Gutter Cleaning & Guard Installation
Gutter cleaning is the residential service that hand-bags the full debris load, flushes every downspout, repairs popped seams and loose brackets within an existing run, and installs mesh or screen guards cut on-site — single-story or two-story, with minor seam and bracket repair from $109, a single-story full clean at $129, and a two-story at $189. A two-year leaf load packed into the back-corner gutter, one downspout completely blocked at the elbow, and water pouring over the front edge during the last rainstorm into the foundation bed below. Gutter work is the trade for the system that quietly fails for months until a single storm makes the problem visible. Handis works the system top to bottom on every visit.
Service
What Does a Gutter Cleaning & Guard Visit Include?
A Handis gutter cleaning and guard visit is a five-step residential service — hand-bag the full debris load into a contractor bag, disconnect and flush every downspout, repair popped seams and loose brackets within the existing run, install mesh or screen guards cut on-site for a tight fit, and finish with an aluminum-exterior brightening on request, from $109 for a minor repair to $189 for a two-story full clean. Skipping any step means the clean fails inside a season.
Full-Run Hand-Bag Debris Removal
Leaves, pine needles, shingle grit, the occasional tennis ball, a bird nest behind the downspout outlet — we clean the full gutter run by hand into a contractor-grade debris bag, never blow it onto the lawn or the neighbor's roof. Single-story runs from a ladder; two-story runs from an extension ladder with a stabilizer or a ladder-mount tool. Fall leaf load on a heavy-tree property fills a 30-gallon bag per side; that bag goes off-site, not in your yard waste.
Downspout Disconnect & Flush
A clean gutter trough with a clogged downspout still overflows. We disconnect the downspout at the upper elbow where needed, clear the blockage with a flexible auger or a flush, reconnect, and run water through the full line from the gutter to the splash block. Most overflow problems we find are at the downspout outlet at the bottom, not the trough — a fact most homeowners are surprised by.
Minor Seam & Bracket Repair Within the Existing Run
Popped end-cap seams, loose hidden-hanger brackets, a section that has dropped a quarter-inch and pooled water in the middle, a corner miter that has separated and is dripping onto the siding below. Within an existing run we re-secure brackets with new fasteners into the fascia, seal leaking seams with a gutter-rated tripolymer sealant (not silicone — silicone fails on aluminum within a year), and correct the slope by a hanger or two. A full gutter re-hang or a new run longer than a single replacement section is outside this trade and routes to a gutter contractor.
Mesh, Screen, or Foam Guard Installation Cut On-Site
We install three guard families depending on the roof pitch, the gutter profile, and the tree exposure overhead. Mesh and micro-mesh stop everything down to pine needles and shingle grit (the best filtration; highest cost). Screen guards stop leaves and twigs but pass small debris (mid-range; the most common install). Foam inserts fit any gutter profile without fasteners (fast; the shortest service life). Each section is sized and cut on-site for a tight fit with no exposed gaps at the corners or the downspout outlets — the gap is where the next leaf load starts.
Aluminum Brightening on the Gutter Exterior
Black tiger-stripe streaks on the outside face of aluminum gutters are oxidation, not dirt — a pressure wash alone fades them but does not remove them. We use a gutter-specific oxidation cleaner (Gutter Zap or a citric-acid-based brightener), apply on a soft cloth, dwell five minutes, rinse. The original aluminum finish comes back without painting. Add-on to any cleaning visit.
How Gutter Cleaning & Guard Installation Works
Five sequential steps from the full-run hand-bag through the guard installation — the actual sequence we follow on every Handis gutter visit.
Full-Run Hand-Bag Debris Removal
Leaves, pine needles, shingle grit, and the occasional bird nest are hand-bagged into a contractor-grade debris bag and hauled off-site — never blown onto the lawn or the neighbor's roof. Single-story from a stabilizer ladder, two-story from a 32-foot extension ladder.
Downspout Disconnect & Flush
We disconnect the downspout at the upper elbow where needed, clear blockages with a flexible auger or a flush, reconnect, and run water through the full line from the gutter to the splash block. Most overflow problems trace to the downspout outlet at the bottom, not the trough.
Seam, Bracket & Slope Check
We re-secure loose hidden-hanger brackets with new fasteners into solid fascia, seal popped seams with a gutter-rated tripolymer sealant (never silicone — silicone fails on aluminum within a year), and correct any slope that has dropped a quarter-inch and pools water in the middle.
