How Much Does Gutter Cleaning Cost

A clean gutter is essential towards a healthy roof and foundation. A gutter that is filled with leaves and other debris can hinder the right flow of water and so it can pose damage to the roof and the home as a whole. As such, cleaning the gutter must be an essential and regular part of home maintenance. This is especially true if your house is situated near trees.

The cost to clean gutters is basically low. Even with the help of professionals, this service is something that most homeowners can afford. This article will discuss estimates of the cost of gutter cleaning today.

The Cost Of Gutter Cleaning

The cost of cleaning a gutter ranges from $35 to $300.

This price includes hiring a gutter cleaning service that will clean out the gutters from leaves and debris and will dispose them properly. After cleaning, the entire system is flushed to ensure that water can freely flow into the system properly. There are some services that include inspection and tightening of fasteners and resealing of caps and outlets.

Factors Affecting The Cost Of Gutter Cleaning

Difficulty. The condition and location of the gutter can basically tell you how much it costs to clean it. For instance, gutters in small flat-roofed one-story homes are fairly easy to clean. In fact, cleaning gutters in homes like this will take around an hour only. Therefore, the cost to clean it is usually at the low end. On the other hand, a larger one-story home or a multi-storied home has gutters that can be covered for two to four hours of cleaning. It even requires a long ladder and additional supplies for cleaning, without mentioning yet that there is more danger in line with such kind of task. This makes gutter cleaning costs on the higher end, which is usually double or triple the price of small gutter cleaning jobs.

Service. Who you hire to do the job can give a big difference in the cost of cleaning gutters. For instance, regular laborers will do the job for you from $35 to $150 while a real gutter cleaning service will cost $150 to $300.

Pricing. Gutter cleaning services differ in how they price the service. Some price services by the job, others by the hour while the rest price per size of house. Per hour charging has the first hour of the services as the most expensive. For instance, a gutter cleaner can charge you $50 for the first hour and then $35 for the succeeding hours. With this kind of pricing, you will likely pay less if the job is a small one. But the more difficult the job goes and the longer it takes, the more you can expect to pay for gutter cleaning. Meanwhile, here is an estimate of the cost of gutter cleaning if priced by the size of the home:

  • $70 to $200 for a one-story 1,500 sq. ft. house with 160 linear ft. gutter
  • $90 to $220 for a one-story 2,000 sq.  ft. house with 180 linear ft. gutter
  • $100 to $250 for a two-story 2,500 sq. ft. house with 200 linear ft. gutter

Additional Costs

If you have a house that is three levels or more, a second worker is required. This will cost you an extra $70 to $200.

If the gutter system has downspouts, expect to be charged extra. Seriously clogged downspouts can cost you $100 to $200 or more to clean.

Gutter cleaning must be done once or twice or more a year depending on several factors such as the weather, the proximity of trees to the house, and the like. Gutter cleaning repetitions from the same gutter cleaning service is usually charged with a 20 percent discount.

If you don't want to spend on the cost of cleaning gutters regularly, installing gutter covers is a wise idea. This usually costs $1,000 to $2,000. This will prevent leaves and debris from entering and clogging the gutters so you don't have to spend time, money, and effort for regular gutter cleaning.

Why Clean The Gutters

Gutter cleaning may be an unpleasant job; however, this task is something really important for a variety of reasons such as the following:

  • The gutters catch rain water and carry them to downspouts. In the event the gutters are clogged or damaged, water can be directed just about anywhere down the roof. Most of the time, the water can saturate the soil next to the house and this runs the risk of wetting the foundation. And as you know, a foundation that is regularly exposed to water can bring in a lot of problems such as weakening the foundation and cracking of the foundation, which can lead to basement leaks.

  • Clogged gutters are also very heavy. The fasteners that attach them to the home can no longer withstand such weight. In no time, the gutter will sag and eventually can be pulled away from the house. This is not only an eyesore but this definitely brings in a lot of problems too as it defeats the purpose of having a gutter in the first place. Problems can include water pouring directly into windows and other components of the home. If there are wooden doors, decks, and ground siding, expect them to rot with the gutters clogged.

  • Gutters that are clogged are also a home of mosquitoes as most of the clogged gutters have stagnant water. Since mosquitoes are carriers of various diseases, it is just right to destroy such kind of habitat that is a result of you not giving attention to the maintenance of your home's gutters.

Cleaning the gutters must be done at least twice a year. This should be around May or June and November or December. However, for those in the Southern states, it is recommended to clean the gutters four to five times a year. Some trees such as pine trees shed all year round so gutter cleaning is essential.

Gutter clog Photo by akeg

Some Tips Before You Clean The Gutters

Get a professional gutter cleaning service to do the job for you all the time. Though the task may be simple, there are a lot of risks in line with cleaning the gutters. With this, it is best to get a company with insured and experienced professionals to do the job. If you get a regular laborer or you do the job yourself, you can be liable for injuries that may happen.

Get recommendations from friends and neighbors for reliable and reputable gutter cleaning services. This is an easier way to find good gutter cleaners as compared to checking the yellow pages.

Invest on cleaning the gutter regularly. Spending money for cleaning services will pay off in the long run. Don't wait until the gutters are clogged before calling in for any help.

If you want to save money, find little things at home that need fixing or cleaning. Bundle these tasks in one trip such cleaning the gutters, cleaning the windows, and the like. This will likely save you on the cost, especially if the task is charged by the hour.

Establish good professional relationship with the gutter cleaning service. Having someone you can call easily for regular gutter cleaning will make your life easier. Plus, you can take advantage of discounts they offer for regular customers. However, you may want to compare various gutter cleaning services first. You can try several professionals for three or more different gutter cleaning tasks and pick one that offers you the best services for the best price.

More often than not, it is best to hire a professional gutter cleaning service for regular maintenance. Signing a contract with one company for regular gutter cleaning services will save you a lot of money as compared to calling a gutter cleaner every time the gutter needs cleaning. This approach will also be a lot more convenient in your part because you know there is someone who will always be ready to answer all your gutter problems.