Gutter Guard Calculator
Enter your gutter run and what cleanings cost you. The calculator prices the guard install, finds the break-even year, and shows the ten-year net - without a sales call.
Gutter guard marketing promises never touching a ladder again; the honest version is that guards turn two cleanings a year into one rinse every year or two. Whether that trade pays depends on three numbers you already know: your run length, your cleaning bill, and how long you will stay in the house.
How to use
- Gutter run in feet - around the whole roofline, both stories.
- What each cleaning actually costs: a service quote or your Saturday priced honestly.
- Cleanings per year - two is typical under deciduous trees, one without. Updates live.
Frequently asked questions
Are gutter guards worth the money?
At about 8 dollars a foot installed DIY and 300 dollars a year in cleanings, they break even in 4 to 5 years and last 15 to 20 - worth it for most tree-surrounded homes. Bare-roof homes with one cheap cleaning a year may never catch up; the calculator answers it for your numbers instead of an average.
How much do gutter guards cost per foot?
DIY micro-mesh material runs 4 to 8 dollars per foot; professional installation with the premium product runs 10 to 20. The expensive part of two-story installs is the labor and ladder risk, not the mesh - price that honestly before deciding to self-install.
Do gutter guards eliminate cleaning completely?
No - and any pitch that says so is the expensive kind. Pine needles, shingle grit and seed pods still accumulate on top or through the mesh; plan on a rinse or a brush-off every year or two instead of a full gutter scoop twice a year.
Which type of gutter guard works best?
Micro-mesh, by a wide margin - it keeps out pine needles and even shingle grit while letting water through. Foam inserts clog and grow plants in the gutter, and reverse-curve handles heavy rain poorly at the cost of hiring the installer back. The calculator uses the micro-mesh material price.