Clean the Gutters Yourself or Hire It Out: Check the Ladder, the Roof Edge, and the Weekend You Have

Gutters are the job that waits quietly until the first heavy rain, then makes its presence known in the basement. If you are looking after your own house and also a second one, you are probably asking whether you can do this yourself or whether you should call someone. Both answers can be right. The trick is to be honest about three things before you pick up the ladder: the height, the footing, and the calendar.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

Check the height and the roof edge

Start by walking the house and looking at the gutter line from the ground. Notice whether the ladder would reach it from solid ground, whether there is a sloped section, and whether any power lines or overhanging branches run close to the work area. If the roof edge is steep, or the ground is soft after rain, that is your signal to stop imagining yourself up there and start asking a professional for a look.

Also ask who will hold the ladder. A ladder without a second person is a different job, and it is not one to plan around a child who wants to help.

Check the weekend you actually have

Count the hours. Gutter cleaning takes longer than it looks, because you clear, flush, check the downspouts, and then clean up the mess that falls on the patio. If your week is already split between two houses, the honest question is whether you have a full free morning with no kids to collect and no appointment to get to. If you do not, a hired crew is not a failure. It is a way to protect the rest of the weekend.

If you do the job yourself, plan the second half too. Bag the debris, check the downspout outlets, and run a little water through the gutter to see where it drains. Do that on a dry day, so you can see the problem before the next storm does it for you.

Compare the two options on the same list

When you call a service, ask what the visit includes: clearing only, or a check of the brackets and downspouts too. Ask whether they bring their own ladder and whether they carry insurance for the work. Get the scope in writing before the crew arrives, so you are comparing the same job on both sides.

If you need a name for a local company or a list of helpers in your area, the Local Help in St. Louis page is a good place to start.