The short answer
Gutter cleaning is normally priced per visit. The sum rises with the amount of gutter, the storeys involved and the difficulty of reaching the eaves. A bungalow reached from a ladder costs less than a tall terrace needing a tower. We have no sourced national range for cleaning alone, so we price it at the survey and confirm in writing.
What sets the price
There is no single rate for cleaning gutters, because the work is mostly about reaching them and the amount of gutter to clear. Four factors set the figure.
- Length of run. A small semi-detached house has far less gutter than a detached house with a rear extension and an outbuilding.
- Height. A single-storey roof can be reached from the ground or a short ladder. Three storeys cannot, and the equipment and time rise with it.
- Access. A clear driveway is easy. A narrow passage, a walled garden, a conservatory below the gutter or a steep bank slows everything.
- Condition. Moss, silt and compacted debris take longer than a light covering of leaves, and a blocked downpipe adds a job.
The amount of debris matters least. A light covering of leaves on a long run takes minutes to scoop, while a short run packed with compacted moss and silt can take much longer, so we look at both before agreeing a figure. Most of the time on any clear goes on moving equipment safely, which is why two houses that look alike can price quite differently. Seasonal timing plays a part as well. Late autumn, after the leaves have fallen, is a busy period for anyone who clears gutters, so booking early in the month, or choosing a mild spell in spring, gives you a better choice of dates.
House type and access in practice
The type of house tells us most of what we need to know before a survey, and it is the first thing we ask when someone calls.
Bungalows and low extensions are the simplest, since the gutter is at eaves height and can be cleared from a stable ladder. Standard two-storey semis and detached houses need a longer ladder with stand-offs, which keep the ladder clear of the gutter so it cannot be crushed. Terraces mean a long continuous run, sometimes shared with neighbours, and a back elevation that may only be reachable via the house or a side passage. Our page on a cast iron guttering covers the older properties where gutters are heavy metal and need gentler handling.
Three-storey townhouses and tall Georgian frontages, common in parts of Bath, usually need a tower or a platform. Where scaffold is the only safe way, it is the biggest cost, and it may not be worth putting up for a clear alone. One national guide gives scaffold at about £20 to £40 per square metre (MyBuilder, 2026), which is why we try to combine cleaning with any repairs that need the same access.
What national figures say, and what they do not
Published cost guides are better on replacement than on cleaning. The MyBuilder guide to gutter, fascia and soffit work (2026) gives typical UK ranges for new work, listed below. They are not cleaning prices, but they show the scale of the larger job that cleaning sometimes uncovers.
| Item | Typical UK range |
|---|---|
| New guttering, per metre | £30 to £70 |
| Fascia, per metre | £80 to £150 |
| Soffit, per metre | £100 to £180 |
| Scaffold, per square metre | £20 to £40 |
These are typical ranges reported by MyBuilder (2026), not Empire prices. A figure for cleaning alone was not available from a source we trust, which is why no figure for it appears here. After the survey, your own price is fixed in writing.
When cleaning turns into a repair
A clear often shows up something that was hidden. Once the channel is empty, you can see cracked sections, joints that weep, brackets that have rusted, and low spots where water lay.
A slow drip at a union is a minor fix, covered in our answer on a leaking gutter joint. Repeated overflow after a thorough clear points elsewhere, which our page on why gutters overflow explains. Soft fascia boards behind the run are a bigger matter, and rotted boards need replacing, as described in our guide to fascia board replacement.
We tell you what we found, with photographs, and price any extra work separately so that the decision stays with you. A clear that reveals nothing serious ends there, and you are only charged for the clear. If we do find something, it is photographed from the ladder and shown to you before any further work is agreed. We do not turn a clear into a replacement unless the gutter has failed.
Getting a price you can compare
Ask for a quote that states exactly what is included, such as both sides of the house, the downpipes, flushing with water, and disposal of the debris. Check that access is covered, since a low quote that leaves out the tower may grow later.
Be wary of cleaners who quote over the phone without any detail about height or access. A good quote asks how many storeys, whether there are extensions, and whether the back is reachable. Be wary, too, of anyone who recommends new gutters before they have cleared the old ones. A blocked gutter looks far worse than it is, and a clear plus a test with water shows quickly whether the run is failing or just full.
For a price on your house, we visit free of charge and photograph the roofline, and the price you receive is fixed and in writing. Full details of the work are on our gutters, soffits and fascias service page. Debris is bagged and removed, and the site is left clear.
