Gutter cleaning cost in Metro Detroit is set by the house: the height of the gutters, their total length, the number of downspouts, the pitch and shape of the roof, any guards that have to come off, and how much is packed inside. Each house gets a free quote built on those points. Here's what each one does to the price.
So how much does gutter cleaning cost for one house compared with the next? The same length of gutter can be a quick job on a ranch and a long one on a two-story colonial with dormers. A single number tells you little until someone knows the house, which is why we quote each one on its own.
What moves the price
What we look at | What it does to the job |
|---|---|
Height of the house | Second-story gutters need a taller ladder and more care at every setup |
Feet of gutter | More gutter means more trough to clear by hand |
Downspouts | Each one gets flushed and checked running clear |
Roof pitch and shape | Steep pitches, dormers and valleys add ladder moves |
Access around the house | Decks, beds, walkouts and slopes decide where a ladder can stand |
Gutter guards | Removable guards come off and go back on, which takes time |
How full the gutters are | Packed mud and seedlings take longer than one season of leaves |
How often they're cleaned | Gutters cleared every spring and fall carry less |
Stories and height
A one-story ranch puts the gutters within reach of a short ladder, and the ladder moves quickly down a straight run. Livonia's mile-road grid has whole streets of brick ranches like that, and our Livonia gutter cleaning page covers them.
A two-story house puts the gutters a full story higher. The ladder is taller, each setup takes more care, and a run broken up by a garage roof or a porch means climbing down and moving. Canton's subdivisions are full of two-story colonials, and the Canton gutter cleaning page goes into them.
Height also changes what's safe. If we judge a roof unsafe to work on, you'll hear that from us before any ladder goes up.
Feet of gutter and the number of downspouts
Length is the plainest factor. More feet of gutter means more trough to clear, and we clear every foot of it by hand.
Downspouts take their own time. Water goes down each one, and we watch the outlet until it runs clear. Leaves work their way to the outlet and jam in the first bend, so a downspout can be plugged under a gutter that looks clean. If one is plugged, a snake goes down it before we leave. Where a downspout feeds an underground line, we make sure water reaches the far end.
All the rain that lands on a roof heads for those downspouts. The National Weather Service's 1991–2020 normals put Detroit's yearly precipitation at 34.32 inches. A plugged downspout sends the water from every storm over the front of the gutter and down beside the foundation.
Roof pitch, dormers and valleys
A steep roof, dormers and valleys all add ladder moves. A valley funnels leaves from two slopes into one short stretch of gutter, and that stretch packs faster than a straight run. While we're up there, we pull off the leaves sitting on the roof just above the gutter, so the next rain doesn't wash them straight in.
Access counts too. A deck, a planting bed, a fence or a hillside decides where a ladder can stand. On a Commerce Township lake lot that drops to a walkout, the back gutters can sit well above the yard below them. The Commerce Township gutter cleaning page has more on those lots.
Gutter guards
Guards mean fewer cleanings. They don't end the need for one. Fine debris, roof grit and maple seeds get through, and on some designs leaves mat over the top and spill rainwater past the gutter.
Removable guards add time to a visit. We lift them, clean underneath and put them back, and that time is in the quote from the start. Guards that are sealed or screwed in place can't come up without damage, and lifting them can void the maker's warranty. With those, we'll tell you so, clear what we can get to and still flush every downspout.
How full the gutters are and how often they're cleaned
A gutter cleared every spring and fall holds one season of debris. A gutter left for a few years holds packed leaves, roof grit and maple seedlings rooted in the mud at the bottom. That takes longer to dig out by hand, and the quote reflects it.
The trees overhead set how fast a gutter fills. MSU Extension notes that red, silver and Norway maples produce the largest quantities of winged seeds, enough to clog gutters and downspouts in spring. In the fall, color wraps up in southeast Michigan by late October, and oaks hold some of their leaves well past that.
A typical house here does well with a late spring visit and a late fall visit. One big tree right over the roof can call for a third. Tell us what's overhead when you book, and we'll suggest a schedule. For timing the fall visit, see when to book fall gutter cleaning.
What the price covers
Every gutter cleaning we do includes the same work:
Every gutter cleared by hand
Every downspout flushed and checked running clear
Debris bagged and hauled away
Anything that falls on the walks, beds or driveway picked up
A report afterward on the fascia, the hangers and the pitch of the trough
When you compare quotes, ask whether the downspouts get flushed and whether the debris leaves with the company. Those two steps take time, and they're the part of the job you can't see from the ground.
Getting a quote
Send the address and a rough description of the house: one story or two, guards or no guards, and the trees over the roof. We'll send back a free quote. If you're booking window cleaning too, we do the gutters first, because grit from the gutters can land on clean glass.
Our main gutter cleaning page covers the full service, and the gutter cleaning service areas page lists the ten towns we work in.
Questions people ask
How much is gutter cleaning for a two-story house?
More than a one-story house with the same length of gutter. Second-story gutters need a taller ladder, more care at each setup and more moves around dormers, garages and porches. We quote from the address and a description of the house, so send both, and say whether there are gutter guards.
Why do gutter cleaning prices vary so much from house to house?
Because the work varies. Height, total length, the number of downspouts, roof pitch, guards and how packed the gutters are all change how long the job takes. A ranch with a simple roof is quick work. Two houses with the same square footage can be very different jobs, and the price follows the job.
Do gutter guards make gutter cleaning cheaper?
They can mean fewer cleanings, and each cleaning can take longer. Removable guards have to be lifted, cleaned under and put back, which adds time to the visit. Guards cut down on leaves, and fine grit and maple seeds still get through, so the gutters under them still need clearing.
Do you charge for a gutter cleaning quote?
No, it's a free quote. Send the address and a short description of the house, such as one story or two, whether there are gutter guards and what trees hang over the roof. We'll quote it from there. If you're also booking window cleaning, say so, and we'll plan the gutters first.
Get a quote
Send your address and a few lines about the house through Get a Free Quote. We'll come back with a price for your gutters.
