How much do people charge for gutter cleaning?
Most gutter cleaners charge between $163 and $333 per visit for a typical house, and the median job is about $233, according to Thumbtack’s gutter cleaning price data (updated March 2026). Small single-story jobs start near $98 and large or difficult homes reach $560 or more.
Those are the prices homeowners end up paying, so they are the ceiling your quote competes against, not your cost. The same data breaks the market down in three ways that map to how pros actually quote:
| How the market quotes | Thumbtack national data (2026) |
|---|---|
| By stories | Single-story $135 to $250; two-story $160 to $300 |
| By home square footage | $0.09 to $0.12 per sq ft of home (low end $0.06 to $0.08, high end $0.15 to $0.22) |
| By home size bands | Under 1,000 sq ft $125 to $225; 1,000 to 2,000 $150 to $250; 2,000 to 3,000 $175 to $300; 3,000 to 4,000 $200 to $350; 4,000 to 5,000 $240 to $400 |
| By linear foot of gutter | A pro quoted in the guide uses $1.25 a foot as a worked example; at 100 to 300 feet per home that comes to $125 to $375 |
Notice that every method gives roughly the same answer for an ordinary two-story home: $175 to $300. The method you choose matters less than being consistent, quoting fast and charging for the things that eat time. If you have not launched yet, read how to start a gutter cleaning business first; this page assumes you are already on ladders and want a price sheet that holds up.
Should you charge per linear foot or a flat rate by home size?
Charge per linear foot when you measure before you quote (satellite view or a walk around the house), and use flat rates by home size when you want to quote by phone in under a minute. Most established companies publish flat rates and use the per-foot math internally to set them.
Per-foot rate card (starting points, adjust to your costs)
| Gutter height | Per linear foot | 140 ft ranch | 200 ft colonial | 260 ft large home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One story (eaves to about 12 ft) | $1.00 to $1.50 | $140 to $210 | $200 to $300 | $260 to $390 |
| Two stories (to about 22 ft) | $1.50 to $2.25 | $210 to $315 | $300 to $450 | $390 to $585 |
| Three stories or steep lots | $2.25 to $3.50 | $315 to $490 | $450 to $700 | $585 to $910 |
Mixed homes are common: a split-level might have 90 feet at one story and 110 feet at two. Price each run at its own rate. Charge the higher rate for any run that needs an extension ladder on a slope, over a deck or above a sunroom roof, because those moves take twice as long.
Flat-rate card by home size
Flat rates are easier to sell and to book online. Build them from the per-foot table using the typical gutter length for each home size in your area, then round to a price that reads cleanly: $149, $199, $249, $299. Say in writing that the price assumes normal debris and ground-accessible gutters, and that guards, heavy debris and third-story runs are extra. Thumbtack’s data shows single-story homes averaging $135 to $250 and two-story homes $160 to $300, so a flat card inside those bands will feel normal to the client while your per-foot math protects the margin.
What moves the price up or down?
Height, debris and access move a gutter price the most, followed by guards, downspout condition and how often the client books. Each one changes your minutes on the ladder, so each one belongs on the quote as a named line.
- Height. A second story roughly doubles ladder moves and the consequences of a fall. OSHA’s Stop Falls campaign exists because falls from ladders and roofs are the common injury in this work, and your insurance carrier prices two-story work accordingly.
- Debris load. A gutter under pines, oaks or a neglected roof can hold ten times the debris of one cleaned last spring. Add a heavy-debris surcharge (25% to 50%) when the gutter is full to the brim, and say so in the quote.
- Gutter guards. Guards that must be unclipped, cleaned under and refitted add 1 to 2 minutes per section. Some guard systems also void their own warranty if removed by anyone but the installer, so ask before you touch them.
- Downspouts. Flushing every downspout is standard; snaking a clogged one or reconnecting a loose section is an add-on. Thumbtack quotes a pro who charges a nominal $10 to $40 to reconnect a downspout or loose section.
- Access. Decks, sunrooms, landscaping beds, fences and steep yards all slow every ladder move.
