Gutter Cleaning Cost Calculator
Gutter Cleaning costs $115 to $175 for a typical 180 linear ft job in 2026, against a national benchmark of $140. Labor runs 1.8 crew hours at $26.02 an hour. Enter a ZIP code to apply that area's measured wages for this work and its regional price level.
What makes up the price
Cost by size
National averages, before any local adjustment. Computed from the same model as the calculator above, so the two always agree.
| Length of gutter | Linear feet | Typical | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 linear ft | 100 | $120 | $100 to $150 |
| 140 linear ft | 140 | $130 | $110 to $165 |
| 180 linear ft | 180 | $140 | $115 to $175 |
| 240 linear ft | 240 | $160 | $130 to $195 |
| 310 linear ft | 310 | $175 | $145 to $220 |
What you are actually protecting
This is a $140 job, and the reason to do it is what it prevents rather than what it costs.
A blocked gutter overflows at the back edge, against the fascia and down the wall. That produces, in rough order of how expensive they are:
- Rotted fascia and soffit, which means the gutter has nothing to hang from.
- Water against the foundation, which is settling, basement seepage and the cracks that run into five figures.
- Ice dams in cold climates, where standing water in a blocked gutter freezes and backs up under the shingles.
- Insects, since a gutter full of wet debris is a nursery.
Against that, twice a year at $140 is the cheapest insurance on this site. The hard part is remembering, which is most of the argument for a standing booking.
What moves the price
Height, which is most of it
Every foot of this is reached from a ladder, so the price is not really about the gutter — it is about how long it takes to work along it safely. A two-story house is around 40% more than a single-story one with the same run; three stories or a steep site is 80% and stops being a ladder job at all.
How long since the last one
- A season of leaves blows out in minutes.
- Two years or more has compacted into silt that has to be scooped by hand and bagged. Around 30% more.
- Packed, with blocked downspouts, means the gutter is cleared by hand and then each downspout taken apart or rodded from the bottom. Around 60% more.
That gradient is the practical argument for doing it on schedule rather than when you notice water pouring over the front.
Do not do this yourself on a two-story house
The honest version of this page has to say this plainly, because the obvious way to save $140 is to borrow a ladder.
Falls from ladders are a leading cause of serious injury around the home, and gutter cleaning is the single most common reason a homeowner is up one. The specific risks are well understood and all of them apply here: reaching sideways rather than moving the ladder, setting it at the wrong angle, standing above the third rung from the top, and placing the feet on soft or sloping ground.
A single-story ranch with firm level ground, a helper and a stable ladder is a reasonable job to do yourself. Anything above that is not worth $140.
If you do it yourself:
- Set the ladder at a 4:1 angle — one foot out for every four feet up.
- Have somebody foot it, and never move it by leaning.
- Use a stabilizer bar so the ladder bears on the roof rather than on the gutter, which is not structural.
- Work from the ladder, not from the roof.
How often
Twice a year suits most houses: after the leaves drop, and again in late spring when seed and blossom have finished.
Adjust for what is overhead:
- Pine or large deciduous trees directly over the roof — three or four times a year.
- No trees within reach — once a year is usually enough.
- After any major storm, a look is worth it even if a clean is not.
Guards, and whether they end this
Gutter guards reduce cleaning rather than eliminating it, and the arithmetic is on the gutter installation page. In short: micro-mesh pays for itself in three to five years against twice-yearly cleaning, and the case is far stronger on a tall house where each visit is more expensive and more dangerous.
Even with guards, expect to need a rinse and a check every few years. Any guard installer promising never again is overselling.
What a visit should include
- Gutters cleared of debris and bagged or removed, not blown onto the lawn or the beds.
- Downspouts checked by flushing them, not by looking at them.
- A quick condition check — loose hangers, separated seams, standing water that means the pitch is wrong.
- Clean-up, including whatever came out of the gutters and landed on the drive.
That third item is worth asking about. Somebody on a ladder along the whole roofline is the only person who looks at your gutters all year, and a loose hanger caught now is an hour rather than a section.
Questions worth asking
- Are the downspouts flushed, or only the gutters cleared?
- Where does the debris go?
- Will I get told about anything that needs repair?
- Is there a discount for a standing twice-yearly booking?
- Are they insured? A ladder worker on your property is the same liability question as any other trade.
Common questions
How much does gutter cleaning cost?
Around $140 for a single-story house with about 180 feet of gutter on a twice-yearly booking, with most visits falling between $115 and $175. A two-story house is closer to $200, and a three-story or steep one $300 or more.
Why does a two-story house cost so much more?
Because all of this job happens on a ladder, and the price is really about how long it takes to work along the roofline safely rather than about the gutter. Two stories adds around 40%, and three stories or a steep site adds 80% because it stops being a ladder job and needs staging.
How often should gutters be cleaned?
Twice a year for most houses — after the leaves drop and again in late spring once seed and blossom have finished. Three or four times if there are pines or large trees directly over the roof, and once a year if nothing overhangs it. A look after any major storm is worth it even if a clean is not.
What happens if I never clean my gutters?
The gutter overflows at the back edge, against the fascia and down the wall. That rots the fascia the gutter hangs from, puts water against the foundation — which is settling and basement seepage — and in cold climates causes ice dams that back water up under the shingles. The repairs run from hundreds to five figures against a $140 visit.
Should I clean my own gutters?
On a single-story house with level ground, a stable ladder and somebody to foot it, that is a reasonable job. On a two-story house it is not worth $140. Falls from ladders are a leading cause of serious injury at home and gutter cleaning is the most common reason homeowners are up one. If you do it: a 4:1 ladder angle, never reach sideways, never stand above the third rung from the top, and use a stabilizer so the ladder bears on the roof rather than the gutter.
Why is the first clean in years more expensive?
Because loose leaves blow out in minutes and compacted silt does not. Two or more years of debris has to be scooped by hand and bagged, which adds around 30%, and if the downspouts have blocked they each have to be taken apart or rodded from the bottom, which takes it to about 60%.
Do gutter guards mean I never need this again?
No. They reduce cleaning rather than ending it — expect a rinse and a check every few years even with micro-mesh, and pine needles defeat most screens. The arithmetic is better than it sounds though: micro-mesh pays back in three to five years against twice-yearly cleaning, and much faster on a tall house where each visit costs more.
Should the downspouts be checked too?
Yes, and by flushing them rather than looking at them. A clear gutter feeding a blocked downspout still overflows. Ask whether downspouts are flushed as part of the visit, because on a cheap quote they often are not.
How long does gutter cleaning take?
A little under two hours of crew time for a single-story house with 180 feet of gutter, including setting and moving the ladder. Most of that is the ladder rather than the cleaning, which is why height moves the price so much more than length does.
Is it cheaper to book a standing twice-yearly service?
Around 10% per visit, and more usefully it means the job actually happens. The expensive failures from blocked gutters come from the years nobody got round to it, not from the visits that were slightly overpriced.
Where these numbers come from
Nothing here is copied from a contractor directory. Labor is priced from what the trades are actually paid, materials from published producer prices, and both are adjusted to your area using federal cost-of-living data.
- Services to buildings and dwellings, United States: $26.02/hour, August 2026 (BLS CES CES6056170003)
- Ladder, blower, bags and disposal: $15.00 per visit (price recorded October 2026, not index-adjusted)