What to Look for in a Gutter Cleaning Company

Twice a year the dreaded chore of cleaning your gutters rolls around. If you’re tired of dealing with DIY gutter cleaning or if you simply want to avoid the risks that come with climbing on a ladder, you need to find the right gutter cleaning company.

No one wants to have to put up with poor or low-quality service, especially when it comes to home maintenance. Your home is one of your most important investments, and you want to take care of it. Before you hire a professional, do your research and know what to look for in a gutter cleaning company.

Why Gutter Cleaning Is Important

You may be wondering why gutters are so important, or if it’s even necessary to clean them at all.

Gutters aren’t just there for decoration; they perform an important function of catching rainwater coming off the edge of your roof and directing the water safely to the ground and away from your home. This protects your foundation and home from water damage.

Failure to keep your gutters clean and clear of debris may result in serious problems such as:

• Discolored or damaged siding
• Water pooling around the house
• Landscaping corrosion
• Cracked foundation
• Rotting wooden boards and siding
• Cracks in pavement or sidewalk
• Flooded basement
• Windows leaking at the joints
• Gutters pulling away from the fascia board
• Damaged landscaping plants
• Mold growth
• Roof damage
• Wildlife inhabiting the gutters
• Increased mosquito infestation

What to Look for in a Gutter Cleaning Company

When choosing a gutter cleaning company, there are several factors to consider. You want to choose a company that is reliable, trustworthy, and provides excellent customer service.

While you are researching different gutter cleaning companies, ask questions. A gutter cleaning company should welcome questions. If they don’t, that’s a warning sign that you need to look elsewhere.

Word of Mouth Recommendations

A good way to find a gutter cleaning company is to ask friends, family, colleagues, or neighbors for recommendations. Someone in your community might already know of a good gutter cleaning company, so it pays to ask around.

Ask them about the company’s processes, methods, and pricing. They can share their experience with the service and what made it good, as well as tell you any downsides of that service.

If your friend was satisfied with a specific company’s gutter cleaning services, chances are that the company is reliable and provides good service. By asking your acquaintances for a recommendation, you can save time by not having to do all the research yourself.

Good Customer Reviews

Even if no one you know personally has any recommendations for a gutter cleaning company, you can always turn to online reviews. Thanks to the internet, it’s easy to read through reviews on a company. 

For star ratings and written reviews, try researching local gutter cleaning companies on social media and sites such as:

• Better Business Bureau (BBB)
• Facebook
• Google
• Yelp
• Trustpilot

Online reviews can be a great guide to give you an idea of what kind of service you can expect from that company. 

Look for companies with 5-star ratings and a lot of reviews that talk about a good experience with the company. Nearly every company has a bad review or two, but avoid companies that have a lot of 1-star ratings or the reviews consistently contain a lot of negative feedback.

Affordable Pricing

Pricing is always a factor to consider. Naturally, you don’t want to choose a company whose rates exceed your budget. Get quotes from several companies. Even if a company has positive reviews, you don’t want to choose a company that charges exorbitant prices for its services.

Although you want to save as much money as possible, you also should be cautious of companies whose prices are too low. Sometimes low prices indicate poor service or businesses that use cheap equipment or cut corners. Look for a gutter cleaning company that is affordable but provides quality service.

When you’re having trouble deciding between multiple companies, pricing can be a tie-breaker.

Multiple Payment Options

While most companies will accept a credit card or check, that isn’t always the case. Some companies only take cash. So before you call in the pros, you should first get clarification on what payment methods the company accepts.

Years of Experience

Before you commit to hiring a company, ask them how long they have been in business and the kind of work they have done. A company gains credibility with the number of years they have been in business. Companies that don’t provide good quality service often quickly go out of business, but good companies stay around.

New companies have not had enough time to establish credibility or build a reputation. You can certainly try out a new company, but you take the risk of trying a largely untested new business.

It’s better to choose a company that has been in business for at least two years or more. Preferably, find a company with a minimum of five years of experience cleaning gutters.

National or Local Company

It goes without saying that you don’t want to pick a gutter cleaning company hundreds of miles away. You need to choose a locally based business to clean your gutters. 

There are both well-known national companies and locally-owned gutter cleaning businesses in your area, so which do you choose?

National Chains

National chains have established a good reputation and are widely known in multiple states. Some advantages of choosing a national business include:

• Credibility. National chains have served customers across the nation, and most have been around for a while. Their fame gives them credibility that they have provided good service to customers for a while.
• You know what to expect. National companies usually offer standardized services, so customers know what to expect from big brand name companies. On the other hand, it is hard to know what to expect from local companies whose services and methods vary widely depending on the owner and the employees of that local business. 

