Is Gutter Guard Worth It?
One of the most common questions we get from our customers across the Central Coast is:
“Should I install gutter guard? Or should I just get my gutter cleaning done regularly?”
Like most questions in life, it depends!
So let’s break it down: is gutter guard worth the investment?
How Often Do Your Gutters Need Cleaning?
How often your gutters fill up with leaves and sticks is the biggest deciding factor when considering installing gutter guard.
This is especially important in leafy areas around the Central Coast where many homes are surrounded by places like Ourimbah State Forest and Bouddi National Park.
If You Need Gutter Cleaning 3+ Times Per Year, Do This
If your home needs gutter cleaning three or more times per year, then gutter guard is absolutely worth it.
In these situations, gutter guard will dramatically reduce how often you need to clean your gutters.
It won’t eliminate maintenance entirely, but it can, for example, turn quarterly cleaning into yearly cleaning.
That alone can save you a lot of money over time.
If You Need Gutter Cleaning Twice Per Year
If you currently clean your gutters twice per year, gutter guard becomes more of a borderline decision.
It usually doesn’t make financial sense, but it really depends on what your gutters look like at the six-month mark.
If your gutters mostly contain loose leaves and sticks, then a six-monthly clean is usually perfectly fine. You’re most likely fine without gutter guard.
But if debris is starting to break down into mud and sludge (like the previous photo), it usually means your gutters should be cleaned more often than every six months, maybe every four months.
And in that case, gutter guard starts to make a lot more sense.
Clearing debris from very full gutters in Glenning Valley – the debris has started turning into mud so it had been too long since the previous clean
If You Only Clean Your Gutters Once Per Year
If your gutters only need cleaning once per year, then in most cases you should not install gutter guard.
We have many annual gutter cleaning customers across the Central Coast, and we rarely recommend gutter guard for them.
Why?
Because the installation cost is usually much higher than the long-term cleaning costs.
For example:
- Typical full-service gutter clean for a medium-sized home: around $400
- Gutter guard installation: $2,000–$4,000 for an average home
If you only clean your gutters once per year, it will take many, many years to break even.
In this situation, just get an annual gutter clean. Absolutely the better option price-wise.
Be Careful with Cheap DIY Gutter Guard
Many homeowners consider installing gutter guard products such as:
- Bottle brush gutter guard
- Plastic insert guards (you can buy them in a role from the hardware store)
- Chicken wire
Unfortunately, these products often create more problems than they solve.
They can catch leaves and sticks, causing blockages to happen faster rather than slower. They also make cleaning more difficult when it does come time to clean them.
Instead of preventing debris, they often trap it.
A Real Example
Let’s look at a simple example many Central Coast homeowners experience.
Imagine your gutter cleaning costs $400 and you need it done three times per year.
That’s $1,200 per year.
Over five years, that’s $6,000 in gutter cleaning.
Now compare that with installing proper genuine fixed mesh gutter guard.
Installation Cost: $3500
Annual leaf blow of roof: $275 (our minimum charge).
Total Cost After 5 Years: $4875
You definitely come out ahead after five years. And every year after that is money in your pocket.
And that’s if you need a clean every four months. Many people need a clean every 2-3 months. Then the savings really start happening.
Blue = getting 3 cleans per year at $400 each
Versus
Orange = getting a $3,500 gutter guard system installed and getting an annual $275 clean
Break-Even Point: 4 year mark
Savings = $6,000 vs $12,000 over 10 years
Verdict: Gutter guard is much more affordable in this situation
Gutter Guard Isn’t a Magic Fix
If your house sits directly under trees, which many homes on the Central Coast do, then debris will still build up over time.
What gutter guard really does is it turns an unmanageable situation into a manageable one.
For example, monthly cleaning might become quarterly, and quarterly cleaning might become yearly.
It also helps keep gutters clearer between cleans, which reduces overflow during heavy rain.
Gutter guard doing its job at Niagara Park. This house needed a clean every 2-3 months. Now these gutters need cleaning every 6-12 months and the clean is easier and costs less compared to not having gutter guard.
Even With Gutter Guard, Some Maintenance Is Needed
Even with a good quality gutter guard installed, you should still expect some light maintenance.
This might include:
- Blowing leaves off the roof once per year
- Flushing debris out from under the mesh occasionally
- Brushing off sticks that get caught in the gutter guard mesh
- And if left too long, removing the gutter guard, scooping out the debris from underneath the gutter guard mesh, and reinstalling the mesh afterward
If leaves sit on top of the mesh for years without being cleared off, they can eventually break down into dirt and filter through. Then you eventually need to unscrew the gutter guard and scoop out the mud, before reattaching it.
But with simple regular maintenance, gutter guard can perform very well for many years even in very leafy areas, usually without needing to unscrew anything.
Final Verdict: Is Gutter Guard Worth It?
Install gutter guard if you clean your gutters 3+ times per year.
Consider it carefully if you clean your gutters twice per year.
Don’t install gutter guard if you only clean your gutters once per year.
Need Personalised Help With Your Gutter Cleaning on the Central Coast?
Not sure which category your house falls into?
Want a personalised assessment of your gutter situation?
Unsure whether you need just a gutter clean or gutter guard installed?
Give Shine Bright Property Maintenance a call today!
We can quote most houses from the satellite photo and can book you in for a clean and roof assessment right away.
Written by Micah Conway, owner of Shine Bright Property Maintenance. Micah has personally cleaned hundreds of homes and his business has cleaned thousands. When he’s not busy with his hand in a downpipe or consulting on leaf-prevention techniques, he’s walking Percy his dog at Wamberal Beach or playing board games with his friends.
