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Key takeaways:
It costs $130 to $2,800 to install gutter guards.
Labor can account for up to two-thirds of the total cost of gutter installation.
Gutter length, type of gutter guard, location and the complexity of your home all impact cost.
Gutter guards are worth it to protect your home from clogged gutters and, therefore, water damage.
Adding gutter guards to your home is one way to lower the annual cost of hiring someone to clean them or avoid the chore of cleaning them yourself. You can expect to pay an average of $1,300 to have gutter guards professionally installed on your home.
Prices can range from as little as $130 for basic plastic screen guards to $700 for foam guards and up to $2,800 or more for micromesh gutter guards. The price depends on the gutter guards you choose, where you live, the linear footage of your roofline and the height of your roof.
- Low-end cost: $130
- National average cost: $1,300
- High-end cost: $2,800
Factors that affect the cost of gutter guard installation
Numerous factors go into what you’ll pay for gutter guards. They include the length of the gutters, gutter type, your location and your roof’s height.
Gutter length
The longer the gutters, the higher the cost. Professional installation ranges from $3 to $11 per linear foot. For a house with 200 linear feet of gutters, you will pay between $600 and $2,200.
Gutter guard type
Gutter guards come in six types that vary in cost, effectiveness and durability. Price is an important factor, but “don’t overlook durability,” said Chris Counahan, the president of LeafFilter Gutter Protection. He suggests springing for the additional cost of steel screen gutter guards because they last longer than the more affordable vinyl and sponge options.
|
Price per linear foot of material
|
Cost for 200 linear feet of material
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Brush | $2.75 - $3.75 |
$550 - $750 |
| Foam | $2 - $3.50 |
$400 - $700 |
| Gutter helmet | $3.75 - $7 |
$750 - $1,400 |
| Mesh | $1 - $2.75 |
$200 - $550 |
| Micromesh | $1.50 - $3.50 |
$300 - $700 |
| Perforated aluminum | $1 - $3 |
$200 - $600 |
| Plastic | $.35 - $1.25 |
$70 - $250 |
| Steel screen | $1.25 - $3.25 |
$250 - $650 |
*Cost is for materials only. Labor will add up to 60% more to the total cost.
The gutter types are:
- Screen: Screen gutter guards are made from sheet metal or plastic. They are easiest for DIYers to install and are among the most affordable options. However, they won’t keep out smaller debris, such as pine needles.
- Mesh: Mesh gutter guards have a metal screen and block smaller debris better than screen guards.
- Micromesh: Micromesh gutter guards have super fine holes that can keep even the smallest debris from passing through, including grains from shingles.
- Surface tension: Also called gutter helmets, surface tension gutter guards have a heavier gauge sheet metal. They’re among the most effective and durable guards, but they’re expensive and require professional installation.
- Brush: This type of gutter guard sits inside the gutter, blocking out leaves and other larger debris. It’s cheap and easy to install but won’t keep pine needles out and will require more maintenance than other types.
- Foam: As with brush guards, foam gutter guards are easy to install but aren’t as durable as other gutter guard types and require more maintenance.
“If you live in a heavy rain region, such as the Pacific Northwest, you may need a gutter guard with a wider mesh design that allows for a higher volume of rain to filter through the gutter guard,” said Cullen Rodgers, the product development manager at Gutterglove Inc. “If you live in the Southeast and are surrounded by pine trees, you will want a gutter guard with a tighter filtration design that can keep pine needles out of the gutter.”
Home height
How high your gutters are off the ground affects the cost of installation. Crews will charge more if they scale tall extension ladders to reach rooflines on a second or third story.
Installation labor
Labor is the most significant part of the cost of installing gutter guards. You’ll pay between $1 and $9 per linear foot for labor, depending on your location, the type of gutter guard, and the installation’s complexity. Some companies calculate your labor cost at 60% of the project cost.
The type of gutter you choose affects labor price. For example, you’ll pay more to install complex helmet-style gutter guards than you will for screen gutter guards that have an easier installation process.
Location
As with many home improvement projects, location plays a key role in the cost of gutter guard installation. Labor and materials cost more in areas with a higher cost of living.
Additional costs associated with gutter guard installation
- Gutter repair: It doesn’t make sense to install guards over damaged gutters. If your gutters are leaking or sagging, you need to fix them before installing gutter guards, which will add to the overall cost. Counahan said homeowners should be prepared to pay more if sections of gutters need to be repaired or replaced or if existing guards need to be removed.
- Gutter cleaning: Before installing gutter guards, your gutters should be completely clean of debris, mold and moss. You can clean them yourself or hire a professional gutter cleaning service.
Pros and cons of gutter guards
Pros
- Fewer clogs: Gutter guards prevent debris from filling your gutters, preventing clogs that can cause water to overflow and puddle around your foundation or backflow into the roof and fascia.
- Fewer cleanings: By far, the biggest advantage of gutter guards is that you won’t have to clean your gutters as often. That saves you money, time, risk and effort.
- Extended gutter lifespan: Gutters filled with debris sag, rust and deteriorate more quickly. Gutter guards extend the life of your gutters by keeping leaves, twigs, shingle grains and other debris away.
Cons
- Upfront investment: While you can make back the cost of gutter guards with the savings they provide from fewer cleanings, they will set you back hundreds or thousands of dollars upfront.
- Annual cleaning: You won’t have to clean out your gutters, but you will occasionally have to brush debris off the top of the guards. Choosing a good design can help minimize maintenance. “Gutter guards with a flat-installed design can collect debris and require more routine maintenance,” Rodgers said. “Choosing a gutter guard with a sloped design that encourages the natural shedding of debris can reduce the amount of maintenance required.”
DIY gutter guard installation vs. hiring a professional
While installing gutter guards yourself can save you a lot of money, it’s not an easy project. There’s a reason labor can account for up to two-thirds of the project’s cost.For example, the cost of materials to install 200 linear feet of mesh gutter guard may cost $400 to $1,900 for materials but $300 to 2,000 for labor.
While saving money with a DIY project sounds appealing, understand the project. You’ll have to buy one if you don’t already own an extension ladder. You’ll also be working from a ladder to complete the installation, which poses a safety risk.
Plus, if you don’t install your guards correctly, they won’t do their job, costing you more time and money in repairs.
Are gutter guards worth the cost?
Gutter guards have many benefits that make them worth the cost. Without gutter guards, your gutters can clog, causing water to backflow onto your roof, fascia board and siding. That can cause mold growth, roof rot and roof leaks.
Gutter guards also prevent clogs that can cause rainwater to overflow and pool around your home’s foundation. With gutter guards, you won’t have to scale a ladder or pay someone to clean your gutters each year.
While you may save money by doing this job yourself, Counahan said it’s time-consuming, messy and usually not worth the risk of injury.
Bottom line
Adding gutter guards to your home isn’t cheap. You’ll spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to install them on your gutters, but the benefits can make this project worth it. Gutter guards extend the time between cleanings, meaning you’ll have to spend less money or less time and effort to clean them.
The cost of installing gutter guards depends on various factors, including the length of your gutters, the complexity of your roof, where you live and the type of gutter guard you choose to install. While you can save money by completing the installation yourself, given the complexity and danger associated with this project, it’s often better to hire a professional to handle the job.