Local Company

Recognized brand names may be tempting to choose from because they are so well-known, but often a local business can offer better service. There are many benefits to choosing a local company:

• High-quality service. In general, you’re likely to get better, higher-quality service with a local business than with a national brand. 
• More personable. Because of the standardized corporate culture of a national chain, small businesses tend to provide more personable service. If you like a personal touch for home maintenance services, it is better to go with a local company.
• Experience with the local area. Local companies live where you live so they know the local climate well, which gives them an extra layer of expertise that national companies don’t have.
• You support local businesses in your community. Hiring local entrepreneurs contributes to supporting your local community and keeps money circulating within your community.
• A long-standing relationship with a trusted gutter cleaner. With local businesses, you can continue using a trusted gutter cleaner to keep your gutters clean. National businesses have a much larger staff, so you likely won’t be familiar with your gutter cleaners because it’s likely it will be a new employee cleaning your gutters every time.

Type and Quality of Equipment

Different companies use different methods to clean your gutters. Ask professional gutter cleaners what cleaning processes and products they use.

Have the company explain their methods and walk you through the steps. If you’re not comfortable with the type of method they use to clean your gutters, pick a different company.

Some of the gutter cleaning tools companies use include:

• Ladder 
• Gloves
• Pressure washers
• Garden hoses
• Leaf blowers
• Gutter scoops
• Vacuum gutter cleaners
• Cleaning robots

Be sure that the company already has all the equipment they need for the job, including a ladder and any other important tools for cleaning gutters.

You might want to avoid companies that use gutter-cleaning robots. While the use of technology may seem cool, gutter-cleaning robots can sometimes be ineffective.

Additional Services Offered

Ideally, you want a company that specializes in gutter cleaning, although usually companies that specialize in cleaning gutters and downspouts perform additional services as well. Some of these other services may include:

• Gutter and downspout installation
• Gutter guard installation
• Pressure washing
• Window cleaning
• Tree trimming
• Gutter repair

Be aware of what service the company specializes in, since most companies provide package deals for multiple services. That may be a way for you to have multiple home maintenance chores taken care of at the same time for a discounted service price. So before you hire a gutter cleaning company, it’s a good idea to ask about what kind of package deals they offer.

Property Cleanup

Gutters get clogged with muddy debris. Leaves, twigs, bird nests, trash, and toy balls are just a few of the items that can be found clogging your gutter. Having pros clean out your gutters doesn’t save you much work if they leave the debris scattered all over your yard. 

Cleanup should be included as a part of the gutter cleaning service. A company should clean up and dispose of all gutter debris they pulled from your gutters, not leave behind a mess in your yard.

Staff Training

Make sure all workers are professionally trained. You should ask questions about what kind of skills the employees have and what kind of training they receive. All employees should be trained to properly use the cleaning equipment and know good safety practices.

Gutter cleaning requires working at dangerous heights, which puts workers at risk. A fall off a ladder can be dangerous and cause severe injuries. An untrained technician might end up hurting themselves or damaging your property. 

Background Checks

Ask if the company runs background checks on all its workers during the hiring process.

If a company performs background checks on its employees, it shows you how much effort a gutter cleaning company puts into hiring its staff. Besides that, you want to be sure the employees are trustworthy being around your property. 

Check for Appropriate Licenses

Professionals should always have the necessary licenses and credentials, and they won’t mind showing you proof of their certificates and licenses. Before you hire a gutter cleaning company, ask to see their credentials.

It should raise a red flag if a business refuses to provide you with proof of its certificates. If a company refuses to provide the information, find another service provider. 

Here are some of the credentials you should ask to see:

• General liability insurance certificate
• Worker’s compensation insurance certificate
• Business license
• Any other certification

To be credible, a gutter cleaning company must have a business license to be official and legal. If a company isn’t officially licensed, don’t use that company.  Also, make sure the company you hire is licensed for the state you live in, especially if you live near a state border.

Proof of Insurance

Cleaning gutters is a chore that may not seem like a big enough deal to have insurance for, but falls from a ladder can result in serious injuries or can even be fatal, especially with a two-story house.

Because of the dangers involved, hire a company that has insurance for its employees in case of injury. Ask gutter cleaning companies about their insurance policies and if they insure all their employees. They should provide you with proof of their certificate of insurance.

If a gutter cleaning company doesn’t insure its employees, then any damage or injury an employee suffers on the job could fall on your homeowner’s insurance. And liability insurance protects you and your property from accidental damage that may occur when you have work done on your property.

Customer Satisfaction Guarantees

Look for a company that offers a customer satisfaction guarantee of at least 30 to 60 days. Ask about what kind of service guarantees the company offers. If a company doesn’t offer a customer satisfaction guarantee, it may be a sign that they don’t care about providing good customer service. 

Warranties

Hopefully all goes well when you hire a company to clean your gutters. But just in case, the company should have warranties in the event that something goes wrong. Before you hire a gutter cleaning company, learn what warranties they have on their products and services. 

