How Much Do Leaf Guard or Gutter Guards Cost?

Common Range: $525 – $2,680

National Average: $1,370

Updated: November 17, 2023. Written by: Steve Hansen

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What is the Cost Range for Leaf Guards or Gutter Guards?

The cost for leaf guards or gutter guard installation is between $1.50 cents a foot for basic, vinyl debris guards. You could pay as much as $5.25 per foot to have high quality, long lasting gutter debris guards installed, like gutter helmets, that come with a lifetime warranty.

Average Cost

The average cost to install leaf and debris guards on your gutters is $115 for 100 feet of low cost vinyl or mesh inserts, installed yourself. For a Gutter pro near you to install, $1.75 to $2.50/foot is an average cost to buy the same basic guards and have them professionally installed.

Average Do It Yourself Cost
$140 – $590 (Cost Range of Supplies Only)
Average Contractor Installed Cost
$1,370
Typical Cost Range
$525 – $2,680

gutter guards installed on new gutter

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Overview of Leaf and Gutter Guard Protectors

Rain gutters are an affordable part of a home’s exterior with excellent return on investment because they protect your house from damage caused by rainwater and the costly repairs that follow. Gutters must be kept in good condition, as discussed in our breakdown on gutter cleaning, maintenance and repair. There, we introduced the idea of gutter guards, and in this Costimate, we explore the cost of leaf and debris protection, to help your gutters stay clean and divert rainwater and runoff as designed.

Well-designed and properly installed gutter guards keep debris from filling gutters, where it gets soaked with rain and causes clogs and overflows. In a worst-case scenario, water can cause erosion issues and possibly damage to the home foundation. and house siding – water is especially damaging to fiber cement siding and genuine wood siding.

Where trees combine with windy and rainy autumn weather, gutter guards reduce but do not eliminate the need to clean gutters. What you’re paying for with gutter guards is the convenience and cost savings of cleaning your gutters less frequently.

In this page of Costimates, you’ll learn about the cost to install gutter guards on your home. We’ll discuss options on materials and types of debris guards available, as well as the installation costs and added costs you may incur when cleaning each season. At the end, we’ll share estimated gutter guard costs from around the web, as well as prices paid by homeowners who have them installed.

Leaf and Gutter Guard Cost Factors

There are just a few basic cost factors:

  • Type of Gutter guards installed – Aluminum, vinyl or plastic inserts each come at a different cost. Inserts such as brushes or foam wedges are next, and gutter helmet type guards, or surface tension covers are the most expensive.
  • DIY vs. Pro Installation – If you can save on labor, you will reduce your cost by up to 50%.
  • Linear feet of gutters – More gutters, more material, higher costs. Some gutter guard companies have set rates for up to 100 feet of gutter with per-foot rates for extra. Others charge strictly by the total length of gutter.
  • Upper stories with gutters – Upper story gutters require more time for installing guards, and the estimates you receive will reflect the extra labor involved.
  • Cleaning needed – Gutters and downspouts must be clean and in good repair before most gutter guard contractors will install their product.
  • Other Repairs at the same time – If you’ve neglected to keep your gutters in good condition there may be rot behind the facia boards, or damages to the gutter themselves that may require a bit of extra maintenance ahead of time.

If you’re trying to decide which type is best for your home, Gutter Brothers has a good review of most of the common types available today.

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Gutter Guards and Installation Supplies Cost

Cost of Gutter and Leaf Guards

  • $0.45-$1.15 per foot | Plastic mesh gutter guard
  • $1.95-$3.00 per foot | Steel mesh gutter guard
  • $2.50-$4.25 per foot | Micro-mesh steel gutter guard
  • $2.85-$4.65 per foot | Foam gutter guard
  • $2.95-$5.20 per foot | Brush gutter guard
  • $3.35-$8.75 per foot | Surface-tension gutter guard
  • $0.95-$2.25 per foot | Aluminum perforated gutter covers

Cost of Installation Supplies

While you may not need, or already own some of the supplies listed below, they’ll make the job of installing new guards on your gutters much easier.

  • $85 – $165 | 8′-10’ aluminum or fiberglass step ladder for first-story gutters
  • $160 – $270 | 24’ aluminum or fiberglass extension ladder for second-story gutters
  • $9 – $15 | Protective gloves
  • $30-$60 | Electric drill (entry level), if needed
  • $5-10 | Sheet metal screws for guards requiring fasteners
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Permits, Inspection, , Related Costs and Installation Time

Permits and Inspection Cost

  • $0 | No permit is required for installing gutter guards

Related Costs and Installation Time

So far, we’ve covered materials for DIY gutter guard installation. If you hire a handyman or gutter company to install a product you purchase or hire a gutter guard company to install its proprietary product, labor and/or material costs must be considered.

  • $1.60-$3.15 per foot | Professional installation for labor only

Gutter Guard Install Time Schedule

Installation goes quickly without fasteners. It takes about twice as long when fasteners must be installed. Here are the likely installation times for a two-person crew:

Products without fasteners

  • 2-4 hours: Most single-story homes
  • 3-6 hours: Most two-story homes
  • 5-10 hours: Large single-story and two-story homes

Products with fasteners

  • 3-6 hours: Most single-story homes
  • 5-8 hours: Most two-story homes
  • 8-12 hours: Large single-story and two-story homes
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Are You a Pro Leaf Guard Installer?

If so, head over to our Costimates Pro’s page, and help us make this page better and more accurate for both our visitors and your future customers.

DIY or Hire a Pro?

As I’m not too fond of ladders, I will generally hire a job like this out to professionals since we have a second floor with a 24 foot drop to the ground. I’ll go up there if it’s an emergency, but prefer not to do much from extension ladders for my wife’s peace of mind and my own safety.

We had a plastic insert leaf guard system on our home when we moved in and I removed it, due to constant clogging. The inserts were well aged and constantly cracked, causing additional clogs in the downspouts when the plastic got wedged and clumped together.

  • Requires comfort on the roof, or working from a ladder.
  • Many trips up and down the ladder to empty the bucket of debris.
  • A friend or helper to assure your safety while working.

If my home was a single level home, I’d be perfectly OK installing my own gutter guards. Your mileage may vary, but for myself, it’s worth the extra cost for peace of mind.

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Reviewed and edited by Steve Hansen of Costimates

steve hansen of costimates-sm Steve Hansen, that's me, the Senior Editor of Costimates. (Learn more about myself and our team) I'm an avid home improvement professional with more than 37 years experience working on all types of residential new home building, upfits, repairs and remodeling.

"Like most homeowners, I was frustrated with the lack of quality information available on specific home improvement repairs and renovations. In 2015, Costimates was formed to help homeowners learn as much as possible about various projects and their costs so they could make better financial decisions."