- Frequency. A twice-a-year client is faster to clean and worth a lower per-visit rate. One-time calls in November, after the first overflow, pay the full rate.
A gutter cleaning price list you can copy
A working gutter cleaning price list has a base price per story, a minimum, and a short add-on menu. Here is one you can paste into a quote and adjust to your market. Every number is a starting point built from the per-foot rates above, not a national rule.
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum visit | $125 to $150 | Covers drive, setup and insurance on a small ranch |
| One-story home, up to 160 ft | $150 to $225 | Includes downspout flush and bagged debris |
| Two-story home, up to 220 ft | $250 to $400 | Same, with extension ladder work |
| Extra linear feet | $1.25 one story, $2.00 two stories | Measured on site or satellite |
| Third story or high access | $75 to $150 per run | Or price the run at $3 a foot |
| Gutter guard removal and refit | $0.75 to $1.50 per foot | On top of the base rate |
| Heavy debris surcharge | 25% to 50% | Gutter full to the top, or two or more years uncleaned |
| Clogged downspout (snaked) | $25 to $50 each | Flushing is included; snaking is not |
| Reconnect loose section or downspout | $10 to $40 | Small fastener work only; refer bigger repairs |
| Roof debris blow-off | $50 to $150 | Valleys and behind chimneys, blower from the ladder or roof |
| Moss or algae treatment | Quoted | Per product label; never mix cleaning chemicals |
| Haul-away | $0 to $25 | Free if the client has yard-waste pickup |
| Spring plus fall plan | 10% off each visit | Card on file, auto-scheduled |
Keep the list to one page and put the three things clients ask about first: the base price, the minimum and whether guards are extra. The free price list template works for this; swap the house cleaning rows for the ones above.
Three worked quotes, from your costs up
A quote is right when it pays your time, your truck, your insurance and a profit, and still sits inside what the market pays. These three examples use hypothetical numbers so you can see the method; swap in your own.
Shared assumptions
- You pay a tech (or yourself) $26 an hour, and the job needs two people for two-story work.
- Driving costs are counted at the IRS standard business mileage rate, which is 76 cents a mile for July to December 2026, a fair stand-in for fuel, wear and depreciation on a work truck.
- Overhead (insurance, ladders, marketing, software, phone) is 30% of the price and profit is 20%, so direct costs must be 50% of the price.
Quote 1: one-story ranch, 140 feet, no guards
- One tech, 1 hour 15 minutes on site, 20 minutes driving: 1 hour 35 minutes at $26, so $41 labor.
- 12 miles round trip at $0.76: $9. Bags and disposal: $5. Direct cost: $55.
- Price: $55 ÷ 0.50 = $110, about $0.79 a foot. Your $150 minimum applies, so the quote is $150, about $1.07 a foot.
Quote 2: two-story colonial, 200 feet, guards on the back run
- Two techs, 1 hour 45 minutes on site, 25 minutes driving each: $113 labor.
- 16 miles at $0.76: $12. Disposal: $8. Direct cost: $133.
- Base price: $133 ÷ 0.50 = $266, which is $1.33 a foot.
- Guard removal and refit on 60 feet at $1.00 a foot: $60. Quote: $326, inside Thumbtack’s $160 to $300 two-story band once you remove the guard line, which is exactly why the guard line is shown separately.
Quote 3: three-story townhouse end unit, 90 feet, never cleaned
- Two techs, 2 hours on site with a 32-foot ladder and roof-anchor setup, 30 minutes driving: $130 labor.
- 20 miles at $0.76: $15. Disposal of heavy debris: $15. Direct cost: $160.
- Base price: $160 ÷ 0.50 = $320, about $3.55 a foot. Heavy-debris surcharge of 25%: $80. Quote: $400.
In the third quote the per-foot rate is more than triple the ranch’s, and that is correct; the first quote also shows why the minimum exists: the time is in the ladder, not the gutter. Run your own numbers in the profit calculator before you publish a price card.
How do commercial gutter cleaning prices work?
Commercial gutter cleaning prices are quoted per linear foot at a lower rate than homes (the runs are long and straight), plus the cost of a lift or fall protection, with a minimum of several hundred dollars and a twice-a-year or quarterly contract. Apartment complexes, strip malls, churches and schools are the usual buyers.
