How to Price a Gutter Cleaning Job (Per Foot, Per Story, Per Home)
Price a gutter cleaning job by measuring the linear feet of gutter, applying a per-foot rate that rises with each story, adding downspout flushing, guard removal, and heavy debris as separate lines, and then checking the total against what the job costs you in crew hours, drive time, disposal, and overhead. Residential work is commonly quoted around $1 to $2 per linear foot on a single-story home and $1.50 to $3 or more per foot on two stories, with a job minimum so short runs still pay. The rate gets you to a number quickly; your cost tells you whether the number is any good. CRMb turns the measurement into an itemized, signable quote, then tracks the crew hours actually punched on the job so you can see whether the price held.
Gutter cleaning is almost all labor and access. The material cost is close to zero, the work is seasonal, and the hardest part of the job is getting a ladder safely to the roofline. That makes it easy to start and easy to underprice. A crew that clears eight houses on a fall Saturday can still lose money if steep roofs, third stories, and clogged downspouts are hidden inside a flat "per house" figure. A repeatable method fixes that.
The four ways to price gutter cleaning
Per linear foot. Measure the total length of gutter and multiply by a rate. It is the most accurate method and the easiest to defend, because the number is tied to something the customer can see. Most operators use it as the foundation even when the customer only ever sees a single price.
Per story. The same house costs more to clean as it gets taller, because ladder work is slower and riskier. A per-story rate, or a per-foot rate that rises with height, captures that. A one-story ranch and a two-story colonial with the same footprint are not the same job.
Per home (flat rate). One price for a defined scope: "all gutters cleaned, downspouts flushed, debris bagged and removed, $195." Customers like the certainty. It is safe only when the flat price is built from a measurement you trust, because a flat price is a per-foot estimate with the math hidden. See flat rate vs hourly pricing for when that trade-off works.
Per hour. Reserved for unknowns: gutters packed solid after years of neglect, seedlings growing in the trough, or a building you cannot see from the street. Hourly protects you when effort is unpredictable. Quote a not-to-exceed figure alongside it so the customer is not signing an open-ended clock.
Most operators measure per foot, adjust for stories and pitch, and present the result as one per-home price with add-ons listed beneath it.
Typical gutter cleaning rates
Rates vary with region, competition, and roof access, so treat these as a starting point to test against your own costs, not a price list.
| Item | Common residential range |
|---|---|
| Single-story, per linear foot | $1.00 – $2.00 |
| Two-story, per linear foot | $1.50 – $3.00 |
| Three-story or steep pitch | Quoted per job, often 1.5 – 2× two-story |
| Downspout flush (clear) | Often included; $10 – $25 each if clogged |
| Gutter guard removal and reinstall | $1 – $3 per foot, or quoted per job |
| Heavy debris or packed gutters | Quoted separately, per hour or per foot surcharge |
| Debris haul-away | $15 – $50 per job, or included |
| Job minimum | Commonly $100 – $175 |
A typical single-story home has 120 to 180 linear feet of gutter; a two-story home often runs 150 to 250. Measure every job. Estimating "about 150 feet" from the driveway is how a quote loses its margin before the ladder comes off the truck.
Three rules keep these numbers safe:
- Always carry a job minimum. A detached garage with 40 feet of gutter costs nearly the same to drive to, set up, and clean up as a small house. Without a minimum, short runs lose money. See how to charge for drive time.
- Price height and pitch on their own line. A second-story premium, or a steep-roof surcharge, is easier to explain than a house total that grew for reasons the customer cannot see.
- Never bundle a packed gutter into a standard clean. A gutter that has not been touched in three years can take three times as long, and a clogged downspout can take longer than the gutter above it. Quote it once you have seen it.
Build the estimate from your real costs
A per-foot rate only protects you if it sits above your cost. Before trusting any number, work out what an hour of your crew's time actually costs and how many hours the job takes.
