Family-owned since 1997Licensed & insured in WashingtonTacoma office · 3818 S 66th St
Family-owned since 1997 · 10% off for veterans & military
Family-owned since 1997Licensed & insured in WashingtonTacoma office · 3818 S 66th St
Family-owned since 1997 · 10% off for veterans & military
Tacoma, WA · Gutter cleaning
We clear every gutter run by hand, flush every downspout until it drains at ground level, and check seams and hangers while we’re up there. Crews leave from our South Tacoma office, and most homes under Tacoma’s firs, cedars and big‑leaf maples need us twice a year.
Estimates within 24 hours, from your photos or on site · Ask about a twice‑yearly cleaning plan
What’s included
A proper gutter cleaning in Tacoma empties every gutter run by hand: fir needles, cedar sprays, maple leaves, moss and the shingle grit packed under them. Then each downspout is flushed until water runs out the bottom. Ours also include a look at seams, hangers and outlets, and the debris leaves with us.
Including the packed layer at outlets and inside corners, where needles collect first.
Water goes down every downspout until it drains at ground level. If the clog is in a buried drain line, we tell you.
Leaking corners, loose hangers and standing water get pointed out while they’re still small fixes.
Needles, leaves and sludge are bagged and leave with us when the job is done.
Cleaning doesn’t fix a leak or a sag. If we find one, ask about gutter repair in Tacoma on the same visit.
How often
Most Tacoma homes need gutter cleaning twice a year: once in late fall after the leaves drop, and again in spring. Homes under tall Douglas firs usually need a third cleaning, because firs shed needles all year. Open lots with few trees can sometimes go a year between cleanings.
Needles fall all year and pack into outlets like felt. The usual reason a gutter overflows a few weeks after a cleaning.
3× a yearSheds brown sprays in fall that mat flat across the trough and over downspout openings.
2× a yearLeaves as wide as a dinner plate come down in October and November, and a few can block an outlet in one storm.
2× a yearMostly roof grit and windblown debris. One cleaning a year, in fall, is often enough.
1× a yearMoss sheds a dark grit that settles into sludge. Clearing the roof first means you don’t pay for a cleaning the roof refills.
Add moss removalTired of a third cleaning under the firs? Gutter guards for Tacoma homes cut how often you need one. For roofs going green, see roof moss removal in Tacoma.
Best timing
Book the main cleaning after most leaves are down but before the heaviest rain, usually late October to mid‑November. NOAA’s normals put November at 6.50 inches, Tacoma’s wettest month. The second cleaning goes in March or April, to clear winter needles and cones before the dry months.
Main cleaning · after the leaves, before the storms
Oct–NovSpring cleaning · winter needles and cones
Mar–AprBig‑leaf maple leaf drop
Oct–NovDouglas fir needles
All year, so homes under firs add a third cleaning40.81″ Average rain a year in Tacoma
76% Falls October through March
~155 Days a year with measurable rain
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 monthly normals, Tacoma No. 1. Share of yearly rain calculated from the monthly normals: 31.05 of 40.81 inches.
Cleaning plan
Ask for a twice‑yearly cleaning plan and your home goes on the calendar for late fall and spring. Under big Douglas firs, add a third visit. Each visit includes the full cleaning: every run, every downspout, a check of seams and hangers.
The big one. After the maples and cedars drop, before November’s rain. It clears the year’s heaviest load and gets every downspout flowing for winter.
Clears winter needles, cones and storm debris. It’s also a good time to pair with roof moss removal before the dry months.
Firs drop needles all year, so outlets pack again between the two main visits. We suggest the timing once we’ve seen your roof.
Signs
The clearest sign is water spilling over the front edge of the gutter in a steady rain. Others: plants or moss growing in the trough, a downspout that stays dry while it pours, and dark streaks on the fascia or siding. Some of these point to a repair rather than a cleaning, so here’s how to tell them apart.
| What you see | Likely cause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Water spills over the front edge in a steady rain | A packed outlet, or debris built up in the trough | Gutter cleaning |
| Plants, seedlings or moss growing in the gutter | Months of needles and leaves composting in place | Gutter cleaning, sooner rather than later |
| A downspout stays dry while it pours | A clog in the outlet, an elbow or a buried drain line | Downspout flush; a failed buried line may need rerouting |
| Dark streaks on the fascia or siding below the gutter | Repeated overflow, or a leaking seam or corner | Cleaning first, then a seam repair if it still drips |
| The gutter sags or pulls away from the house | Hangers loosened by the weight of wet debris, or soft fascia | Gutter repair: re‑hung on solid hangers |
| Dark, gritty sludge in the trough | Moss and shingle granules washing off the roof | Cleaning plus roof moss removal |
| A clean gutter still overflows at a valley or corner | A gutter or downspout too small for that roof plane | Seamless gutters, often 6‑inch, or an extra downspout |
A cleaning fixes it Needs another service
Cost
We don’t publish a flat price, because two Tacoma houses with the same footprint can take very different time. Gutter cleaning cost comes down to the feet of gutter, how high and reachable it is, the roof pitch, how much debris has packed in, and how many downspouts need flushing.