What changes from residential
- Fall protection is the law, not a preference. OSHA’s general industry rule 29 CFR 1910.28 requires employers to protect workers on walking-working surfaces 4 feet or more above a lower level with guardrails, a personal fall arrest system or another listed method. Low-slope commercial roofs and parapet work need anchors, a lift, or both. Price that equipment into the job.
- Lift rental. A boom or scissor lift for a day is a real cost; pass it through on the quote as its own line with the rental invoice.
- Volume. A 20-building apartment complex can have 4,000 feet of gutter. At $0.60 to $1.00 a foot that is $2,400 to $4,000 per visit, and the client expects a per-visit contract price.
- Paperwork. Certificates of insurance, W-9s, vendor registration and net-30 invoices are standard. See cleaning business insurance for the limits property managers usually ask for.
Starting rates
| Commercial job | Starting rate |
|---|---|
| Single-story strip mall or warehouse, ladder access | $0.60 to $1.00 per foot, $350 minimum |
| Two- and three-story apartments, ladder and roof anchors | $1.00 to $1.75 per foot |
| Lift-access buildings | Per foot as above plus the lift rental and a half day of setup |
| Annual contract (two or four visits) | 5% to 10% off the per-visit price, invoiced per visit |
The commercial buyer cares about three things: nobody gets hurt, the gutters do not overflow onto a storefront in January, and the invoice matches the quote. Walk the property, count the downspouts and photograph problem runs before you bid. The commercial cleaning calculator helps you convert the hours into a monthly or per-visit number.
Minimums, seasonal plans and when to raise prices
Set a minimum of $125 to $150, sell a spring-and-fall plan at a small discount, and raise one-time prices in your busiest month. Those three rules fix most of the margin problems gutter companies run into.
The minimum
A 60-foot gutter on a garage takes 20 minutes to clean and 50 minutes to drive to and set up for. Without a minimum you will quote $60 and lose money. State the minimum on your website so small jobs self-select or get bundled with a neighbor.
Plans
A plan client books two visits a year, keeps a card on file and gets a reminder text before each one. Offer 10% off per visit; the discount costs less than re-selling the same house next year, and the second visit is faster because the gutters were cleaned six months ago. Schedule plans in the shoulder weeks so your peak weeks stay open for full-price calls.
Seasonal pricing
Late October to early December and April are the peak. If you are booked out more than two weeks, raise one-time prices 10% to 15% for new requests and keep plan clients at their contracted rate. Thumbtack’s data gives you the ceiling: a $260 two-story quote is still inside the normal band at $300.
Nearby work
While the ladder is up, a window exterior or a roof blow-off is cheap for you to add and valuable to the client. Many gutter companies run windows and pressure washing on the same truck; see the window cleaning business guide for how those prices work. Black algae streaks on the roof itself are a soft wash job priced by roof area and pitch, covered in our guide to roof cleaning prices.
How to present a gutter cleaning quote
Present a gutter quote as a short written estimate with the base price, the add-ons as separate lines, what is included, the heavy-debris rule, and a way to book the date from the quote. Send it the same day, ideally while you are still in the driveway.
- Measure first. Walk the perimeter or trace it on a satellite map. Count stories per run, downspouts and guard sections.
- Photograph the problems. A photo of a gutter growing grass sells the heavy-debris line better than any sentence.
- List the lines. Base clean, downspout flush included, guard refit, surcharge, repairs, haul-away. Clients accept add-ons they can see.
- State what is not included. Gutter repairs beyond refastening, roof repairs, and anything that needs a roofer.
- Offer the plan. One line: “Add the spring visit at 10% off and we will text you a reminder.”
- Make booking one click. A quote that links to a booking page with your open days converts better than “call us.”
The cleaning estimate template gives you the format, and quoting software such as Broombook shows the client an instant price on your booking page from your own rate card, lets them pick a date, and sends the reminder and charges the card after the job. See features and pricing for what is included; for a formal written estimate, use the template.