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Gutter cleaning cost for a two-story house
Cleaning 180 feet of two-story gutter runs about $135–$360 at HomeGuide's $0.75–$2.00 per linear foot. Richmond Gutter Cleaners lists $200–$400 for a two-story home and $350–$600+ for a large or complex roofline. Ask whether flushing the downspouts and hauling the debris away are in that price, and whether any gutter guards have to come off.
What do published prices include?
| Job, size or area | Published price | Included work and extras | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-story gutters (US guide) | $0.50–$1.50 per linear foot | Basic cleaning labor and supplies for single-story gutters. | HomeGuide: gutter cleaning cost · Published · Checked |
| Two-story gutters (US guide) | $0.75–$2.00 per linear foot | Basic cleaning labor and supplies for two-story gutters. | HomeGuide: gutter cleaning cost · Published · Checked |
| Three stories or more (US guide) | $1.25–$2.50 per linear foot | Basic cleaning labor and supplies for gutters at three stories or higher. | HomeGuide: gutter cleaning cost · Published · Checked |
| Single-story home under 2,000 sq ft (Chicago North Shore) | from $150 per visit | Local starting price, including clearing, flushing and debris removal. | Sparkle Service: Chicago North Shore gutter prices · Published · Checked |
| Two-story home (Richmond, VA) | $200–$400 per visit | Gutter cleaning, downspout flushing and debris removal. | Richmond Gutter Cleaners: Richmond, Virginia prices · Checked |
| Large or complex roofline (Richmond, VA) | $350–$600+ per visit | Complex or large roofline, including gutter clearing, downspout flushing and debris removal; prices can exceed $600. | Richmond Gutter Cleaners: Richmond, Virginia prices · Checked |
Prices are in US dollars. Each row keeps the provider's unit and service area.
Why does a two-story gutter clean cost more?
Height and access. On 180 feet of gutter, HomeGuide's per-foot bands give $90–$270 for a single story, $135–$360 for two stories and $225–$450 for three or more. A second story means a taller ladder, more moves along each run and slower work at the top. A sunroom roof under the eaves, a steep driveway or a side yard too narrow to set a ladder adds time on any house.
What is in the gutter matters too. Dry leaves scoop out fast. Packed wet debris, seedlings rooted in the trough and a clogged outlet take longer, and guards have to be unclipped and refitted section by section.
To check a per-foot quote, measure along the ground under each run with a measuring wheel, add the garage and count the downspouts. At the two-story band, 240 feet is $180–$480.
What should a gutter cleaning quote include?
Every run on the house (plus the garage, if you want it done), the story height, clearing the troughs, flushing each downspout and hauling the debris away. Sparkle Service on Chicago's North Shore includes clearing, flushing, debris removal and photos in its single-story price, which starts at $150 for homes under 2,000 sq ft. Ask whether access charges, tax and the visit minimum are already in the total.
Guard removal and refitting, seam and hanger repairs, brightening the outside face of the gutter and clearing a buried drain line are separate jobs. If the quote does not mention them, assume they are out and ask. When one quote includes flushing and haul-away and another only scoops the troughs, ask the cheaper cleaner what those two items add before you compare.
Is a single-story or short gutter job much cheaper?
Cheaper, but by less than the per-foot math suggests, because every visit has fixed costs: the drive, ladder setup, bagging and cleanup. HomeGuide's single-story band puts 120 feet at $60–$180, while Sparkle Service starts single-story homes at $150. On a short run, the cleaner's minimum or starting price usually sets the bill, so ask for it first.
If you have a detached garage, put it on the same visit. Once the ladders are out, the extra run costs the cleaner far less than a second trip.
What should I ask before booking gutter cleaning?
Send this with photos of each side: Please quote cleaning all gutters on my two-story house, about [length] feet, plus [the detached garage]. Include clearing the troughs, flushing every downspout and hauling the debris away. The photos show [guards, a sunroom roof, a steep driveway]. Do the guards have to come off, and is that in the price? Please confirm the total before you set up.
Ask for a photo of any repair the cleaner recommends, and get it priced as its own job. If a downspout feeds a buried pipe that stays clogged after flushing, ask what clearing the line would take and decide on that separately.
Frequently asked questions
How often should gutters be cleaned?
Book a clean after the leaves are down in fall, and add a spring visit if trees drop seeds and blossoms on the roof. Water spilling over the front edge in rain, or plants growing in the trough, means the gutters are overdue.
Do I need to be home for gutter cleaning?
No, as long as the gates are unlocked, the outside faucet works and cars are clear of where the ladders go. Ask for before-and-after photos; Sparkle Service includes them in its price.
Do gutter guards make cleaning cheaper?
Not always. Shingle grit and fine debris still build up on and under guards, and taking them off and refitting them adds labor. Ask which sections come off and what that adds to the total.
Sources
- HomeGuide: gutter cleaning cost · Published · Checked
Gutter cleaning by measured length and story count, including basic labor and supplies.
- Sparkle Service: Chicago North Shore gutter prices · Published · Checked
Chicago North Shore starting prices for homes under 2,000 sq ft. Gutter clearing, flushing, debris removal and photos included.
- Richmond Gutter Cleaners: Richmond, Virginia prices · Checked
Richmond, Virginia, gutter cleaning, downspout flushing and debris removal, with separate prices for single-story, two-story and complex homes.
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