Gutter cleaning, repair and new gutters in Onalaska, WI

When to clean gutters in Onalaska

The first fall frost comes around October 17 in a typical year here, and the last spring frost around April 23 (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 Onalaska rain

The short, hard downpour is what a gutter is sized for. In Onalaska the five-minute rain expected about once in ten years falls at 7.84 inches an hour (NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 8). At that rate one 2-by-3-inch downspout drains about 920 square feet of roof and one 3-by-4-inch downspout about 1,840, 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.

With about 46 inches of snow in a normal year here (NOAA normals), gutters carry ice as well as water. Ice dams start with heat from the house melting roof snow that refreezes at the edge (University of Minnesota Extension); the fix for the dam is in the attic, and the gutter’s part is to be hung strongly enough to take the weight.

The houses in Onalaska

Half the homes in Onalaska were built by 1991, 39% 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.

63% of households own their home, and 56% of homes are detached houses, 10% townhouses. If an association maintains the exterior, the gutters may be its job rather than yours; check before calling.

Hiring in Wisconsin

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