How Often Should Gutters Be Cleaned, and When?

Most homes need gutter cleaning once or twice a year, and spring plus fall, after the leaves are down, is a good starting point. If trees hang over your roof, or you have pines nearby, you’ll probably want it more often. The best schedule for your house is the one that matches what actually lands in your gutters.

Gutters carry roof water away from your house, and they can only do that when they’re clear. Keeping them on a regular schedule helps prevent water damage to the roof, fascia, landscaping and foundation.

How often should gutters be cleaned?

Bob Vila’s gutter guide puts most homes at once or twice a year, with spring and fall usually the best times to do it. From there, adjust for your house:

• Trees over the roof. Mature trees drop leaves, twigs, seeds and blossoms. If branches hang directly over your roof, you may need a cleaning each season, or a check between cleanings.
• Pine trees nearby. Pine needles are narrow enough to slip into small spaces and collect around downspout openings.
• Storms and high wind. Wind carries leaves and branches onto the roof. You don’t need a cleaning after every storm, but it’s worth a look if you see water spilling over the gutters in the next rain.
• Few trees nearby. If your gutters are nearly empty each time they’re cleaned, you can probably go longer between cleanings.

The easiest way to set your schedule is to look at what comes out each time. If your gutters are packed at every cleaning, add one. If they’re close to empty, you can stretch the interval.

Between cleanings, a few things tell you it’s time sooner: water pouring over the edge during rain, a downspout that isn’t draining, a sagging section, or plants growing out of the gutter. Here’s more on the telltale signs your gutters need cleaning.

When is the best time to clean gutters?

Fall matters most in most places. Falling leaves can fill gutters and block downspouts quickly, so a cleaning once most of the leaves are down clears the season’s load before winter. Spring is the other ideal window: it clears out what collected over the winter and gets the gutters ready for spring rain.

Those are the ideal times, but gutters can be cleaned any time of year, and people book at every point in the calendar for good reasons:

• You saw water pouring over the gutters in the last storm.
• You’re getting the house ready to sell, or getting ready to host.
• A windstorm just left a lot of debris on the roof.
• You’ve just moved in and don’t know when the gutters were last cleaned.
• You’re having the roof or windows cleaned and want everything done in one visit.
• You’d simply like it done and off your list.

How the schedule changes depending on where you live

Once or twice a year works for most homes. What fills your gutters, and when the heavy rain arrives, depends on your trees and your climate.

If you live in the Portland area

In Portland, nearly 90 percent of the year’s rain falls between mid-October and mid-May, according to the National Weather Service. Because the wet season starts in mid-October, a fall cleaning once the leaves are down clears the gutters before most of the year’s rain. Pines shed their older inner needles, typically in fall, according to UW–Madison Extension, and those needles tend to collect around downspout openings. With big evergreens over the roof, two cleanings a year may not be enough.

If most of your trees lose their leaves in fall

With maples, oaks and other trees that go bare in autumn, the fall cleaning after the leaves are down is the one that matters most. Spring brings its own load. Ohio State University Extension has noted that once maple seeds drop, the seedlings can sprout in uncovered gutters. A spring cleaning clears seeds before they take root.

If you live in Southwest Florida

Live oaks don’t drop their leaves all at once in fall. According to UF/IFAS, live oak drops its old leaves at about the same time it puts out new ones, and a UF/IFAS Extension office in Central Florida describes local oaks dropping their leaves as their new spring growth comes in. Southwest Florida’s rainy season runs from May 15 to October 15, per the National Weather Service. A cleaning after the oaks finish dropping and before the rainy season starts lines up well with both.

If you live in San Diego

About 85 percent of San Diego’s rain falls from November through March, according to a NOAA climate report. Because most of the year’s rain comes in those few months, the cleaning to prioritize is the one in fall, before the first winter storms.

If you have gutter guards

Guards reduce how much gets into the gutter, but they don’t end maintenance. This Old House notes that small particles like pine needles and roof grit can still build up and should be cleared periodically. Leaves, needles and seeds can also collect on top of guards or work their way underneath. Every so often, check that water still gets into the gutter and drains out of the downspouts.

How often commercial gutters should be cleaned

The same approach works for commercial buildings: set the schedule by the trees around the building and by what turns up at each cleaning. If you manage a property, putting it on a fixed calendar means nobody has to remember it. You can read more about commercial gutter cleaning.

Keeping your gutters on a regular schedule

Regular cleaning is ongoing care for the house, like servicing the furnace. It also keeps each visit to one season’s worth of debris instead of several, and heavy buildup is one of the things that affects how long gutter cleaning takes.

Clearly Amazing’s crews are fully insured, with general liability and workers’ compensation on every crew. You can read more about our gutter cleaning service, or request a free estimate.

Gutter cleaning schedule FAQ

How often should I clean my gutters?

For most homes, once or twice a year, with spring and fall a good starting point. Homes with trees over the roof or pines nearby often need more. Homes with few trees can sometimes go longer. Let what you find at each cleaning guide you.

When is the best time to clean gutters?

In most places, fall after the leaves are down, and again in spring. In Southwest Florida, the rainy season starts in mid-May, so spring, after your oaks finish dropping leaves, is a natural time. In San Diego, fall before the winter rains is the one to prioritize. Any time of year is a fine time to have it done.

Do gutters with guards still need cleaning?

Yes, less often. Fine debris like pine needles and roof grit can still build up on or under guards, so they need occasional cleaning and a check that water is draining.