Gutter cleaning, repair and new gutters in Audubon, IA

When to clean gutters in Audubon

The first fall frost comes around October 3 in a typical year here, and the last spring frost around May 2 (median dates, NOAA normals). Booking the fall cleaning after the first frost, once the trees over the roof are bare, catches the season’s drop in one visit; the spring cleaning comes after the pollen and catkins are down.

When to clean gutters explains how the trees over a roof change the schedule.

Gutter and downspout size for Audubon rain

The short, hard downpour is what a gutter is sized for. In Audubon the five-minute rain expected about once in ten years falls at 8.03 inches an hour (NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 8). At that rate one 2-by-3-inch downspout drains about 900 square feet of roof and one 3-by-4-inch downspout about 1,790, by the rule in the Copper Development Association’s design handbook. Try your own roof in the gutter and downspout calculator, which starts from this figure.

The houses in Audubon

Half the homes in Audubon were built by 1957, 84% before 1980 (ACS 2020–2024). Houses that age have often had their gutters replaced once already; if not, the original runs and the boards behind them deserve a close look. On a house built before 1978, replacing more than 20 square feet of painted fascia or trim falls under the EPA’s lead-safe rule, so ask whether the crew is certified.

70% of households own their home, and 90% of homes are detached houses, 1% townhouses. If an association maintains the exterior, the gutters may be its job rather than yours; check before calling.

Hiring in Iowa

Licensing for gutter work differs from state to state; ask a contractor in Audubon which license or registration they hold in Iowa, and for proof of liability insurance. Hiring a gutter contractor