Is Professional Gutter Cleaning Worth It? 11 Reasons Why It Is

For some homeowners, the idea of cleaning their gutters sounds like a big chore - and it can be. Depending on whether or not your home has two stories, the length of your gutter system, and how much debris or snow and ice is present, cleaning the gutters yourself can either be a fairly easy job or a very difficult one. 

In this article, we will review the top eleven reasons why professional gutter cleaning is worth it rather than handling the job yourself. Let’s start with the most obvious one!

Cleaning Gutters Takes Time

If cleaning the gutters on a Saturday is your idea of fun - then go for it! For most homeowners, though, gutter cleaning is a chore that takes time away from more fun activities.

For those homeowner DIY’ers who are willing to clean their gutters, they either have an easy job or a difficult job ahead of them. The easiest gutter cleaning jobs are for single-story homes with basic box-shaped roof outlines, minimal gutter debris, and few to no obstructions near their gutters.

In this perfect scenario, a homeowner who isn't afraid of climbing up a ladder can probably complete the job in less than two hours, not including pickup and removal of the debris.

For the more complicated gutter cleaning jobs involving lots of debris, gutters on a second story, or tree limb obstructions, negative thoughts about cleaning the gutters is understandable. It’s Saturday, after all. There’s a game on! Hiring a professional gutter cleaner is worth it for the homeowner interested in saving time.

Gutter Cleaning Requires a Ladder and Sometimes Walking On the Roof

For those that shy away from heights or just generally don’t like the inherent risk of climbing ladders, hiring professional gutter cleaning is definitely worth it. Professional gutters cleaners have the equipment to be able to reach your second story with ease and are experienced walking on roofs - including very steep ones - when needed.

In ice and snow conditions, ladder climbing is particularly risky so hiring a professional with the experience to handle these circumstances can be a big relief vs. doing the gutter cleaning yourself.  

Snow & Ice in Gutters is Particularly Difficult to Remove

Speaking of snow and ice, winter weather can create real problems for your gutter system due to the sheer weight and blockages snow and ice can cause. This creates a unique challenge when cleaning.

If you feel secure using a ladder and don’t mind being out in the cold weather, you may still be faced with large amounts of snow that has to be scooped out - a tiring, back-breaking exercise indeed! And then there is ice, which has to be broken up in such a way that damage is not caused to your gutter system.

If you want to stay cozy inside, it is worth hiring a professional gutter cleaner who is used to moving large amounts of snow and has the technique down for removing ice, including those disastrous ice dams. 

Navigating Tree Limbs Can be Cumbersome

Some homeowners have beautiful foliage near their homes that results in trees and tree limbs very close to or hanging over their roof. While great for sheltering your home, these obstacles make it difficult to clean gutters easily. Close trees and limbs also contribute to large amounts of debris in the form of fallen leaves, twigs, seed pods, and blossoms.

Professional gutter cleaners are used to navigating these challenges and will ensure that even the most clogged gutters are completely cleaned out. 

Sometimes, You Have to Contend with Animals

Animals, such as birds, small rodents, insects and even snakes, may make a home in your gutters. Knowing what to do with either live animals in their nest, or the carcasses of dead animals who end up in your gutters, makes hiring a professional gutter cleaner worth it.

This will also prevent you from getting bit, stung, or even surprised when a head pops up unexpectedly while you are scooping out debris with your hands.

This is a great time to remind all the DIYers out there - always wear gloves when cleaning your gutters!

Would You Know What to Do with Damaged Gutters?

Damage can occur to your gutter system caused by extreme weather, clogging, animals, fallen tree limbs, and even little boys’ baseballs.

Hiring a professional will give you peace of mind that any damage will be identified and dealt with quickly.

Cracked, sagging, broken and fallen gutters are all things a professional gutter repair service can assist with, making sure that your gutter system is in tip top shape for the next season.

Professional Gutters Cleaners Are Thorough

Hiring a professional will provide you with the fastest and cleanest gutter cleaning. While homeowners can clean their own gutters under most circumstances, professionals will save the homeowner time and provide the most thorough cleaning job.

Most homeowners may not realize that gutter cleaning is not just simply scooping out leaves and debris. Gutter cleaning also involves washing out your gutters and downspouts to remove any pollen or mildew buildup. Washing also ensures that your complete gutter system is working as intended. This extra step makes hiring a professional well worth it.

Professional Gutters Cleaners Are Experienced

Besides identifying damaged gutter issues, professional gutter cleaners will also detect any water damage that may occur due to damage or excessive clogging. Water damage can appear on the roof itself, in the corners of our home, the exterior walls, and even the foundation. Professional gutter cleaners have the experience to spot these issues so that you can deal with them before they become an even bigger problem.

It is worth hiring a professional gutter cleaning to take advantage of not only their skills in completing the job, but their experience having worked on hundreds or even thousands of homes.

Professional Gutters Cleaners Are Insured

It can be concerning to have someone else work on your home. What if something goes wrong? What if they fall off of the ladder? WIll I be sued? What if they accidentally damage my gutters? Who will pay for that?

Professional gutters cleaners hold contractors insurance to cover events such as these. As the homeowner, you should always work with a professional gutter cleaner that is insured so that you don’t have to worry about any unexpected misfortunes.

What Happens to All That Gutter Debris Once It’s Removed?

One of the great things about hiring a professional gutter cleaner is that they will pick up and take away with them all of the debris that they remove from your gutters. Not only does this save you time from having to complete that part of the chore yourself, you don’t have to figure out how to bag or dispose of it all.

Professional Gutter Cleaning is Not Expensive

Some homeowners choose to clean their own gutters to save them the expense of paying a professional. The good news is, hiring a professional gutter cleaner is not expensive at all.

Because professionals are experts with the ability to efficiently complete the job, the expense is minimal to the homeowner.  

Looking to Hire a Professional Gutter Cleaner? Contact Ned Stevens

If you have clogged gutters and don't want to clean them yourself, Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning of Long Island is happy to help you. We’ve been serving homeowners in Nassau County and Suffolk County since 1965 offering by request as well seasonal gutter cleaning cost-saving options. 

Contact us today for your gutter cleaning, gutter repair, gutter replacement, and gutter guard needs.