter guards and how much the project might cost.

How Much Does Gutter Cleaning Cost?

The cost of gutter cleaning depends on a few different factors, including:

• Your location

• How many feet of gutters

• Whether or not there are trees or other obstructions

• How high off the ground the gutters are

• The steepness of the pitch of your roof

• Age of the gutters

Gutter cleaning costs $1 to $1.25 per linear foot, which is around $120 to $230, with a national average of $160. Before contacting a local gutter cleaning professional, get a general sense of how many linear feet of gutters you have. Be sure to tell them whether you live in a one- or two-story home, as that can affect the price.

Extra services such as downspout clearing and installing gutter guards will increase your cost. When you call to get quotes, be sure to ask how much your pro charges for extras. 

A good rule of thumb is to contact at least three professionals to get quotes. Get exact pricing from them and talk to them about what factors might cause a change. Any repairs or maintenance could drive up the cost, so make sure to ask about extra services and what they charge when you call.

Cleaning Gutters Yourself vs. Hiring a Pro

Gutter cleaning is a project that you can do on your own if you feel comfortable being up on a ladder and getting your hands dirty. You’ll need either a step ladder or an extension ladder (depending on how many stories your home has), buckets for removing debris, gloves, a trowel or gutter scoop for compacted debris, and a hose to flush the gutters once you’ve removed debris. Since gutter cleaning should be done at least twice a year, DIY-ing might be a less costly option if you’re comfortable with heights and are sure you can do a thorough job. But if you’re not comfortable working at high heights, don’t hesitate to hire a gutter cleaner near you.