What should a gutter-cleaning service include?

Turn gutter cleaning into a written service: included runs, downspout checks, safe access, approved extras, discharge findings, and photo closeout.

“Clean the gutters” is not a complete service scope. The quote should name every roofline included, how downspouts will be checked, what minor adjustments are allowed, where debris goes, and what proof you receive before final payment. This guide is for hiring and closing out the work, not for sending a homeowner up a ladder.

Prepare a ground-level problem list

Walk the property in daylight with both feet on stable ground. Number each gutter run and downspout on a simple sketch. Photograph visible overflow marks, sagging sections, leaking joints, loose or missing extensions, staining, erosion, ponding, and discharge that returns toward the house or crosses a walk. Add observations from a safe rain if available. Do not climb, lean from a window, walk the roof, or test overhead wiring clearances yourself.

Send the same sketch and photos to every bidder. Note guards, screens, unusually high sections, additions, steep roofs, conservatories, buried drain connections, and areas a contractor may not be able to access. That turns “whole house” into a checkable list.

Require five lines in the service quote

• Included runs, valleys, outlets, downspouts, guards, and detached structures.
• Debris removal method, property protection, bagging, hauling, and cleanup.
• How each downspout will be checked and what happens if a blockage cannot be cleared without disassembly or buried-line work.
• Minor work allowed without a change order, such as reconnecting an elbow, versus repairs that need separate approval.
• Before-and-after photos, exception notes, and the person authorized to approve added work.

My opinion: a photo-backed exception is more valuable than a vague promise that everything “flowed fine.” Ask the contractor to distinguish debris removal from gutter repair, roof repair, fascia work, drainage correction, and underground pipe clearing. Do not let a cleaning authorization quietly expand into replacement.

Ask how the contractor will control access risk

You are not writing the contractor's safety program, but the quote should account for height, slope, surfaces, weather, power lines, public paths, and equipment access. OSHA's portable-ladder guidance says ladders should be inspected before use, placed on stable and level surfaces unless secured, and kept away from electrical hazards. It also calls for three-point contact while climbing and a base set one-quarter of the ladder's working length from the wall for the proper angle.

Those specifics are a reason to hire competent help, not a homeowner ladder tutorial. Confirm licensing and insurance where required, who supervises the crew, how occupants and pets are kept out of the drop zone, and whether conditions can postpone the visit. Roof walking, improvised bases, wet or icy access, and work near energized lines are stop conditions.

Trace the discharge after cleaning

Ask the contractor to identify where each downspout ends and to report overflow, leakage, a blocked underground connection, erosion, or water returning toward the building. EPA notes that redirecting downspouts to a planted area can reduce runoff, but it also warns that disconnection does not fit every site; local rules and the new outlet must be checked to avoid property damage or unsafe conditions. A cleaning crew should not redirect water onto a neighbor, icy path, unstable slope, septic area, or foundation without an approved scope.

Close out one run at a time

Match the finished photos to the numbered sketch. The closeout should show debris removed, outlets addressed, guards restored, visible damage, inaccessible sections, downspout results, cleanup, and any follow-up trade. Save the invoice and images with the next observation date. Use the gutter and drainage check later to watch the route from the ground; cleaning is complete only when the service record says what was done and what remains unresolved.