Professionally installed gutter guards cost $39.71 per linear foot on average, or $7,941 for 200 feet, in This Old House's 2026 survey of 1,000 homeowners. Your gutter guard cost depends on the type: brush and foam sit at the low end, micro-mesh and reverse-curve at the top.
The table
Gutter guard prices at a glance
What homeowners reported paying per foot, what that means on a typical 200 foot house, and how long each type lasts.
Guard type
Average paid per foot
200 feet of guards
Lifespan
Brush
$18.94
$3,787
Up to 10 years
Foam inserts
$21.58
$4,316
Up to 5 years
Screen
$38.12
$7,624
3 to 5 years in plastic, 10 to 20 in steel
Micro-mesh
$40.50
$8,101
About 3 years in plastic, up to 20 in powder-coated metal
Reverse-curve (surface tension)
$41.22
$8,244
Up to 20 years
All types, professionally installed
$39.71
$7,941
Varies by type
Prices and lifespans from This Old House’s 2026 gutter guard cost guide, based on its survey of 1,000 homeowners. It says the per-type figures include labor. The survey’s median project cost was $5,000, with the middle half paying $4,138 to $6,000.
By type
Gutter guard cost by type
Simple inserts cost the least because they drop into the gutter. Mesh and hood systems cost more because they are fastened on top and stop more debris.
Brush: $18.94 a foot
Bristles on a wire core that sit inside the gutter. Quick to fit and easy to lift out, but they catch fine debris such as pine needles instead of keeping it out.
Foam: $21.58 a foot
A porous wedge cut to length and pushed into the gutter. Cheap and simple, but it needs more frequent cleaning and lasts up to about five years.
Screen: $38.12 a foot
A plastic or metal grid over the gutter. Plastic is the cheapest to buy and wears out first. Powder-coated steel mesh lasts 10 to 20 years.
Micro-mesh: $40.50 a foot
A very fine screen that stops shingle grit and needles while letting water through. This Old House recommends it for most homes. Metal versions last up to 20 years.
Reverse-curve: $41.22 a foot
A solid hood that guides water round its lip and sheds leaves over the edge. It needs professional installation and lasts up to 20 years.
Contractor ranges run lower
US Waterproofing, a contractor, quotes $6 to $13 a foot installed for most homes: $3 to $6 for metal mesh, $5 to $9 for reverse-curve and $6 to $13 for aluminum micro-mesh.
The advertised brands do not publish prices. These are averages from homeowners who bought them.
Brand
Type
Average per foot
200 feet
Leafguard
Reverse-curve, built into its own gutter
$39.59
$7,919
LeafFilter
Micro-mesh with uPVC frame
$41.72
$8,344
Gutter Guards America
Not stated in the survey
$46.77
$9,353
All American Gutter Protection
Micro-mesh
$47.02
$9,403
HomeCraft
Micro-mesh
$61.61
$12,322
LeafGuard’s own cost page gives no price. It sends someone to measure the house and quotes after an in-home estimate. Its guards are part of a one-piece seamless gutter, so you buy a new gutter system, not just guards.
That is why a LeafGuard job costs more than guards alone. This Old House found homeowners’ reviews of LeafGuard mentioning prices from $3,600 to $16,000. LeafGuard offers a lifetime No-Clog Warranty.
Guards are priced by the linear foot, so the length of your gutter run sets the bill. A 2,000 square foot home usually needs 150 to 200 feet.
Home size
Gutter length
Branded, pro installed
DIY brand
Contractor range at $6 to $13 a foot
1,000 sq ft
100 ft
$4,734
$3,207
$600 to $1,300
2,000 sq ft
200 ft
$9,468
$6,414
$1,200 to $2,600
2,500 sq ft
250 ft
$11,835
$8,018
$1,500 to $3,250
Branded and DIY brand columns from This Old House’s professional vs DIY price guide (2026 survey, $47.34 and $32.07 a foot; it says its DIY brand prices include professional installation). The last column is our arithmetic on US Waterproofing’s $6 to $13 range. Two-story homes, steep roofs and trees add labor.
Need new gutters too? Seamless aluminum runs $6 to $16 a foot installed before guards. Our gutter installation cost guide breaks that down, and the gutter cost calculator adds guards to a gutter run for your own length.
DIY or pro
DIY vs professional gutter guard installation
DIY guards cost far less because there is no labor. This Old House puts materials at $1 to $10 per linear foot. US Waterproofing says doing it yourself saves $300 to $800 in labor on a typical home.
