Gutter cleaning is one of the highest-margin trades a solo operator can start: no inventory, cheap equipment, and a $200 job with about five dollars of cost. The per-job margin is genuinely excellent. But like pressure washing and window cleaning, the annual income runs into two ceilings — the season and the route. Here’s what gutter cleaning really makes.
The per-job margin is excellent
The economics of a single job are about as good as home services get.
A typical residential job takes 45–60 minutes and pays $150–$250, with material costs of just $5–$10 in fuel and equipment wear. That’s a 60–70% gross margin — after drive time and overhead, you keep roughly $160 of a $200 job before tax. Startup is cheap too: $3,000–$15,000 for a gutter vacuum, extension poles, and insurance, with most solos profitable in 3–6 months.
Source: Housecall Pro — Gutter cleaning prices (2026) · checked 2026-07-29
The two ceilings: season and route
Here’s what caps the year despite the great margin. Gutter cleaning is seasonal — demand concentrates in fall leaf season and spring cleanup, so you’re realistically working 8–9 months, not twelve. And like every route trade, drive time between spread-out jobs eats billable hours.
A first-year solo grosses $40,000–$80,000 (net is 50–60% of gross after expenses), depending on market and season length. By year three, with established recurring routes and some commercial contracts, $100,000–$150,000 is achievable — working those eight to nine months. The lever is the same as the other route trades: density, recurrence, and stacking peak-season premium pricing.
Source: Upper — How much a gutter cleaning business makes (2026) · checked 2026-07-29
What lifts the number
- Bundle services. Gutter cleaning pairs naturally with pressure washing and window cleaning — the same customer, the same visit, more revenue per stop. Some operators clear $1,300+ a day combining roof and gutter work.
- Recurring routes. Turn one-off cleans into biannual (fall + spring) recurring accounts to smooth the seasonal swings.
- Premium peak pricing. Charge more during the fall rush when demand spikes.
- Route density. Cluster jobs to cut unbillable drive time.
The one caveat that isn’t in the margin: gutter work means ladders and roofs. It carries real fall risk, which is why insurance is non-negotiable and why the pay reflects a job most homeowners won’t do themselves.
So how much does gutter cleaning make?
- Per job: ~$160 on a $200 job — 60–70% gross margin, ~$5–$10 cost.
- Year 1 solo: $40,000–$80,000; year 3 established: $100,000–$150,000.
- The ceilings are season (8–9 months) and route density.
- Cheap to start ($3k–$15k), profitable in 3–6 months — but it’s ladder-and-roof work.
Gutter cleaning is one of the better low-barrier trades — high margin, cheap startup, and real demand every fall and spring. The catch isn’t profitability per job; it’s the seasonal calendar and the route. Build recurring biannual routes, bundle with pressure washing and windows, and price the peak, and the great per-job margin turns into a strong seasonal income. Just respect the ladder — this is high-margin work partly because it’s high off the ground.
People also ask
How much do gutter cleaners make?
Per job, ~$160 on a $200 clean (60–70% gross margin, ~$5–$10 cost). Annually, a year-1 solo makes $40,000–$80,000, rising to $100,000–$150,000 by year 3 with routes and commercial contracts — working 8–9 months.
Source: Upper — Gutter cleaning income · checked 2026-07-29
Is a gutter cleaning business profitable in 2026?
Yes — gross margins run 60–70% with only $5–$10 in per-job cost, and startup is just $3,000–$15,000. The limiters are the seasonal calendar (8–9 months) and route density.
How much does it cost to start a gutter cleaning business?
About $3,000–$15,000 for a commercial gutter vacuum, extension poles, and insurance. With $150–$250 jobs and low overhead, many solo operators reach profitability within 3–6 months.
How do gutter cleaners make more money?
Bundle with pressure washing and window cleaning (more revenue per stop), build recurring biannual routes, charge premium peak-season pricing, and cluster jobs to cut drive time. Some clear $1,300+ a day combining roof and gutter work.
See it for your own numbers
Every calculator shows revenue. This one shows what lands.
Related on The Tax Cut
- How much does pressure washing really pay? — the natural bundle partner, same high-margin, volume-capped trade.
- Window cleaning profit — another cheap-to-start service where density and recurring contracts rule.
- Pool cleaning route profit — the recurring-revenue version of a route trade.
