Is Professional Gutter Cleaning Worth It?
Updated
Short answer
The case for doing it yourself
On a single-story ranch with easy ground and a good ladder, cleaning your own gutters is a reasonable Saturday job. You need a sturdy ladder, a standoff, gloves, a scoop, bags and a hose, and our how-to guide walks through it.
The case for paying
- Height: a second story means a 28 foot or longer extension ladder. Falls from there are serious.
- Age: the CPSC says people 65 and up are 80 percent more likely than other adults to land in an ER from a ladder or stool.
- Downspouts and repairs: a crew clears clogs and spots loose hangers and leaking seams while they are up there.
- Disposal: debris bagged and handled under your town's yard waste rules.
The math
At HomeGuide's national average of $175, two cleanings a year is about $350. Against that, Angi lists soffit and fascia repair at $600 to $6,000 and gutter repair at $240 to $480, both common results of gutters that overflow for years.
Quick answers
Is it worth paying someone to clean gutters?
For two-story homes, older homeowners and anyone uneasy on a ladder, usually yes. A cleaning is $100 to $275 by height, and ladder injuries are common and serious.
Rather have someone else do it?
Tell us the address, how tall the house is and what you need. A local crew calls back with a price before anything is booked.