Anyone who lives in a tree-heavy or wooded area, knows that gutter maintenance is a pain.

Climbing up a ladder and getting the gunk out of gutters isn’t a walk in the park and can be quite dangerous for those who don’t know what they’re doing or aren’t careful.

Hiring a professional can be a smart idea. Homeowners who decide to have someone else handle their headache can expect a professional gutter cleaning cost to start at $150.

For a two-story home, double the cost ($300+) while adding about 20% for complicated rooflines.

Leaf Guards

Leaf guards (or gutter guards) are covers that are designed to fit gutters – blocking debris and keeping rainwater flowing easily through the gutters and down the downspout.

Properly installed gutter guards will prevent leaves and debris from clogging gutters and prevent the need for numerous clean-outs over the years.

Even with guards, gutters still need to be cleaned at least once every two years.

Cost To Install

Hiring a company to install gutter screens can cost around $8 per linear foot on the low end up to $12+ per linear foot for propriety materials.

Most homes have about 200 linear feet of gutters, but some have much more. The overall cost can climb pretty quickly due to your geographic location and the materials used to protect your gutters.

Materials like aluminum or high-end copper can inflate the cost for an install but keep your gutters relatively debris free for a longer period of time.

Albeit the priciest option, a managed service installation with proprietary materials will help keep gutters free-flowing, give the roof line a cool, new look and alleviate the time commitment and personal danger inherent with gutter and roof work.

There are many professional leaf guard services that can help you develop a plan for your home with their own proprietary leaf gutter guards, including national brands like LeafFilter. The benefit to working with a managed installation service is that they will be more likely to help with maintenance in the event that a guard becomes dislodged or clogged.

Is the Cost of Leaf Guards Worth It?

It’s a big investment for sure. As great as gutter guards are, they don’t completely eliminate the need to manually clean your gutters.

Once the leaf guards are properly installed, a gutter cleaning schedule can decrease to once every two years. On the other hand, with gutter guards the bi-annual cleaning is more labor intensive versus a standard gutter cleaning, due to the need for gutter guard removal and re-installation during the cleaning.

But, once every 2 years is a big reduction, especially if the home is in a heavily treed or wooded area.

Gutter Guards + Installation

Assuming $10 per foot x 300 linear square feet:

Total $3,000 + Approximate Sales Tax $187.50 = Grand Total $3,187.50

No Guards - Professional Gutter Cleaning Once Each Year

$350 (gutter cleaning)

Breakeven Date = 9 Years

No Guards - Professional Gutter Cleaning Twice Each Year

$350 (gutter cleaning) x twice a year= $700

Breakeven Date = 4.5 years

9+ years is a long time to recoup an investment, but perhaps your time savings is worth it? Otherwise, from a financial perspective, proprietary leaf guards are probably not worth the cost.

Remember that cleaning gutters with leaf guards is actually pricier and more labor intensive due to the need for proper gutter guard removal and re-installation during the cleaning process. So the added cost of that bi-annual cleaning in addition to the leaf guard materials and installation might not equate.

Other options to consider.

Material Cost

All of the materials below will fit 4, 5 and 6 Inch K-Style Gutters

Plastic Filter Screen: $.70-$1.00 Linear Foot

Designed to keep small debris out of your gutters and eliminate clogs - used with most K-style gutters.

Pros: Inexpensive

Cons: Prone to warping and bending – can be challenging to install. Screen holes tend to be too large to filter smaller debris.

There’s are readily available at Lowe’s or Home Depot. As a homeowner, I would caution that the durability and longevity of these materials might eventually come in to question. Plastic gutter guards might work for a few years, but plastic as a material isn’t very weather resistant. Replacement every few years is labor intensive and not cost effective.

Other gutter professionals agree with our assessment.

Steel Micro Mesh: $1.75-$2.25 Linear Foot

Pros: Affordable and more durable than plastic. Allows for rainwater to better filter in vs. covers and helmets. Good at blocking small pieces of debris

Cons: DIY install can be challenging. Leaves still get caught on the level surface blocking rainwater and will eventually need to be removed by hand. Not the most durable product available on the market. Steel is a heavy material that could weigh down your gutters unnecessarily and cause other problems.

Mesh Aluminum: $1.00-1.50 Linear Foot

Pros: Aluminum gutter guards are also pretty affordable and better at handling high volume water flow

Cons: As with most gutter guards, DIY install can be a challenge. Metal has a limited durability lifetime and can corrode over time. Better option than steel in our opinion.

Vinyl Filter: $1.75-$2.25 Linear Foot

Pros: Better durability than plastic and won’t corrode like metal and steel.

Cons: Vinyl will warp over time

Foam Insert: $3.00-$4.00 Linear Foot

Pros: Great option for DIYers given its easy installation.

Cons: It’s more expensive than it probably should be. It might shift around in windy weather, get moldy over time, and even provide an environment for weeds to grow.

Solid-Surface PVC: $3.50-$6.25 Linear Foot

Pros: Sometimes referred to as gutter helmets, this option is made from PVC and is quite durable. Great for blocking leaves and debris.

Cons: Pricey and doesn’t filter run off water in the gutters as well as some of the other options.

Copper Mesh: $5.00-$6.00 Linear Foot

Pros: Pretty to look at and the most durable metal option.

Cons: Expensive and will still require some leaf removal by hand.

Brush Gutter: $5.00-$6.00 Linear Foot

Pros: A great alternative to a standard leaf guard cover. Almost no installation! Bristles stop birds and pests from nesting and work well with ice and snow in the winter by preventing slush from building up and clogging the gutter.

Con: It’s expensive. The brush material will frequently cause leaves and debris to stick like Velcro. Over time it will slide around, especially in windy weather.

Full-Service Professional Custom Installation with Proprietary Materials: $7.50-$12.00 Linear Foot

Pros: Professionally installed proprietary gutter guards with easy maintenance just a phone call away. You’ll typically get a nice warranty with the install that will often be transferrable to new homeowners if you sell your home.

Cons: Install and cleanings will be pricey since you’ll likely need to call the installer for maintenance.

Are The Best Gutter Guards Worth The Cost?