Eavestrough Cleaning Cost in Ontario (2026): What to Pay and Who Should Be on the Ladder
Priced per linear foot, not per house — and the quote matters less than who is insured for the fall.
In short
Eavestrough cleaning in Ontario is priced per linear foot, not per house: roughly $1.00 to $1.50 on a bungalow and $1.75 to $2.50 once the ladder has to reach a second storey. A typical GTA house lands at $150 to $350, and most people pay around $200. Big or complicated rooflines run $350 to $500 and up.
The number worth more attention is not the quote. This is ladder work, and a fall on your property is your problem if the person on the ladder has no coverage. Two minutes of checking before you book is the actual subject of this guide.
Key facts
| How it is priced | Per linear foot of eavestrough |
| One storey | $1.00–$1.50 per linear foot |
| Two storeys | $1.75–$2.50 per linear foot |
| Typical GTA house | $150–$350, most often about $200 |
| Large or complex roof | $350–$500+ |
| Best window in Ontario | Late October to mid-November — after the leaves are down, before the first freeze |
| What to verify first | WSIB coverage and liability insurance, in writing |
How much does eavestrough cleaning cost in the GTA?
Measure your house before you call. A quote you cannot check is not a quote.
Eavestrough runs along the roofline, so the length you are paying for is roughly the perimeter of the roof. A 1,500 sq ft bungalow usually carries 150 to 200 linear feet. A two-storey detached with a garage is often 200 to 250. Multiply by the rate below and you have the number the company should be landing near.
| House | Rate | Typical total |
|---|---|---|
| Bungalow, simple roofline | $1.00–$1.50 / linear ft | $150–$250 |
| Two-storey detached | $1.75–$2.50 / linear ft | $275–$450 |
| Steep pitch, dormers, multiple levels | Upper end or custom | $350–$500+ |
| Townhouse | Often a flat minimum | $120–$200 |
Nearly every company has a minimum charge. If your house is small, the minimum is what you pay, and comparing per-foot rates stops being useful.
Why does the second storey cost so much more?
Because the work changes, not because the gutter is dirtier.
At one storey a technician works from a stepladder with both feet low to the ground. At two storeys the ladder has to be footed, tied off or stabilised, the setup has to move every ten or twelve feet, and the fall itself becomes survivable-but-serious rather than embarrassing. The same hundred feet of eavestrough takes roughly twice the time and carries a different risk profile.
That is also why the cheapest second-storey quote deserves the most scepticism. The cost that gets cut first is the one you cannot see from the driveway.
When should it be done in Ontario?
Late October to mid-November, once the leaves have actually finished falling. Book earlier and you will be paying to clear half the leaves, then watching the rest land in an empty trough.
The deadline at the other end is the first hard freeze. Water sitting in a blocked eavestrough freezes, the ice backs up under the shingles, and what began as a $200 cleaning becomes a roof repair. If you are in the GTA and it is mid-November with a cold snap forecast, that is the week.
Houses under mature maples or pines usually need a second visit in spring. Everyone else does not.
Who is allowed on the ladder, and why it matters to you
This is the part most price guides skip.
Ontario regulates work at height seriously. Under the province’s construction regulation, workers who need fall protection on a construction project must hold Working at Heights training approved by the Chief Prevention Officer, with a hands-on component — not a video and a certificate. WSIB coverage is mandatory across most Ontario construction work, and independent operators in construction have to register too.
Where that lands on your driveway is simple. If an uninsured person falls while working on your house, the claim does not disappear because you paid cash. Your home insurance may or may not respond, and you may be arguing about it for a year.
So ask for two things before booking, in writing:
A legitimate company sends both without being chased. The reaction to the question tells you as much as the documents.
What should be included in the price?
Red flags
Should you just do it yourself?
On a bungalow, with a stable ladder on level ground and someone home, plenty of people do — and the saving is real, about $200.
On a two-storey, the arithmetic changes. You are weighing $300 against a ladder on soft October ground, usually alone, usually reaching one bay further than you should to avoid moving it. Ladder falls are among the most common serious injuries in this kind of work, and they do not happen to people who felt unsafe. They happen on the last stretch, when it is nearly done.
That is not a reason to be scared of a ladder. It is a reason to price the second storey honestly against one afternoon of your time.
What to do next
Measure the perimeter of your roof, count your storeys, and you can now check any quote you are given against the table above.
Then get two or three prices and ask each one for the WSIB clearance certificate and proof of liability. Compare home services in Ontario on Ontario24 and contact companies directly. Ontario24 is a classified directory — we help you find and compare businesses, and we do not vet them, so the verifying is yours to do; our safety tips cover what to ask.
If you are booking autumn work anyway, the same trip out is the moment to line up the rest of it: our snow removal cost guide covers seasonal contracts, which fill up on this same calendar, and the furnace guide covers the inspection worth doing before the heat goes on.
Before you call anyone, it helps to know what this job should cost and what the next one will. What things cost in Ontario in 2026 puts 75 service prices in one table.
Frequently asked questions
Between $150 and $350 for a typical house, and most people pay around $200. The rate is per linear foot: about $1.00 to $1.50 on a single-storey home and $1.75 to $2.50 where a second storey is involved. Large or complex rooflines reach $500.
Once a year for most houses, in late autumn after the leaves have finished falling. Homes surrounded by mature maples or pines usually need a second clearing in spring. Houses with few overhanging trees can often stretch to every second year without trouble.
Late October to mid-November. Going earlier means paying to remove half the leaves while the rest are still on the trees. The cut-off is the first hard freeze, because water trapped in a blocked trough turns to ice and can back up under the shingles.
Yes, and it is the single most useful thing you can do. Ask for a WSIB clearance certificate and proof of liability insurance before booking. If an uninsured worker is injured at height on your property, paying cash does not remove the problem from your doorstep.
No. Guards cut how often the job is needed by keeping out leaves and larger debris, but pine needles, shingle grit and seeds still get through, and the guard itself collects material on top. Treat any promise that cleaning ends permanently as a sales claim.
The work changes, not the dirt. A second storey means the ladder must be stabilised and repositioned every few metres, the job takes roughly twice as long, and the fall risk is in a different category. The cheapest second-storey quote is usually the one cutting something you cannot see.
Debris taken off the property, downspouts flushed and confirmed flowing, and a look at hangers and seams while the technician is up there. Photos before and after are standard with better companies, since you cannot inspect the result from the ground.
Sources
Prices reflect published rates from Ontario eavestrough and exterior cleaning companies, checked on 17 September 2026; pricing changes without notice, so confirm before booking. Working at Heights training requirements are set out in Ontario’s construction regulation and administered through the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development; the training must be delivered by a provider approved by the Chief Prevention Officer. WSIB registration requirements and clearance certificates are administered by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. Ontario24 is a classified directory and does not perform eavestrough work, inspect roofs or verify insurance on your behalf.