Gutter cleaning, repair and new gutters in Rice, TX

When to clean gutters in Rice

The first fall frost comes around November 16 in a typical year here, and the last spring frost around March 14 (median dates, NOAA normals). A fall cleaning set for the weeks after that frost, when the branches over the house are bare, gets the year’s leaves in one trip; a spring visit follows once the pollen and catkins have come down.

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

Gutter and downspout size for Rice rain

Gutters are sized for the worst few minutes of a storm, not for the year. In Rice the five-minute rain expected about once in ten years falls at 8.66 inches an hour (NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 11). At that rate one 2-by-3-inch downspout drains about 830 square feet of roof and one 3-by-4-inch downspout about 1,660, 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 Rice

Half the homes in Rice were built by 1994, 20% before 1980 (ACS 2020–2024). At that age a gutter has seen decades of leaves and storms, and the fascia it hangs from has too.

80% of households own their home, and 48% of homes are detached houses. If an association maintains the exterior, the gutters may be its job rather than yours; check before calling.

Hiring in Texas

Before hiring in Rice, ask which Texas license or registration the contractor holds and for a certificate of liability insurance. Hiring a gutter contractor