Maintenance ScheduleHome
How often should you clean gutters?
A gutter full of leaves sends water down the walls, into the foundation or under the roof. The spring clean clears winter debris; the autumn clean gets ahead of leaf fall.
The answer
Clean gutters at least twice a year, in spring and autumn, and again after a storm.
Range: 6 months · checked 6 November 2026
Typical interval
What changes it
- Trees close to the roof: more often in autumn, and after high winds.
- Gutter guards reduce the load but do not remove the need to check.
- Flat or low-pitch roofs and long runs can silt up faster.
- A downspout that overflows or a stain on the wall means clear it now.
Do it
- Work from the ground with a gutter vacuum or a reach tool where you can; use a stable ladder and a second person if you must go up.
- Wear gloves and clear leaves by hand into a bucket, not onto the flower beds.
- Flush the downspouts with a hose and check the water runs away from the house.
- Check the gutter joints and hangers while you are there.
Put it in your schedule
The maker opens with Gutter Cleaning at every 6 months.
No account. The maker keeps the job in your browser and in the link.
Why this interval
The sources below give the full picture. The factors above are the ones that move the interval for most situations.
The range is a starting point, not a rule for every situation. The factors above are the ones the sources name; if your situation is different, use the range and ask a professional where the job needs one.
If you want the job in a schedule with reminders, open the schedule maker with this job already loaded. The how often index has the other jobs.
Gutter Cleaning questions
What changes the interval?
Trees close to the roof: more often in autumn, and after high winds. Gutter guards reduce the load but do not remove the need to check. Flat or low-pitch roofs and long runs can silt up faster. A downspout that overflows or a stain on the wall means clear it now.
Does the app use this interval?
The app’s ready-made schedule uses every 6 months. You can change it on the job.
Where does this come from?
The answer is checked against one primary source, linked under Sources with the date each was read.
Sources
The interval and the factors on this page are checked against this source.
- How to make your home safer and stronger. FEMA.Cleaning gutters at least twice a year. Checked 6 November 2026.