Do Gutter Guards Work?

Gutter Guards, Screens, Covers...?

You must have gutters that keep getting full of debris.

If yes, then you are looking at gutter guards as a solution to your problem.

Guess what...?

They will kind of solve your problem but will create other problems that for most are not worth the price or hassle.

So Do Gutter Guards Work?

This article was written by a profession Gutter Cleaning Atlanta company (Guru Gutter Cleaning). After cleaning 1,000s of gutters and getting calls almost daily from people with gutter guards this is their professional opinion based on experience.

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What's Wrong With Gutter Guards?

First off, there are many different brands, makes and designs out there.

Which one to choose?

None of them are created equal and all of them perform a little differently.

Overall, however, they don’t solve the problem of gutters getting clogged or dirty.

Words from the Pros:

Garret M. with Guru Gutter Cleaning located in Peachtree City, GA.

The problem with gutter guards, screens and covers is that they can't keep everything out.

Water carries dirt, granules from the roofing shingles, pine straw, and much more into the holes that are "supposed" to only allow water in them.

PLUS: The leafs, pine straw, sticks, debris, dirt, and moss can still collect on top of the gutter guards and screens.

We do gutter cleaning in Peachtree City GA and have to increase our prices to clean gutters that have gutter guards on them.

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Why?

Because we have to uninstall all the gutter guards and then install them back (if the customer still wants them).

If they didn't have gutter guards or screens, we could simply clean them and be gone but it takes 3 to 4 times longer if they have gutter guards.

Visit our Resources section at the bottom of this article to read more about our professional contributors and visit their profiles.

The Truth About Gutter Guards

Since gutter guards have been introduced 1,000s and 1,000s of homes have them installed on them and guess what?

There isn’t really a gutter cover product that can be recommended 100% from an honest contractor. At least with the promise that you will never have to clean out your gutters.

This means…

That there are products that do keep debris out but when you take into account how much they cost, their maintenance cost, and other factors it really isn’t in the best interest of the home owner to get gutter guards.

Why?

Because they will get dirty and then cleaning them takes longer and is even more expensive.

Let’s talk about each of the different types of gutter guards and their benefits or negative factors.

Here’s A Quick Video From Guru Gutter Cleaning

Garret shot this video on one of his Gutter Cleaning jobs and shared it with us for this article. These are non-hinged gutter screens (Metal).

Plastic Gutter Covers

Plastic gutter covers are probably the easiest to access and buy…

But you should avoid them.

They are cheap and inexpensive, very easy to install yourself and they even look like they might work.

But…they are plastic.

Why is that bad?

Because your roof gets hot. So hot that the plastic warps and then they lose their shape which then makes them unfunctional. When this happens they fall down inside the gutter and make them clog up even easier.

Another reason why these plastic gutters are bad is because if they are not installed perfectly smooth…(Meaning there are no gaps).

Then debris will get stuck in the gaps and holes and water can flow right over the very top of the gutters…which acts as if there wasn’t even a gutter on the house.

If you do buy and install plastic gutters, you will be calling a company to come out and remove them in the future.

Most Metal Gutter Guards / Covers

So here is the honest truth about most gutter guards…

The metal is flimsy and cheap and they still allow small debris to get into the gutter.

Also when they are installed the mesh gutter is screwed down to the gutter and the back of the gutter screen is slid underneath the shingle.

This makes it impossible to clean the gutters while the gutter screens are still attached.

Why is that bad?

Because let’s say it cost you around $1,000 to have the gutter screens installed.

Most of that $1,000 is the cost of labor.

Which means that when the screens done’t keep your gutters clean a gutter cleaning company will have to come and remove them and re-install them and clean them.

Your cleaning bill is going to be as much as your installation bill.

Just get them cleaned regularly and you won’t have the hassle.

Better Metal Gutter Guards

There is a type of metal gutter guard that is very high end. This product is actually one type and is sold under many different brand names.

The better gutter guard doesn’t come in one piece and it is designed where it comes out past the farthest edge of the gutter.

This allows the debris to end up on the ground and not inside the gutter.

They do work…but they can also get debris in them.

So if they work…why do we not recommend them?

Because they don’t make financial sense.

The average size home has about 150 ft’ to 200 ft’ of gutters. Most gutter cleaning companies will charge anywhere from $100 – $200 to clean a 1 story house with this much gutter.

Now you know the price to clean gutters.

What is the price to install these expensive gutters on a house this big?

$3,400 – $5,500

That means if you cleaned your gutters at $200 and did it twice a year it would take 10 years to spend as much money as you would on expensive gutter guards.

Plus the gutter guards still require cleaning and blowing off.

Hinged Gutter Screens

Hinged gutter screens are probably one of the best products out there as long as the screens are quality and not the cheapest on the market.

The reason these are good because the gutter cleaning company can still come and hinge the screens so they can clean them out without uninstalling them and reinstalling them again.

Over quality hinged gutter screens are fairly inexpensive, they are easy to install, they do keep out a good amount of debris and the best part about them is they don’t permanently close the gutter…

Gutter cleaning companies can easily clean them.

Resources

We would like to thank the Guru Gutter Cleaning team in Georgia for helping us with this article!

• Picture credit to Leaf Filter in Canada
• Picture credit to eGutter.com

Gutter screens and micro mesh gutter guards

Screens are the simplest guard: a metal or plastic grid with openings a little smaller than a leaf, laid over the gutter and clipped or screwed in place. They stop big leaves and sticks, cost little and are easy to put on yourself. Pine needles, seed pods, maple helicopters and shingle grit slip through the holes, so the gutter still fills, only more slowly.

