How Much Is Gutter Cleaning? Tips, Price & FAQs
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Gutter cleaning is a vital part of home maintenance. It keeps your gutters and downspouts free of leaves, branches, and other debris that could cause leaks and water damage. Because gutters are high up on your home, it’s best to contact a professional who can clean the gutters out safely and efficiently. Most gutter cleanings cost between $1–$2 per linear foot.
Of course, hiring a professional to clean gutters for you comes at a cost. Your home’s size, number of stories, and gutter damage will all impact the price of gutter cleaning. So, you will have to evaluate your home’s needs to estimate the final cost.
This article will help you determine how much gutter cleaning will cost on your home in 2022. Read on for more.
The Importance of Gutter Cleaning
Before we dive into how much it typically costs to get gutters cleaned, it’s important to understand why gutter cleaning is necessary in the first place. Many homeowners fail to get their gutters cleaned regularly because they think it is a waste of time and money. The opposite is true.
The point of your gutter system is to catch any water and drain it safely away from your home. This system then protects your home from water damage. Unfortunately, wear, tear, and the elements make your gutter system less effective with time.
While your gutter system catches water, it also catches leaves, branches, animal droppings, and other debris. These items accumulate with time and cause algae, mold, and other things to build up. Whenever this happens, your gutter system can become damaged and ineffective, rendering your home less protected from water damage.
With routine gutter cleaning, you can remove all the regular debris to ensure your gutters are working exactly as they should. In consequence, you know that your gutter system will be helping to protect your home against outside water damage.
How Much Does Gutter Cleaning Cost?
Gutter cleaning is typically priced by linear feet. The larger the gutter system is, the more linear feet will be cleaned, resulting in higher prices.
Most gutter cleanings cost between $1–$2 per linear foot. In total, the national average for getting gutters cleaned is $161. The range for gutter cleaning is normally between $118–$227.
You can get a better estimate of how much gutter cleaning will cost based on the size of the home. Single-story homes normally cost between $70–$200, whereas double-story homes cost between $95–$220. Homes with three or more stories can cost $170–$425.
| Project | Average Price for 200 Square Feet |
| Single-Story | $70–$200 |
| Double-Story | $95–$225 |
| Three+ Stories | $170–$425 |
| Downspout Cleaning | $50–$100 |
Find a gutter specialist in your area, and get free, no-commitment estimates for your project.Consult a gutter installation expert
Additional Costs to Anticipate
Whenever you are estimating the final cost for gutter cleaning, there are three main factors you need to consider: home size, risk, and damage. You will also have to consider if you want your downspout cleaned because that pricing is different. Let’s take a closer look at each one of these factors.
Home Size
Your home’s size is the number one determiner of how much your gutter cleaning will cost. Larger homes are more expensive simply because there is more gutter to clean. Your home size will help to determine the linear feet of the cleaning job. Once again, most cleaners charge between $1–$2 for each linear foot.
Occasionally, square footage is used to determine the gutter cleaning price instead. It normally costs between $0.40–$0.80 per square foot.
Risk
Another factor that impacts price that most people don’t think about is the risks associated with gutter cleaning. Because gutter cleaning is high up on the roof, there are risks associated with the job. It’s important for the cleaners to be compensated fairly as a result.
The price of associated risk typically impacts the linear footage or square footage price directly. For example, a single-story home normally only costs $1 per linear foot, whereas double-story homes are about $2 per linear foot.
Damage
If your gutters are damaged, most cleaners are equipped to fix the problem or carefully clean around the problem before it can get fixed. This will increase the price due to additional resources, effort, and time that goes into fixing the damage.
Downspout Cleaning
Downspout cleaning will add even more to the overall cost. Most downspout cleanings cost between $50–$100 per job. You might even be looking for downspout extender installation, which can cost an additional $6–$15 per installation.
How Often Should I Get My Gutters Cleaned?
As a rule of thumb, it’s best to get your gutters cleaned twice a year. Most professionals recommend getting them cleaned after fall and after spring since these seasons see the most gutter damage.
Depending on where you live, you may be able to get away with just one gutter cleaning a year. For example, your gutters may not need to be cleaned as frequently if you live in an area without trees. However, other homes may need to get their gutters cleaned out three to four times a year, once after each season.
Does Home Insurance Cover Gutter Cleaning?
Home insurance does not cover gutter cleaning. It is your responsibility to maintain and clean the gutters. So, you will need to pay for gutter cleaning out of pocket.
That being said, you might be able to file a claim if a branch or tree damages your gutter due to a fall. You will need to read the fine print of your home insurance policy to determine when you can file a claim for your gutter.
Tips For Keeping Your Gutters Clean
To ensure that your gutters maintain a clean and functional appearance, it’s imperative that you care for them properly. Luckily, the task isn’t too difficult. Here’s what we recommend for keeping your gutters clean and effective:
Clean Routinely
Routine cleaning is the secret to keeping well-kept gutters. In most areas in the United States, your gutters need to be cleaned twice a year, if not more. There are some locations that can get away with one cleaning per year. However, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Clean your gutters routinely—once after spring and once after fall.
Install a Gutter Cover
Gutter covers are designed to prevent large objects and debris from clogging up your gutters. For example, they can keep pine, leaves, and small branches from getting into your gutter and damaging the system. Installing gutter covers will help to prevent this from happening, and the job isn’t too tough.
Install Gutter Splash Guards
You can also install gutter splash guards. These splash guards will help to prevent water from dirtying up your home whenever it rains. These are typically installed around the base of the downspout, but they can be installed on the roof too.
Conclusion
Expect to pay between $118–$227 for a gutter cleaning job on your home. This price range is the national average. Remember that there are many factors that impact the final price of your gutter cleaning, such as your home size, risk, and damage. Downspout cleaning will increase the price further as well.
Even though it can be a bit pricey to get your gutters cleaned, don’t ignore the job. Paying to clean your gutters is way more affordable than dealing with water damage. So, try to clean your gutters after spring and fall, if not more.
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Featured Image Credit: Radovan1, Shutterstock
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