Labor. Multiply the crew hours, including drive, setup, ladder moves, and cleanup, by your loaded hourly rate: wage plus payroll taxes, workers' compensation, and insurance. Roof-line work typically carries a higher workers' comp classification than ground-level cleaning, so do not borrow a janitorial burden figure. See how to calculate labor burden rate and how to calculate labor cost per job.
Hours. Estimate time per hundred feet by story, then count ladder sets. A practiced two-person crew may clear 100 feet of single-story gutter in 30 to 45 minutes and take noticeably longer on two stories, mostly because every ladder move is slower. Your own punched hours from past jobs beat any rule of thumb. See how to estimate labor hours for a job.
Equipment and supplies. Ladders and stabilizers, standoffs, scoops, buckets, tarps, bags, a hose or pressure attachment for downspouts, and, if you run one, a gutter vacuum. Per job this is small, which is exactly why it gets forgotten. Fold an equipment allowance into every quote, and if you own expensive gear, cost it properly with how to calculate equipment cost per hour.
Disposal. Bagged debris has to go somewhere. If you haul it, count the trip and any green-waste fee.
Overhead and profit. Insurance, vehicle, phone, software, and the time spent quoting all have to be carried by the jobs. Add your overhead rate, then price to the margin you decided on in advance. Use markup vs margin to make sure you add the right percentage; a 40% markup is not a 40% margin.
Price = labor + equipment and supplies + disposal + overhead + profit
The per-foot rate card is a shortcut for jobs you have priced this way often enough to trust.
A worked example
A two-story house with 200 linear feet of gutter and six downspouts. Two of the downspouts are clogged. The customer wants debris bagged and removed. A two-person crew.
Step 1: the rate card price.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Two-story gutter, 200 ft × $1.75 | $350 |
| Clogged downspouts, 2 × $20 | $40 |
| Debris haul-away | $25 |
| Rate card total | $415 |
Step 2: the cost check.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| On-site time: 2 people × 2.0 hr | 4.0 crew-hours |
| Drive, setup, and cleanup: 2 people × 0.5 hr | 1.0 crew-hour |
| Total crew-hours | 5.0 |
| Labor at $38 loaded per crew-hour | $190 |
| Equipment and supplies allowance | $15 |
| Disposal | $10 |
| Overhead at $14 per direct labor hour | $70 |
| Total cost | $285 |
Step 3: compare. At $415 the job earns 415 − 285 = $130, a margin of about 31%. If your target is 35%, the price needs to be 285 ÷ 0.65 ≈ $438. You can quote $440, or accept 31% because this house is a strong candidate for a twice-a-year agreement. Either way, you are choosing the margin instead of discovering it.
Now suppose the gutters on the back of the house turn out to be packed solid and the job takes 6.5 crew-hours instead of 5. Labor and overhead rise to $338, total cost to $363, and the margin on $415 falls to about 13%. That is the case for quoting heavy debris as its own line, and for comparing the estimate to the hours actually worked. See how to catch a job going over budget.
Residential vs. commercial gutter cleaning pricing
Residential work is priced per foot or per home, with stories, downspouts, guards, and haul-away as add-ons. Demand is heavily seasonal, with most jobs in spring and late fall, so pricing has to carry the slow months too.
Commercial work, such as retail strips, office buildings, apartment complexes, and HOA properties, usually means longer runs, box gutters, flat or low-slope roofs, and access by lift or roof hatch rather than ladder. It is typically priced per visit under a service agreement, with insurance certificates and site rules that add real time. Build the price from crew-hours per visit plus a share of overhead, and put the frequency in writing. Commercial vs residential contracting covers the wider differences in terms, payment, and paperwork.
Pricing recurring gutter cleaning
Gutter cleaning is one of the easiest services to put on a schedule. Most homes need it at least once a year and many need it twice, after spring seed drop and after leaf fall. A recurring customer costs nothing to win again, and a crew that already knows the house works faster.
A modest discount for a standing schedule is common. Keep it smaller than the time you actually save: if a second visit in the same year takes 20% less time because the gutters never got packed, a 10% discount leaves you ahead. A 25% discount does not. Write the frequency, scope, and price into the agreement. See recurring maintenance contracts for how to structure it.
