How often should gutters be cleaned?

Clean your gutters at least once a year, and more often if trees grow close to the house. The Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, in Fairfax County, puts it plainly: gutters should be cleaned of debris at least once a year, and more often if you have trees close to your house.^[1] Beyond that baseline, the trees over your roof decide how many more cleanings you need.

The reason to keep to a schedule is volume. A few inches of rain on a roof can produce several thousand gallons of runoff,^[5] and a clogged gutter drops all of it along the foundation instead of carrying it away.

Set your schedule by your trees

How often you need to clean depends mostly on what grows over the roof:

• No trees close to the house: at least once a year, the district's baseline. Late fall, after the leaves are down, is a sensible time for it.
• Trees close to the house: more often than once a year, as the district advises. Trees that overhang the roof drop seeds, blossoms and catkins in spring as well as leaves in fall, so check the gutters after each drop and clean when you see debris building up.
• Pines: needles mat into gutters and screens, so check in spring and fall and clean when you see them building up.

Time the main cleaning for late fall

For the main cleaning of the year, waiting until most of the leaves are down usually works best, since gutters cleaned too early can fill again with the last leaves. Federal building guidance adds a reason for houses in cold and very cold climates: make sure the gutters are clean as winter approaches, or fit screen leaf guards, so they drain and do not fill with water that could freeze.^[2]

Signs you are behind schedule

You do not have to climb a ladder to tell when gutters need cleaning. The district notes that streaks or watermarks on the outside of the gutters and downspouts, and erosion along the drip line, mean the gutters are overflowing when it rains and need cleaning.^[1] Other signs:

• Water spilling over the front in an ordinary rain, or no water coming out of a downspout.
• Plants or grass growing out of the gutter, which means soil has formed in it.
• A gutter that sags, or one that is pulling away from the fascia under the weight.

If the gutters look clean, watch them in a normal rainstorm: spillover from a clean gutter points to an undersized system,^[1] which more cleaning will not fix. See why gutters overflow.

Summer: standing water and mosquitoes

A gutter that stays wet through the summer is a mosquito nursery. Fairfax County's Health Department lists roof gutters and downspout extensions among the places that hold standing water,^[3] and notes that mosquitoes live in standing water for at least a week before they start flying.^[3] It suggests you check your yard once a week for containers holding standing water,^[3] and a quick look at the gutters fits that habit. A gutter that holds water days after a rain is clogged or has lost its slope.

Do gutter guards change the schedule?

They help, but they do not end the job. The district says: "Installing gutter guards can help reduce the frequency of gutter cleaning needed."^[1] Guards and screens still need attention themselves: screens on downspouts need regular cleaning to keep the downspouts from clogging.^[2] Many guards shed big leaves but collect seeds and grit on top or let fine debris through, so plan to rinse them and check underneath when you would otherwise have cleaned.

Guards have two other benefits worth knowing. Without them, leaves, pine needles and other plant debris left in gutters can dry out and become fuel for wind-borne embers or flames from a wildfire,^[2] which matters for homes backing onto woods. And leaf guards over gutters also discourage animals from nesting in the debris.^[2] To compare options, see gutter guards on Loclis.

Keep the bottom end working too

Each cleaning is a good time to check the other end of the downspout. Splash blocks get kicked aside and extensions get buried in mulch, and then the water you worked to move ends up against the foundation anyway. The district recommends a splash block or extension at each downspout to carry the flow away from the foundation wall.^[1]

Stop and call a pro if

• The gutters are on a second storey, or reaching them would mean getting on the roof.
• Gutters overflow even when they are clean.
• A section sags, leaks at the seams or is pulling away from the fascia.
• Ice has built up in the gutters or along the roof edge.
• A ladder position would bring you or the ladder near a power line or the service wire to the house. Keep clear of every wire. Metal ladders must not be used on or near electrical wires.^[4]

To do it yourself, read how to clean gutters safely from a ladder; to weigh hiring it out, see whether paying for gutter cleaning is worth it. You can also browse gutter cleaning, exterior pros around Blacksburg and the other exterior answers. If a cleaning turns up damage, describe the gutter repair once and licensed local businesses quote it.