A simple gable carries gutter on two sides. Hips, valleys and dormers put it on nearly every edge.
A two‑story house with tight side yards takes more setup than a single‑story ranch with clear ground.
Steep roofs take more care to work around, especially when they’re wet or mossy.
Packed fir needles and a year of maple leaves change cleaning time more than house size does.
Every downspout gets flushed. Clogs deep in elbows or buried drain lines add time. Adding roof moss removal or pressure washing to the same visit? Ask about bundle pricing.
Ladder safety
Falls are the leading cause of death for construction workers in Washington, according to the state Department of Labor & Industries, and roofing companies get fined for working above four feet without fall protection. A homeowner on a ladder in November has none of that gear, and often wet leaves under the ladder’s feet.
If you do it yourself
Late morning to midafternoon, after any frost has burned off the rungs and grass.
Not on wet leaves, soft lawn or a sloped bed. A standoff keeps the ladder off the gutter.
Move the ladder instead of reaching. Hang the bucket on a hook, not in your hand.
Second story, steep pitch, mossy roof or concrete below: that’s a job for a crew.
More in our report on Washington ladder falls and fall gutter cleaning. Hiring anyone? Check their license, bond and insurance on L&I’s Verify a Contractor tool.
Honest limits
A cleaning clears the trough and the downspouts. It doesn’t change the metal, the hangers or the size of the system. When one of these is the real problem, we’ll tell you, and point you to the fix that lasts.
If it leaks or sags
Cleaning won’t reseal a corner or re‑hang a run pulling off soft fascia. That’s a repair, and it’s often a small one when caught early.
Gutter repair in TacomaIf it’s too small
If a clean gutter still overflows in a downpour, it’s undersized for that roof plane. New seamless gutters, often 6‑inch, or an extra downspout fix that.
Gutter replacement in TacomaIf it refills in weeks
Gutter guards cut how often you need a cleaning under heavy trees. They don’t end it: plan on an inspection and light cleaning once or twice a year.
Gutter guards in TacomaWhere we clean
Our crews leave from 3818 S 66th St in South Tacoma, so most of the city is a short drive. Here’s what we usually pull out of gutters, neighborhood by neighborhood.
Also near Tacoma
Lakewood Puyallup University Place Fife Gig Harbor Ruston Steilacoom Federal Way Spanaway Parkland Sumner DuPont
Every service we offer in the city is on our Tacoma gutter company page. Seattle homeowners: see our Seattle gutter cleaning page.
Big street trees over 1900s–1930s homes. Heavy leaf loads in late October and November.
Douglas firs shed needles all year. These are the homes that need a third cleaning, or guards.
Tall historic houses on steep lots: high ladders and long runs, and not a weekend DIY job.
Wind off Commencement Bay pushes leaves and rain into corners and downspouts.
Our home base. Mid‑century ranches with long, low runs and downspouts onto lawns.
Century‑old homes next to new infill, often on tight lots where ladder placement takes planning.
Questions & answers
What Tacoma homeowners ask before they book a cleaning. Still unsure? Send us a photo of the roofline.
It depends on the feet of gutter, story height, roof pitch, how much debris has packed in and how many downspouts need flushing. Our online estimator shows a preliminary range for your address in about two minutes, and our team confirms the details before any price is final.
Twice a year for most homes: late fall after the leaves drop, and again in spring. Homes under tall Douglas firs usually need a third cleaning. Open lots with few trees can sometimes go a year.
Late October to mid-November, after most leaves are down and before the heaviest rain. NOAA normals put November at 6.50 inches, Tacoma’s wettest month. Book the second cleaning for March or April.
Yes. Ask about a twice-yearly cleaning plan, timed for late fall and spring. Homes under big Douglas firs may need a third visit.
Yes. Every downspout is flushed until water runs out the bottom. If the clog is in a buried drain line, we’ll tell you and talk through flushing it or rerouting the downspout above ground.
If debris is the cause, yes. If a clean gutter still overflows at a valley or corner, it’s too small for that roof plane or needs another downspout. We’ll tell you which it is.
Not if we can reach the gutters. Tell us about gates, pets or tight access when you book.
On a single-story house, on a dry day, with the ladder on firm ground, many homeowners do. Above that the risk climbs: a CDC study found 14% of ER-treated work ladder injuries led to a hospital stay. Second stories, steep or mossy roofs and concrete below are a job for a crew.
Every request goes to our South Tacoma office, and estimates are free.
All Season Continuous Gutters & Roof Care · 3818 S 66th St D, Tacoma, WA 98409 · (425) 828‑3000 · Family‑owned since 1997