Gutter cleaning, repair and new gutters in Washington, IL

When to clean gutters in Washington

The first fall frost comes around October 17 in a typical year here, and the last spring frost around April 21 (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 Washington rain

What overwhelms a gutter is a burst, not a season. In Washington the five-minute rain expected about once in ten years falls at 7.82 inches an hour (NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 2). 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.

The houses in Washington

Half the homes in Washington were built by 1978, 53% before 1980 (ACS 2020–2024). In a neighborhood that age, many houses are on their second set of gutters or due for one, and the fascia board behind them is worth checking at the same visit. 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.

80% of households own their home, and 79% of homes are detached houses, 5% townhouses. In a townhouse or HOA community, check who owns the gutters and what colors are allowed before booking.

Hiring in Illinois

Ask any contractor working in Washington what Illinois requires of them for gutter work, and to show proof of insurance. Hiring a gutter contractor