Guard Installation Cut On-Site (Optional)
Mesh, micro-mesh, screen, or foam guards are sized and cut on-site against the gutter profile for a tight fit with no exposed gaps at corners or downspout outlets. We match the guard family to the roof pitch and the tree exposure overhead.
Photo Set & Walkthrough
Every gutter visit ships a photo set — the debris pile on a drop cloth, the trough before and after, the downspout flush exit point on the ground. You see what we found and what we removed even if you are away during the appointment.
Gutter Cleaning & Guard Pricing
Final pricing depends on gutter linear footage, roof height, and tree exposure. Guard installation is quoted by linear foot for the full run, not by gutter section. Request a free estimate for an accurate quote.
Tell us roof height, gutter length, and tree exposure — we will quote the full visit.
Why Handis for Gutter Cleaning & Guards
Most gutter failures we get called for trace to the same two issues — a downspout the previous service did not flush, and a guard install that left gaps at the corners and the downspout outlets where leaves still get in. After a few thousand gutter visits across single-story ranches, two-story colonials, brick walk-ups, and homes under mature oak and Douglas-fir canopies in the Pacific Northwest, every one of those gaps has a fix in the truck. We bring the right ladders, the right debris-bag count, and the right guard inventory — chosen against your tree exposure on the booking call.
We flush every downspout — most overflows start there
The trough catches debris; the downspout catches the rest at the elbow. A clean trough with a clogged outlet still overflows on the first heavy rain. Every Handis gutter visit ends with a hose-flush from the upper end of each run to confirm water exits at the splash block on the ground — not just a visual check of the trough.
Guards reduce cleaning frequency — they never eliminate it
Mesh and screen guards stop leaves and twigs. They do not stop pollen, shingle grit, pine needles smaller than the mesh aperture, or fine sediment from a windstorm. Properly installed mesh cuts cleaning from twice a year to every two to three years on a typical canopy and to once every three to five years on a sparse exposure. We tell you the realistic schedule on the booking call — not a marketing one.
Safe access on every roof type
Single-story from a 24-foot ladder with a stabilizer arm. Two-story from a 32-foot extension ladder with a ladder-mount stand-off or a fall-protection setup on steeper pitches. Tile roofs and slate roofs do not get walked — we work from the ladder. Every technician follows OSHA-rated ladder protocols and carries personal fall-arrest gear for the steep stuff.
Photos before and after on every visit
Every Handis gutter visit ships a photo set — the debris pile on a drop cloth, the trough before and after, the downspout flush exit point on the ground. You see what we found, what we removed, and what the system looks like now, even if you are away during the appointment. Most pre-listing customers forward the after-set to the realtor.
30-day cleaning guarantee
If a gutter we cleaned clogs within 30 days because of incomplete work — debris we missed, a downspout we should have flushed and did not, a slope we should have corrected — we come back and re-clean at no extra charge. New leaf fall, pollen accumulation, or a storm during the window is normal seasonal debris and outside the guarantee. We will tell you on the call whether a third clean per year makes sense for your tree exposure.
Estimate
Share roof height (single or two story), approximate gutter linear footage, tree exposure overhead, and whether you want guards on the same visit — we will quote it.
Customer Reviews
Recent gutter cleaning and guard reviews from verified customers.
Two-story house under three big oak trees. Gutters had not been touched in probably two years and were packed solid. The tech hand-bagged what felt like 40 pounds of leaves and pine needles, found one downspout completely blocked at the elbow, flushed the whole system, and showed me a clear stream of water out of the splash block at the back corner. About 90 minutes start to finish.
Single-story ranch with micro-mesh guards installed on the front and side gutters. The tech measured every run before cutting, fit the mesh tight at the corners and around every downspout outlet — no exposed gaps. Three years in and we have not had to clean the front gutters once. The back gutter without guards we still do every fall.
Water was pouring over the front gutter during a moderate rain — clearly something wrong but I could not see what from the ground. Tech found a section that had pulled away from the fascia by about a quarter-inch, re-secured the brackets with new screws into solid wood, and sealed two seams that had popped. Fix took about 45 minutes and the next rain stayed in the gutter.
Gary, our last service guy, just blew the gutters out with a leaf blower onto the lawn. The Handis tech hand-bagged everything into contractor bags and hauled it away. The yard stayed clean and I did not have to spend a Saturday raking pine needles off the grass after.
Tiger stripes on the front gutter face were driving us crazy. Tech added the brightening service to our usual fall clean, applied the cleaner, dwelled five minutes, rinsed. The original aluminum finish came back and the curb appeal is back. He warned me oxidation comes back over time but it bought us at least three years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about gutter cleaning and guard installation.