Gutter guards are worth it on a house with trees close to the roof, a tall or steep roof, or gutters that clog every fall. On a one story house with no trees overhead, they are mostly a waste of money.
Guards cut down how often you climb a ladder. They do not end those trips for good. A guard also does nothing for a gutter that is too small or pulling loose.
When are gutter guards worth it?
Three things decide it. They are your trees, your roof pitch, and how often you are up a ladder now.
Your trees
Trees that hang over the roof drop leaves, seeds and twigs straight into the gutter. Maple seeds and oak leaves pack into the top of the downspout first.
Once the downspout plugs, water spills over the front of the gutter. It lands on the siding and soaks the ground along the foundation.
If you find leaves on your roof every fall, a guard will save you trips up the ladder.
Your roof pitch
A steep roof is hard to reach and risky to work near. On a two story house with a steep roof, each trip up the ladder costs you more time and more risk. That is where guards pay the most.
Pitch also changes how rain lands. Water comes off a steep roof fast, and in a hard rain it can jump a solid cover or a plugged guard. So on a steep roof, the type you pick counts even more.
Our guide to the types of gutter guards shows how each one copes.
How often you are up a ladder now
Count your ladder trips from last fall. If you went up two or more times to pull out leaves, guards will save you many of those climbs.
If you go up once a year and the gutters never spill, guards add little.
Who else gets the most from guards?
- You are away from home a lot, or you own a second house that nobody checks after a storm.
- Water has spilled onto your foundation or siding before.
- You are replacing the gutters anyway, so the guards can go on in the same visit.
That last one is the easiest time to add them. With guards fitted in the same visit, nothing has to come apart again later.
When are gutter guards a waste of money?
- No trees stand near your roof, so little lands in the gutters.
- Your house is one story, the gutters are easy to reach, and a ladder trip twice a year does not bother you.
- You have never had a clog or a spill.
One more case: the gutters themselves are failing. A guard on a gutter that sags or leaks at the joints only hides the problem. Put the money into new seamless gutters first, and add guards later if you want them.
Here is how much seamless gutters cost in Chicago, so you can plan for both.
What do gutter guards never do?
They never make gutters free of upkeep. Fine grit, pollen and small seeds get in under every type, and some debris piles up on top. Look at your gutters each fall, and use our gutter maintenance tips for what to check.
A guard never fixes a gutter that is too small for the roof. If a clear gutter spills in a storm, the trough is too narrow. Read 5 inch vs 6 inch gutters to see which size your roof needs.
Guards also do nothing about where the downspout drops the water. They do not stop ice from forming at the roof edge in winter either.
Should guards go on with new gutters?
If guards are worth it on your house, yes. At Gutter Pros, we fit Raindrop guards on top of the new gutters in the same visit.
The guard and the gutter are then made to fit each other. Our gutters come with a lifetime warranty on materials and workmanship.
Here are the gutter guards we fit and what they add to a job. For more answers about gutters, visit our Education Center.
