Gutter Unblocking and Cleaning Cost

Written by Daniel Woodley. Fact checked by Hannah Miller. Published to Prices. Updated: 5th March 2023.

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I spent 10 years working as a roofing contractor and I’ve seen roof gutters become blocked with everything from toys and tennis balls to weeds, plants and even grass that was initially grass seeds that birds dropped onto the roof.

I’ve seen first-hand how much damage leaking gutters can cause, from damp and water ingress to rot and flaky paint.

Most homes with trees nearby will need a good gutter clearout every year, but some, such as those under large pine trees, may need twice-yearly attention. I even worked for one customer who had me out every couple of months, so bad was the problem with pine needles, moss and leaves.

You have two options:

1. Clear out and unblock the gutters.
2. Clearout/unblock the gutters and clean the exterior of the gutters.

Obviously, option 2 takes longer and costs more.

If you’re looking for a price to clear out and/or clean roof gutters, see my cost guide on this page.

I used to offer a gutter cleaning service to customers, but that was many years ago and before I changed my career and moved into project management.

So, to get an idea of how much the current going rate is, I contacted 28 roofers, guttering companies and cleaning firms to give me prices for both gutter clearing and cleaning.

Here’s a work schedule, this is similar to the paperwork I would give my customers:

• Erect access equipment to the desired work height.
• Unblock and clear out all gutters by removing debris.
• Check gutter joints for leaks and replace them as required for a fee.
• Check rainwater downpipes to ground level and unblock them as required.
• Clean exterior of guttering and rainwater downpipes (optional).
• Remove all waste material.

A typical blocked gutter, I took this photo many years ago.

1) Gutter Unblocking and Cleaning to a Bungalow

Projects don’t get much easier than this; it doesn’t take long to clean gutters to bungalows as no access equipment is required other than a ladder or platform.

Here’s an average of the prices given to me, based on a bungalow with around 25 metres of guttering:

2) Gutter Unblocking and Cleaning to a Semi-Detached House

The prices below are for gutter unblocking and cleaning to a typical semi-detached house with front and rear gutters and maybe a porch or small garage.

This example is based on a semi-detached property with around 20 metres of guttering.

3) Larger Detached House

Gutter cleaning and unblocking prices per metre go down for larger houses as most of the time and cost is in getting setup.

This example assumes there’s a minimum of 70 metres of guttering:

4) 3-Storey Townhouse

Years ago, those living in townhouses would have to pay a fortune to clean their gutters as the roof was so high.

I’ve previously worked on townhouses where full scaffolding was required and it doubled the cost to the customer.

Nowadays, some firms have powerful vacuums attached to long poles – equipment specially built for these high-level tasks.

Based on my experience, I think those living in townhouses can save money by hiring a firm with high-reach equipment rather than a roofer or guttering firm.

About These Prices

I sourced gutter cleaning and unblocking prices from three different types of businesses; roofers, gutter companies and specialist cleaning firms.

The cheapest quotes came from cleaning firms, most of which also had long-reach vacuums.

Gutter installation and maintenance firms’ prices were middle-of-the-road, while the roofers were the most expensive, often by quite a margin.

While I can’t guarantee you’ll get a lower price by choosing a specialist cleaning firm, I feel you should at least source quotes from them for comparison.

(The prices I’ve displayed on this page are averages of all the figures given to me).

High-reach equipment is cheaper and quicker than scaffold. Image from Paxtons Cleaning.

Alternatives/Optional Products

While there is no alternative to a good old-fashioned gutter clean, have you considered installing a gutter guard or filter to stop leaves and twigs from falling into the gutter in the first place?

I’ve fitted hundreds of metres of gutter guards over the years, and I have a tip for you:

Choose a product that is easy to remove and refit because they don’t work 100%, and you’ll still need to have the gutters cleaned out now and again.

I have previous experience with the Gutter Hedgehog, and it worked very well at keeping out larger leaves and twigs.

These products are easy for a pro to install:

I’ve worked on gutters where the customer had a complex gutter filter fitted, it didn’t work very well, was difficult to remove and took quite a bit of time to refit it afterwards, this added to the cost of the project for the customer and in my opinion, wasn’t worth it.

Also, if your gutters are full of moss, do consider getting a pro to remove the moss from the tiles and apply a moss inhibitor chemical (this is the moss inhibitor I used).

Here’s a photo of a roof I took many years ago:

I advised the customer that they could save money in the long run by having the moss removed, rather than paying for the gutters to be unblocked every month or so.

Here’s a photo of what the roof looked like when I started removing the moss:

Get a Custom Price For Gutter Maintenance

The prices on this page are based on prices I received from firms in the UK.

Your property’s cost may differ as no two projects are the same.

Hit the button below and fill in the contact form to get a custom price online:

• Get a price in hours, not days.
• Read reviews and feedback from past customers.
• Compare prices to our figures.

Why Trust Us: Our Experience

The author of this guide, Daniel, previously worked in the roofing industry, and it was the first trade he learnt.

However, as part of his research, he sent out price requests to gutter cleaners, roofers and other specialists in the UK.

The gutter cleaning prices on this page are an average of the figures provided.

Here’s a quote from Daniel:

When I worked as a roofing contractor, I offered gutter cleaning services but often found that I was being undercut by cleaning firms who had lower overheads and equipment that could do the job in half the time. If you’re looking for the cheapest quote, that will probably come from a specialist cleaner rather than a gutterer or a roofer. I’m also confident that you can reduce the frequency of gutter cleaning by having the moss removed from the roof.

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