Free Estimates

Most gutter cleaning companies offer free quotes. Businesses that offer free estimates have confidence that they can earn your business and have nothing to hide regarding pricing. 

Is DIY or Hiring a Gutter Cleaning Pro Better?

With all the criteria for finding a good gutter cleaning company, you might be wondering if cleaning your gutters yourself is a better option, particularly since it can save you money on service costs.

DIY Gutter Cleaning

There are some advantages to cleaning your gutters yourself:

• Saves money. Service fees are pricey and can leave your wallet feeling a lot lighter. One big bonus of cleaning your gutters yourself is that it saves you money on professional labor.
• Offers more flexibility. You can clean your gutters anytime it’s convenient for you. You don’t have to worry about weather forcing you to cancel a gutter-cleaning appointment. 
• You decide what method to use. A DIY job gives you full control over the entire gutter cleaning process. You get to choose the best tools for cleaning your gutters.
• You don’t have to stress about poor service. Not every gutter cleaner does a good job, and a careless worker can accidentally damage your gutter. Poor or unprofessional service can be stressful and annoying to deal with. If you do the job yourself, you can do it to your standards. 
• Saves you the hassle of research. Selecting a good gutter cleaning company can be difficult and it requires a lot of research. But if you clean your gutters yourself, you don’t have to spend extra time on tedious research for several gutter cleaning companies.

However, remember that if you opt for a DIY job, you have to purchase the equipment needed to clean your gutters, such as a ladder, ladder clamps, gloves, garden hose, and any other cleaning equipment you need for the job. You also will need the room to store this equipment.

On the plus side, the equipment is a one-time cost. Once you have it, you will always have it. Whereas if you hire a company to clean your gutters for you, you always have to pay for their services every time.

Professional Gutter Cleaning

While a DIY gutter cleaning will save money and may offer more flexibility, there are many benefits to hiring a professional cleaner to clear your gutters for you:

• Professionals have the right equipment for the job. A gutter cleaning company uses its own supplies. Since pros already own the right equipment and tools for cleaning gutters, you don’t have to worry about purchasing gutter-cleaning tools yourself.
• Protect yourself from risk. Professionals are experienced and trained to follow proper safety procedures. Most homeowners aren’t skilled or familiar with cleaning gutters, so untrained homeowners are more likely to get hurt cleaning gutters than a trained professional.
• Better quality. Because gutter cleaning technicians are professionally trained and experts at what they do, you will likely get a higher-quality cleaning job than if you clean your gutters yourself. 
• Saves time. When you use a gutter cleaning service, you won’t have to sweat hours away in the outdoor heat to clean your gutters. Letting a pro do it for you instead saves you a lot of time and effort.

If you have a two-story home, leave the gutter cleaning to the pros. It is very dangerous to be on a very tall ladder. Homeowners who are afraid of heights or who have balance issues also should rely on pros to clean their gutters for them. Every year, approximately half a million people suffer ladder-related injuries. So if you aren’t sure, stay safe and call a pro. 

How Much Does a Gutter Cleaning Service Cost?

To find a reasonably priced gutter cleaning service, you must know the average price range of gutter cleaning services to compare companies.

Homeowners should expect a gutter cleaning service to cost between $105 to $375. That amounts to about $0.70 to $2.50 per linear foot. An average home has approximately 100 to 200 linear feet of gutters wrapping around the house. 

Different factors affect the price of a gutter cleaning service, including:

• Size of your home
• Number of stories
• Number of downspouts
• Roofing material
• Gutter material
• Location
• Age of the house
• Time to clean the gutters
• If your gutters are damaged
• Whether you have seamed or seamless gutters

Generally, downspout cleaning is considered separate from the gutters, so if you hire a company to clean your gutters, make it clear to your service provider that you want them to clean your downspouts as well. Keep in mind that you will be charged extra for downspout cleaning. A downspout cleaning usually costs an extra $50 or $100. 

At a quick glance, it may seem like a DIY job is cheaper than hiring a professional. But the equipment for cleaning gutters is expensive, and it may be cheaper to hire a company to clean your gutters for you. Not only will it save you money, it will save you time, as well. 

Purchasing all the equipment you need can easily cost more than a couple hundred dollars. The average price for an aluminum extension ladder is $260. You’ll also need a ladder stabilizer, which costs $55 on average. Garden hoses, gloves, and any other cleaning utensils will be additional costs to consider. 

FAQs About What to Look For in a Gutter Cleaning Company

Find a Gutter Cleaning Company

With some research and price comparisons, you can find the right gutter cleaning company for you. When you are searching for a good professional gutter cleaning service, don’t hesitate to ask questions.

Once you find a good gutter cleaning company that works for you, you can rely on them to clean your gutters every year. MyGutterGnome can help you find a local company to clean your gutters for you.

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