How much to charge for gutter cleaning
Gutter cleaning prices at $0.95 to $1.35 per linear foot on a single storey and $1.20 to $2.00 on two storeys. Most homes carry 125 to 200 linear feet, which puts a typical residential job between $150 and $250 with a minimum around $150.
The formula
(Linear feet × rate for the storey) + access adjustments = your quote, floored at your minimum.
A 165 linear foot single-storey home, easy access, twenty minutes away:
- 165 lf × $1.15 = $190
- No access adjustment
- Above the $150 minimum → quote $190
That is about 75 minutes on site. Roughly $150/hr before travel, which is a working number for a solo operator with a ladder and a blower.
Now the same house with a two-storey rear elevation:
- 100 lf single-storey × $1.15 = $115
- 65 lf two-storey × $1.60 = $104
- $219
Same length of gutter. More setup, more risk, more money.
Price a gutter cleaning job
Your numbers, the formula above. Nothing is sent anywhere — this runs in your browser.
$184 base (160 linear feet × $1)
This is a starting number, not a bid. Walk the property before you send it.
What changes the price
Storey height. The main driver. Not because the gutter is different but because every ladder reposition is slow and every one carries risk.
Roof pitch. A steep roof means you cannot work off the roof edge and everything happens from a ladder.
Debris load. A house under mature trees that has not been done in three years is a different job from an annual clean. Compacted, wet debris takes several times longer than fresh leaves.
Access. Fences, conservatories, sloped ground, flower beds you cannot put a ladder in, and anywhere you cannot get within reach.
Guards. Existing gutter guards that must be removed and refitted add substantial time and should be priced explicitly.
Disposal. Bagging and removing debris rather than leaving it bagged on site.
The mistakes
Not charging for height. The most common one. Quoting a flat per-foot rate across a house with a two-storey section means the two-storey section is free.
Including downspout blockages. Flushing and checking is fine to include. Clearing a solidly packed downspout can take longer than the whole gutter run and cannot be seen from the ground. Price it as a possible extra.
No minimum. A $90 gutter job forty minutes away is a loss, and it occupies a slot you needed for a real job.
Quoting sight-unseen from a phone call. Measure off satellite imagery at minimum. “About average size” is not a measurement.
Never selling guards. Gutter guard installation is $5 to $12 a linear foot with a much better margin than cleaning, and every customer you clean for is a qualified lead who has just been reminded why.
Quoting from the driveway
Gutter work is high-volume, low-ticket and won by whoever quotes first.
QuoteIQ at $29.99/mo measures the property off satellite imagery, so you have the linear footage before you arrive. Jobber at $49/mo produces the better customer-facing quote and automates the annual rebooking reminder — which in a trade with a natural yearly cycle is worth more than the subscription. Housecall Pro adds route optimisation and five seats at $189/mo.
Questions operators actually ask
How much should I charge for gutter cleaning?
$0.95 to $1.35 per linear foot on a single-storey home and $1.20 to $2.00 on two storeys. Most houses have 125 to 200 linear feet, so a typical residential job lands between $150 and $250 with a job minimum around $150.
Should I charge by the foot or by the job?
Quote by the job, calculate by the foot. Customers want one number; you need a defensible way to reach it. Measure the gutter run off satellite imagery or by pacing the perimeter, apply your rate, add for height and access.
How much more for a two-storey house?
25% to 50% more per linear foot. It is not the height that costs you, it is the setup — repositioning ladders, working slower, and carrying materially more risk on every move.
Should downspout clearing be included?
Include flushing and checking downspouts, but price blockage clearing separately. A packed downspout can take longer than the entire gutter run, and it is not predictable from the ground.
What is a fair job minimum?
$120 to $175. A small single-storey gutter job thirty minutes away loses money once you count the round trip, setup and pack-down, and taking it blocks a slot a $400 job needed.