Gutter Cleaning – How to Spot Amateurs vs Professionals

You’re a homeowner. You’ve put a lot of blood, sweat, tears (and dollars) into your home. Are you going to let just any ol’ amateur perform the vital upkeep, repairs, and services your home needs? Or are you going to go with a trained professional – one that you can be sure knows what they’re doing?

The choice is clear, right? Well, unfortunately, a lot of homeowners opt for the amateur option – especially when it comes to gutter cleaning. This is a simple – but vital – task for the upkeep of your home. Many homeowners get seduced by the cheap prices that amateurs offer.

Here’s the bottom line: DON’T LET PRICE BE THE MAJOR FACTOR IN THE GUTTER CLEANER YOU CHOOSE. We’ve heard countless stories of gutter cleaning gone awry from amateurish efforts. Those problems? Poorly cleaned gutters, messes left behind, damage to your home and even serious ladder accidents where the homeowner is deemed responsible.  That’s what happens when you turn to cheap amateurs with gutter cleaning.

If you find a company that prices well below the competition, there’s a reason for that. If they cut corners on price there’s a good chance they’re cutting corners on other areas, such as safety and insurance.

So, what should you look for when you’re seeking a gutter cleaning company to keep your home safe and protected? Here are some tips:

• Licensed and insured. Make sure your gutter cleaner is licensed with their local town, carries general liability insurance for at least $2 million, carries worker’s compensation insurance and is registered with the state as a home improvement contractor. Also, check to see if they have any complaints filed against them.
• Professional appearance. Check to see if your gutter cleaner drives a marked vehicle, has “commercial” license plates, and that the workers have uniforms. Also, make sure the company has a professional-looking website, Google profile, and active social media channels.
• Local vs. chain. Are you using a national or a regional chain? Be careful – usually, large corporate chains only care about one thing: cold, hard profit. Their only purpose is to generate revenue for stakeholders. That approach trickles down to service providers. For example, if your downspout has a leak, is that corporate chain going to take on the time-consuming task of disassembling and cleaning the downspouts? More than likely, they are not. Their workers care about one thing: getting to the next job to make the bosses happy. They may even charge an additional fee to come back out! Be sure to go local. Local companies live and work in the area and thrive on their performance, building long-term relationships, and being part of the fabric of the community.
• Safety. Do the gutter cleaners have safety training? How long have they been using ladders? Do they use ladder “stand-offs” or do they rest their ladders directly on the gutter – scratching the surface? Does the company you’re hiring have any OSHA violations (falls, ladder accidents, safety infractions. etc)

• Online reviews. Does your gutter cleaner have positive online reviews? Check your cleaners’ reviews on Google, Yelp, and other sites to find out what experiences others have had with this person/company. This will give you a big clue as to the level of service you’ll receive when hired.

• Blow and Go? – Does your gutter cleaner get on your roof with a leaf blower and blow all the debris out of your gutters and on to the ground leaving a big mess? This is what’s known in the industry as “blow and go” and it’s the preferred method of the LAZY gutter cleaner. While the leaf blower can be a great tool to blow debris off roof valleys and to do some minor clean-up on the ground it should never be the ONLY tool your gutter cleaners uses. Look for a gutter cleaner that neatly hand removes all debris out of the gutters and rinses with water. This is the most effective way to clean a gutter.
• Approved Service Provider. Is your gutter cleaner and approved and certified partner at the major home improvement sites (Google, Amazon Home Services, Thumbtack). If the answer is yes, this means the company and its employees have gone through and passed a background and licensing check, and homeowners can feel safe inviting them to their homes.

The Professional Edge with Gutter Cowboy

Here at Gutter Cowboy, we check all of those boxes when it comes to gutter cleaning. We ensure that all safety measures get followed when on your property, and ensure the job is done right the first time – all for a fair price. Gutter Cowboy is licensed and insured and would welcome the opportunity to serve you.

For reliable, professional gutter cleaning and repair services. Call/Text us at 508-257-1832 or book online at http://www.guttercowboy.com/.