Gutter Cleaning Costs

Gutter Cleaning is a vital task in any building, keeping your rain gutters functional and your house safe. In this guide from Coastal Drains, a drainage company operating across the South East, we’ll explore the necessity of cleaning gutters, the varying nature of gutter cleaning costs, and the costs of gutter repair and replacement.

Why Do You Need Regular Gutter Cleaning?

The rain gutters of a house or building form a vital aspect of its drainage network, transporting water from the roof of a house towards the drains. Over time, gutters can become blocked with debris like leaves and twigs, pooling within the guttering and the downpipe, sometimes called the downspout. This can cause water to back up over the side of your gutter, and in extreme cases block your downpipe. The effects of this range from aesthetic to structural, with smaller issues like mould on your internal and external walls, ranging up to cracking and structural faults from the water damage. These are serious issues, with a hefty price tag to repair, justifying the regular gutter cleaning costs.

How Often Should You be Scheduling Gutter Cleaning?

Our recommendation for houses that are not specifically at risk (for instance, those directly underneath trees), would be to schedule a regular gutter cleaning yearly, probably during autumn to remove any freshly fallen leaves. Obviously, if you suspect that your rain gutters are currently blocked, and see signs such as pooling or dripping water around them, then you will want to schedule a gutter cleaning service more imminently.

What Does Gutter Cleaning Consist of?

The specifics of your service will depend on the company you hire, but are likely to involve equipment like gutter vacuums and pressure washers, with unique nozzles designed to be used from the ground level and to stretch into the gutters. These will allow professional gutter cleaners to remove all debris from within your guttering and to wash away dirt, leaving them in great condition. 

More difficult blockages with the downpipe can sometimes be shifted with water, but in other cases may require sections of the downpipe to be removed, cleaned through, and then reattached. These additional jobs will raise the gutter cleaning costs.

What Are the Average Gutter Cleaning Costs?

Most drainage companies will give you a set upfront quote for their gutter cleaning prices, and it’s worth ensuring that there are no hidden fees such as callout charges within this quote, in order to fully understand how much you will be paying. When hiring someone to clean your gutters, the estimate you get will probably be based on a couple of factors, the length of guttering on your property and the difficulty of access to your guttering. 

There may be additional costs depending on the condition of your gutters, as necessary repairs may be needed depending on their age. For most houses, there will be a minimum fee of around £40-£50 to make the job worthwhile. This means that for smaller houses or flats this will be the price you will likely end up paying. For larger buildings such as semi-detached houses that number can easily climb to £100, with the largest houses attracting costs of about £150. 

Houses that are too large to be reached with traditional tools from the ground floor, such as some three stories, or more complex buildings, will require the installation of scaffolding on your property to clean. This will affect the cost, as explained later.

What is the Average Gutter Cleaning Cost per Metre?

Depending on your area in the country you’ll be looking at a rough estimate of £4-£5 per metre of guttering, though as established smaller houses will usually be charged a minimum cost. Gutter cleaning is a job that is performed with specialist equipment, but regular cleaning is not usually a time-consuming job. There are additional jobs on guttering, with an exterior clean adding an additional £2.50 to £3 per metre in costs, and additional charges for repairs, as explained below.

Are There Occasions Where Gutter Cleaning Costs Might Rise?

Gutter cleaning will come with a higher price tag for taller buildings, which will require scaffolding or a cherry picker in order to reach the gutters of your property. This is likely to at a minimum double the gutter cleaning cost, and make it a more time-consuming process. In situations where your gutters are more complicated, or where the blockages are more severe there can be additional costs for labour, such as if all sections of a downpipe or downspout will need to be removed. 

Can I Clean Gutters Out Myself?

While it is possible in some cases to clean gutters out in your own home, without specialist equipment it will likely be a time-consuming process involving working on ladders at height, and it is also a delicate operation that could risk damaging gutters. There are various gutter cleaning products available for sale that can make it a more comfortable job, but in a lot of cases, it may be easier to hire a professional. Any damage caused to your guttering will potentially stop them from working effectively, requiring costly repair or replacement work.

What is the Typical Cost of Gutter Repair?

Similar to blockages, damaged or broken guttering is not fit for purpose and needs to be fixed as soon as possible. Many gutter cleaning companies, such as Coastal Drains, will also offer gutter repair services when your gutters are not in a good condition. There are different aspects of a guttering system that may need repair, though it’s worth noting that in the case of UPVC guttering, “repair” will essentially involve replacing the damaged components. Depending on the damage, this could be parts of the guttering, the downpipe, the brackets, or the end caps. Below are estimates for parts and labour within a larger job. Sometimes this can be combined with the gutter cleaning costs, to fully restore your current gutters. As with the normal gutter cleaning jobs, should this require scaffolding it will likely cost more.

Gutters built from other materials may have their own repair techniques. Metal gutters, for instance, can often be repaired with sealants, meaning that parts of your guttering system will not necessarily need to be replaced.

Is it Worth Installing Downpipe Filters?

Downpipe filters are used to filter water from your downpipe into a water butt. The filter will move solid objects such as leaves, dirt, and insects into your drains, whilst moving the water into the tank. This can be a great way to save on water and help the environment, either for gardeners or those looking to grow their own fruits and vegetables. A downpipe filter will cost about £5 and be a quick installation within a guttering network. If looking to take advantage of rainwater within your garden, using a downpipe filter and a water butt can be a sustainable and cost-saving decision.

Is it Worth Installing Gutter Guards?

Gutter guards are designed to attach either over or within your gutter, reducing the amount of larger items that can become trapped in them. Mesh or grids can be used as gutter guards, attached over the top of your guttering. This will stop most leaves and twigs from landing within the gutter, though smaller pieces of debris and dirt can still become stuck, meaning that the need for gutter cleaning will not be completely eliminated. Gutter brushes are placed within the gutters themselves, with sharp hairs sticking out at all angles to keep larger objects from becoming lodged. Installing gutter guards within a typical home will cost between £200-£300.

How Much Does Gutter Replacement Typically Cost?

In some cases, those looking to ensure the longevity of a property, or wanting to avoid a constant stream of small repairs, may look to entirely replace their guttering network, fully installing new guttering, attachments, and downpipes. This will obviously be a more costly process, but can help to give you peace of mind about the long term condition of your gutters. 

This job will take about a day to complete, with a standard semi-detached UK home (with 15 to 20 metres of guttering) costing around £600 to £800 depending on where you are in the country. The cost of guttering itself will normally be second to the cost of having your guttering installed. Houses with unusual roof designs will cost more, as more brackets will be needed and lengths of gutter will have to be cut to size.

Coastal Drains Offers a Low Gutter Cleaning Cost Guarantee

Coastal Drains operates across the South East, performing thorough gutter cleaning at a guaranteed low cost. We offer no-obligation quotes on all work, and will beat any local quote. We also offer gutter repair, and can clean your gutter guards or leaf guards. Our team are professional, friendly, and prompt, able to complete any drainage work needed. To get a low-cost quote for gutter cleaning, contact our team today.