Quoting so the customer says yes
A gutter cleaning quote should list what is included, line by line: the measured footage and story, downspout flushing, guard work, and haul-away, with the price for each. Line items show the customer what they are paying for, let them remove a line instead of walking away, and record the measurement your price was based on.
Offering two or three options, for example gutters only, gutters with downspouts flushed and debris removed, and the full service plus a second visit in spring, often raises the average ticket because customers compare options instead of deciding yes or no. See good, better, best quotes. Gutter work is also a natural add-on to exterior washing and window cleaning; see how to price a pressure washing job and how to price a window cleaning job. Then follow up within a day or two; most unsigned quotes are forgotten rather than rejected. See how to follow up on a quote.
Common gutter cleaning pricing mistakes
- No minimum. Short runs lose money once drive and setup are counted.
- Guessing the footage. Measure every house, or take it from the roof dimensions. A 50-foot miss on a two-story home is nearly $90.
- One rate for every story. Second and third stories, and steep pitches, take longer and carry more risk.
- Packed gutters folded into the base price. Quote heavy debris after you have seen it.
- Forgetting disposal. Bags, trips, and green-waste fees are real costs.
- Never checking the hours. If you do not compare quoted hours to actual hours, you cannot tell which houses pay and which do not.
FAQ
How much should I charge for gutter cleaning?
Residential gutter cleaning is commonly quoted around $1 to $2 per linear foot on a single-story home and $1.50 to $3 or more per foot on two stories, with extra for clogged downspouts, guard removal, heavy debris, and haul-away, and a job minimum of roughly $100 to $175. Treat those ranges as a starting point and check every price against your own labor cost and overhead.
How do you calculate gutter cleaning price per linear foot?
Measure the total length of gutter on the house, choose a per-foot rate for the story height, and multiply. Then add separate lines for downspouts, guards, and debris removal. To set the per-foot rate itself, divide your total cost for a typical job, including labor, equipment, disposal, overhead, and target profit, by the footage of that job.
How do I measure gutters for an estimate?
Walk the perimeter and measure each run of gutter, or use the roof's eave lengths from a satellite measurement tool and confirm on site. Count downspouts and note the story height and roof pitch for each section, since those change the time more than the length does.
How long does it take to clean gutters?
A two-person crew can often clean the gutters on a typical single-story home in one to two hours and a two-story home in two to three, before drive time. Packed gutters, steep roofs, and guards can double that. Your own recorded hours from past jobs are the most reliable guide.
Should I charge extra for gutter guards?
Yes. Removing, cleaning under, and reinstalling guards takes real time and carries a risk of damage. Quote it per foot or per job on its own line, and note the guard type on the quote.
Should I charge more for two-story or three-story homes?
Yes. Higher work means slower ladder moves, more setup, and more risk, and it usually carries a higher insurance cost. A per-foot rate that rises with each story, or a separate height line, prices that honestly.
What is a good profit margin for a gutter cleaning business?
Because material costs are minimal, gutter cleaning can support healthy gross margins, and many operators aim for 30% to 50% gross. What matters more than a benchmark is whether each price clears your actual cost. See how to estimate profit margin on a job.
How do I price commercial gutter cleaning?
Commercial work is usually priced per visit under a service agreement. Build the price from crew-hours per visit, including lift or roof access, site check-in, and safety requirements, plus a share of overhead, then set the frequency in writing.
Getting started with CRMb
Pricing gutter cleaning profitably comes down to two habits: quote from your real costs, and check each quote against the hours the job actually took. CRMb is built for both.
Enter the footage, apply your rates, and CRMb produces a clean, itemized quote with a public share link the customer can review, approve, and sign from their phone. Twice-a-year customers go on the schedule as repeating jobs. Crew hours punched in Punch land on the job as labor cost, supplies pulled from inventory are costed at average cost, and Reports show the margin on every job against real punched hours, so you can see which houses and routes pay and adjust your rates before the next season.
Start a 14-day free trial and price your next gutter cleaning job from the numbers instead of a guess.