How Much Does Gutter Cleaning Cost? A Real Pricing Breakdown

September 28, 2026

Gutter cleaning costs are usually quoted as a wide, vague range with little explanation of what actually determines where your home falls in it. Here’s the real breakdown: national pricing data, what drives cost up or down, and an honest look at DIY risk that most cost guides skip entirely.

What it costs, nationally

Professional gutter cleaning runs a national average of roughly $119 to $234 per visit, with an average around $168. On a per-linear-foot basis, that’s typically $0.95 to $2.25, broken down roughly by home height:

• Single-story homes: about $0.95 to $1.25 per linear foot
• Two-story homes: about $1.00 to $1.85 per linear foot
• Three or more stories: about $1.25 to $2.25 per linear foot

Downspout clearing typically adds $50 to $100 if it isn’t already bundled into the base price, and gutters that haven’t been cleaned in several years (heavy debris, small plants growing in the trough, standing water) can add 10 to 50% to the quote because of the extra time and disposal involved.

What actually drives the price

Most cost guides list “factors” without explaining which ones matter most. In practice, two things move the number more than anything else:

• Story height. A second or third story requires more safety equipment, more time, and more caution than a single-story ranch. It’s the single biggest driver of the per-foot rate.
• Debris severity. A gutter cleaned every six months takes far less time than one that’s gone two or three years without attention. If you’re quoted a price without anyone asking how long it’s been, that quote is a guess.

Roof pitch is a secondary factor: a steep roof makes gutter access more difficult and slower, and it’s one most cost guides barely mention despite it being a real, legitimate reason two similar homes get different quotes.

What “included” should actually mean

This is inconsistent across companies, which is exactly why it’s worth asking directly. A properly done gutter cleaning should include:

• Full removal of debris from the gutter trough, not just a surface scoop
• Downspout clearing, not just the visible gutter run
• A flow test after clearing, confirming water actually moves through rather than just that the trough looks empty
• Debris hauled off your property, not left bagged on the lawn

Frequency: twice a year is the standard

Spring (after pollen and seed pods) and fall (after leaf drop) is the standard baseline nationally. Homes under heavy tree cover (which describes a lot of Greenville, given the local oak and pine canopy) often need a third cleaning or more frequent attention to avoid backups.

The DIY safety risk that cost guides don’t mention

Almost every gutter-cleaning cost guide treats “hire a pro” as an assumed good idea without saying why in concrete terms. Here’s the actual data: ladder-related injuries send an estimated 130,000 to 164,000 people to the emergency room every year nationally, according to CPSC-sourced reporting, and more than 97% of those injuries happen in residential settings, not on a job site, but at home. Gutter cleaning is one of the more common reasons a homeowner ends up on a ladder at an awkward angle, reaching sideways along a roofline.

That’s not a scare tactic. It’s the actual, well-documented injury category this specific task falls into. A fully insured crew with the right equipment is handling exactly that risk on your behalf, which is worth factoring in alongside the dollar figure.

We offer gutter cleaning across Greenville and the Upstate, often paired with a roof soft wash or house wash in the same visit since the crew and equipment are already on site.