How to start a gutter cleaning business

Bundle services that use the same ladder and trip, and offer a schedule so each customer comes back without a new sale.

Cleaning gutters usually needs a general business license from your city or county. Installing or replacing gutters can count as contractor work in some states, especially above a dollar amount, so check before you add installs.

OSHA's fall protection page says fall protection is required at four feet in general industry workplaces and six feet in construction. Once you hire, those rules apply to your crew. Set ladders on level footing with stand-offs, keep three points of contact, and skip roofs that are wet or too steep for your gear.

The SBA lists the launch steps in this order: pick a location, choose a structure, choose a name, register, get federal and state tax ID numbers, apply for licenses and permits, open a business bank account, and get insurance. For a gutter cleaning business working out of a truck, the location is usually your home address and the area you will serve.

• Structure. A sole proprietorship is the simplest. An LLC keeps the business separate on paper. Ask an accountant which fits your state and your plans.
• Tax ID. The IRS gives out an employer identification number (EIN) online, and says you never have to pay a fee for one. Websites that charge for an EIN are not the IRS.
• Self-employment tax. The IRS lists the self-employment tax rate as 15.3%: 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare. Income tax comes on top, so set money aside from every job.
• Bank account. Open it before the first payment lands, so every dollar in and out is easy to find at tax time.

Your name goes on the truck, the invoices, the Google profile and the yard signs, so pick it once. The free gutter cleaning name generator gives 36 ideas for your town and style, each with a domain idea, and lists the checks to run before you commit: your state's business name search, a federal trademark search and the domain itself.

The SBA describes general liability insurance as cover for financial loss from bodily injury, property damage, medical expenses and defending lawsuits. It says businesses with employees are required to carry workers' compensation, unemployment and disability insurance, and some states ask for more.

Falls, dented gutters and a ladder through a window are the claims. Ask your agent about general liability, commercial auto, and workers' compensation once you hire.

No total here on purpose. What you spend depends on what you already own, new or used, and how much work you plan to take on. Price your own list with a local supplier, then put the numbers in the startup cost table of the free business plan generator, which adds them up for you.

• Extension and step ladders, levelers and stand-offs
• Gutter scoops, buckets with hooks, gloves
• A blower with gutter attachments or a gutter vacuum
• A hose with a spray nozzle and a plumber's snake for downspouts
• Tarps or bags for debris

Ladders and a vacuum or blower kit are the main costs. Most of it fits in a pickup.

Price by the linear foot of gutter and the number of stories, with extras for downspouts, heavy clogs and debris haul-away. Set a minimum per visit. The free labor rate calculator sets the hourly cost under your price, and the gutter installation cost calculator helps when a cleaning turns into a replacement. Measure from above with the satellite measuring tool to price before you drive out.

• Fall and spring pushes. Koira texts past customers when the season turns.
• Neighbors. Koira mails nearby homes after each job.
• Realtors and property managers. Inspections often flag gutters.
• Bundle with other trades. Window cleaners and roofers can send you work and you can send it back.

Sell a twice-a-year plan on a card on file. For single visits, invoice when you come down the ladder and take payment at the door.

Add services that fill the off-season, such as window cleaning, holiday lights or pressure washing, and a helper for two-story homes.