Foam, brush and basic snap-in screens are the realistic DIY options. You cut them to length and set them in or on the gutter. Reverse-curve hoods need a pro, and some brands, LeafGuard included, only sell with professional installation.
The ladder is the real cost. This Old House recommends hiring a professional if the house is two stories or more or the roof is steep. HomeServe puts typical installation labor at $2.50 to $3.75 a foot for most guard types.
We quote gutter guard installation alongside a cleaning or a new gutter run, so the gutters are clear and sound before anything goes on top.
Under trees, usually yes. Guards do not end gutter cleaning, they stretch the time between cleans, and the payback depends on what you spend on cleaning now.
What changes
Without gutter guards
With gutter guards
Cleanings per year
2 to 4
0 to 1
Yearly cleaning cost
$150 to $1,600
$0 to $400
10-year cost, guards and cleaning included
$1,500 to $16,000
$3,200 to $7,200
Projection from This Old House’s cost-benefit table, which uses professional cleaning at $75 to $400 a visit. In its 2026 survey, nearly 17% of homeowners never had to clean their gutters after installing guards and another 41% cleaned them once a year.
Our own numbers point the same way. A gutter cleaning with us starts at $325, and under pines that is often several cleans a year. On a pine lot, guards pay back in three to four years.
They are not worth it everywhere. A ranch with no trees within fifty feet does not need guards. A guard on a gutter that is already too small just moves the overflow somewhere else.
Checklist
Checklist before you buy gutter guards
Five checks that keep you from paying for the wrong guard or putting a good guard on a bad gutter.
Measure your gutter run
Add up every horizontal run in feet. Guards are priced per linear foot, and some only fit 5, 6 or 7 inch gutters, so note the width too.
Look at what falls on your roof
Pine needles and shingle grit get through screens and around hoods. Under pines, micro-mesh is the type that keeps them out. Broad leaves open up the cheaper types.
Check the gutters before the guards
If the gutters sag, leak or are undersized, fix or replace them first. Installers usually recommend new gutters before guards on a worn system.
Ask how the guard attaches
Some guards slide under the first row of shingles. That can affect a roof manufacturer’s warranty, so ask before you agree to it.
Compare written quotes per foot
Ask each installer for the price per linear foot, what is included, and the warranty terms. Then compare like with like.
Paying over time? Financing is available on qualifying purchases, subject to credit approval.
This Old House's 2026 survey puts professionally installed gutter guards at $39.71 per linear foot on average. By type, homeowners paid $18.94 for brush, $21.58 for foam, $38.12 for screen, $40.50 for micro-mesh and $41.22 for reverse-curve. Contractor quotes for basic guards can run $6 to $13 a foot.
How much does LeafGuard cost?
LeafGuard does not publish prices and quotes after an in-home estimate. In This Old House's 2026 survey, LeafGuard customers paid $39.59 per linear foot, or $7,919 for 200 feet. That includes a new seamless gutter, because the guard is built into it.
How do I install gutter guards?
Clean the gutters first. Foam and brush guards are cut to length and pushed into the gutter. Plastic screens are laid on top and tucked under the roof edge. Reverse-curve hoods need a professional, and a pro is the safer choice on any two-story house.
How much does 60 ft of seamless gutter cost?
Seamless aluminum gutters run $6 to $16 per linear foot installed, so 60 feet comes to about $360 to $960 for the gutter alone. Downspouts, removing the old gutter and any fascia repair are extra, and guards on top are priced separately.
What are the top 5 gutter guards?
By type, the five are micro-mesh, reverse-curve, screen, foam and brush. The five brands This Old House priced in its 2026 survey are Leafguard, LeafFilter, Gutter Guards America, All American Gutter Protection and HomeCraft. Our best gutter guards guide compares the types.
What do roofers say about gutter guards?
Our view as roofers: under pines they are usually worth it, and micro-mesh is the type that keeps needles and grit out. They stretch the time between cleanings rather than ending them. Ask how a guard attaches, because some slide under the shingles.
Areas we serve
Serving Raleigh and communities across North Carolina
And more. Don’t see your city? Call (984) 224-7182.
Free gutter estimate
Get a free gutter estimate
We measure the gutter run, look at what is falling on the roof and give you a written price for guards, with or without new gutters. No charge, and no obligation to book the work with us.