Micro mesh guards use a very fine woven mesh, usually stainless steel, stretched over a rigid frame. The openings are small enough to stop pine needles, most seeds and much of the roof grit while water passes through. People searching for leaf filters are usually looking at this type. The fine mesh is also its weak point: pollen, grit and oak tassels can form a film on top that sends water past the gutter in a hard rain, so the top needs brushing or rinsing now and then.

Both kinds attach under the first row of shingles, to the front lip of the gutter, or to the fascia. Lifting shingles to slide a guard beneath them can break the seal strip that holds those shingles down, so ask how a product attaches before you buy it.

Foam and brush gutter guards

Foam guards are long wedges of porous foam that fill the gutter, so leaves sit on top while water soaks through. Brush guards are long bottle-brush cylinders laid in the gutter, with bristles that hold leaves up while water runs underneath. Both slide in by hand with no tools or fasteners, which makes them the easiest guards to install and to take out.

Their weaknesses show up after a season or two. Fine debris works into foam and clogs its pores, seeds can sprout in it, and sun and weather break it down. Brushes catch pine needles and small leaves in their bristles, and clearing them means pulling each one out and shaking or hosing it clean. Neither does much against shingle grit, which settles to the bottom of the gutter either way.

They make the most sense as a low-cost trial on a short run, or on one stretch of gutter under a particular tree, rather than as a fix for the whole house. If you try them, pull a piece out after the first heavy leaf drop to see what is collecting underneath.

Reverse curve gutter guards: hoods and helmets

Reverse curve guards, also called hoods, covers or surface tension guards, are a solid cover over the gutter with a rounded front edge. Rain clings to the curve, follows it down and around into a narrow slot, while leaves ride over the edge and drop to the ground. Some are installed over existing gutters; others are sold as a one-piece gutter and hood. Gutter Helmet and LeafGuard are brand names for systems of this kind.

They handle large leaves well and are hard to clog from the top. They are less suited to heavy downpours on steep roofs, where fast water can shoot past the curve, and pine needles and seeds can still slip through the slot. When debris does get inside, the solid hood makes the gutter harder to reach and clean.

They are usually installed by professionals, partly because the hood has to sit at a pitch that matches the roof, and they show from the street as a smooth band along the eave. Because they are among the costlier options, weigh the installed price against what regular cleaning would cost you.

Gutter guards for pine needles

Pine needles are the hardest test for any guard. They are thin enough to slip through screens and the slots of reverse curve hoods, they stick into foam and tangle in brushes, and they fall all year. A gutter under pines can go from clean to packed faster than one under hardwoods.

Fine micro mesh is the type most often chosen under pines, because the openings are too small for needles to pass. The needles still land on top, though. On a low-pitched roof, or where the mesh lies nearly flat, they pile up and mat together, and that mat can shed rain right past the gutter like a little roof of its own. Mesh that is angled to follow the roof slope tends to shed more of them.

So plan on brushing or blowing off the top of the guards a few times a year under heavy pines, from a ladder or with a brush on a pole. That is still easier than digging out a packed gutter, but it is not maintenance-free, whatever a sales pitch says.

Gutter guard installation: what to check first

A guard only works on a gutter that already works. Before anything goes on, the gutters should be cleaned out, every seam sealed, loose hangers tightened and the slope checked so water runs toward the downspouts. Putting a guard over a sagging, leaking gutter just locks the problem in.

Measure what you have. Gutters come in sizes such as 5-inch and 6-inch K-style, or half-round, and a guard has to be made for that size and shape. Count the corners, end caps and downspouts too, since each one needs a cut or a fitting. Note what kind of roof edge you have, because a guard that tucks under shingles fits differently on metal or tile.

Ask any installer how the guard attaches, whether it lifts the shingles, what that means for your roof warranty, and how the guard is cleaned or removed later. In snowy places, ask how it handles ice and sliding snow. Get the price in writing for the whole house, with the number of feet it covers, so quotes can be compared fairly.

Questions people ask

Do you still have to clean gutters with gutter guards?

Yes, less often but not never. Fine grit gets through most guards, and debris collects on top of them. Plan on clearing the tops and checking the gutter underneath, and expect a professional cleaning to take longer when guards have to be lifted or removed.

Are leaf filters the same as gutter guards?

Leaf filter is often used loosely for any gutter guard, and LeafFilter is also the brand name of one micro mesh system. When comparing quotes, ask what type of guard is offered, what the mesh or cover is made of and how it attaches, rather than going by the name.

What is the difference between gutter screens and gutter covers?

Screens are open grids or mesh that let water fall straight through while blocking larger debris. Covers, also called hoods, are solid on top and use a curved front edge to guide water into the gutter while leaves slide off. Each lets different debris through.

How much does gutter guard installation cost?

It depends on the type of guard, the feet of gutter, the height of the house and whether the gutters need repair first. Screens and foam cost the least; micro mesh and hood systems cost the most. Prices have changed since this guide was written, so get written quotes for your house.

Do gutter guards go under the shingles?

Some do and some attach only to the gutter or the fascia. Sliding a guard under the first row of shingles can break the seal that holds them down, so ask the installer how theirs attaches and check what your shingle warranty says about it.

This guide was updated in October 2026 with new sections and the questions people ask most.