A gutter cleaning helper works on the ground beside a technician, carrying and setting up ladders, laying tarps, bagging debris and running the gutter vacuum hose. Over a season they learn ladder setup and cleaning from a lead, and start climbing when the lead says they're ready.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, building services companies · BLS, May 2025
Assist skilled technicians in delivering high-quality gutter cleaning services while ensuring a safe and efficient job site environment. Play a vital role in setting up equipment, managing ladders, and maintaining a clean workspace to support seamless operations. Contribute to overall customer satisfaction and uphold the company’s reputation in the home services industry.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Assist technicians by preparing work sites and setting up ladders for gutter cleaning tasks.
Support the cleaning and maintenance of job sites to ensure safety and professionalism.
Handle basic tools and equipment responsibly during installation and cleaning tasks.
Collaborate with team members to ensure timely completion of projects with a focus on quality and safety.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Set up ladders and other equipment under the guidance of experienced technicians.
Assist in safely relocating and maintaining cleaning tools and supplies across multiple job sites.
Participate in pre-job briefings to understand daily objectives and safety protocols.
Engage with customers courteously when present, ensuring a positive first impression of the service team.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Job Setup Efficiency: Complete setup tasks within 15 minutes per job site.
Safety Compliance: Achieve a 100% adherence rate to safety guidelines during all operations.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Maintain a customer satisfaction rating of at least 4.8 stars.
Callback Rate: Ensure all job sites have a callback rate of less than 5% due to follow-up issues.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent.
Basic knowledge of hand and power tools used in gutter cleaning applications.
Strong communication skills and ability to follow instructions precisely.
A proactive attitude and willingness to learn on the job.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous experience in gutter cleaning, roofing, or related home services.
Familiarity with ladder safety practices and basic construction protocols.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a physical, outdoor work environment.
Prior experience supporting technical teams or skilled tradespersons.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift and carry objects weighing up to 50 lbs.
Comfortable working at heights and climbing ladders regularly.
Capable of enduring prolonged periods of standing, walking, and outdoor exposure.
Must be able to perform manual labor in varying weather conditions.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Work in varying weather conditions including hot, cold, or rainy climates.
Spend the majority of the shift outside on job sites.
Typical work schedule is Monday through Friday, with occasional overtime as needed.
Minimal travel required within the local service area.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly rate ranging from $15 to $20 per hour depending on experience.
Performance-based bonuses available upon meeting project efficiency targets.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance benefits provided.
401(k) plan with company match and additional fringe benefits available.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we pride ourselves on a collaborative and supportive work environment.
We are committed to the professional growth and development of every team member.
Our culture values hard work, customer focus, and continuous improvement.
Join us in building a rewarding career in a company that celebrates success and innovation.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
A gutter helper spends most of the day at the foot of the ladder. These parts of that job have rules or habits of their own.
A ladder in the driveway gets cones
OSHA's ladder rule says a ladder set in a passageway, doorway or driveway, where people or cars could knock it over, has to be secured or guarded by a temporary barricade such as traffic cones or caution tape. Homeowners back out of garages and kids ride bikes up driveways. Setting the cones is often the helper's first job at each house. Source: eCFR: 29 CFR 1910.23, Ladders.
Nobody moves a ladder with someone on it
A helper may want to save time by sliding the ladder along the gutter while the tech is still up. OSHA's ladder rule bars moving, shifting or extending a ladder while anyone is on it. The tech climbs down, the helper moves the ladder to the next spot, and the tech climbs again. Source: eCFR: 29 CFR 1910.23, Ladders.
Soft ground gets fixed before the climb
Gutter ladders often land in flower beds, mulch or a sloped lawn. The same OSHA rule allows ladders only on stable and level surfaces unless they're secured or stabilized so they can't slip. Teach helpers to use the crew's levelers and wide feet, or move to firmer ground, before anyone goes up. Source: eCFR: 29 CFR 1910.23, Ladders.
Run the vacuum from the ground
Many crews clean with a gutter vacuum: a canister on the ground and long wands up to the gutter. The helper keeps the hose from kinking or snagging on shrubs, empties the canister before it overfills, and moves the machine house to house so the tech can stay on the ladder.
How much gutter cleaning helpers make
The closest BLS group for gutter cleaning helpers is janitors and cleaners. Janitors and cleaners who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $17.21 an hour ($35,790 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $36,840 median for janitors and cleaners in all industries. About 829,300 of the 2,209,760 janitors and cleaners in that survey work for building services companies.
Paid hourly, with extra fall overtime and sometimes a crew bonus for hitting targets. No BLS line covers gutter helpers alone; these figures are for the janitors and building cleaners group in building services, the same group the technician page uses.
Building services companies
$35,790$35,790 median Middle half $30,590–$38,520 10th–90th $28,130–$46,250
All industries
$36,840$36,840 median Middle half $32,240–$44,060 10th–90th $28,640–$50,270
$20k$30k$40k$50k$60k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Building services companies
$28,130
$30,590
$35,790
$38,520
$46,250
All industries
$28,640
$32,240
$36,840
$44,060
$50,270
BLS doesn’t publish pay for gutter cleaning companies on their own. These figures cover services to buildings and dwellings, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Follows instructions exactly, even when the lead is up a ladder
Shows up on time for early starts in the busy seasons
Keeps track of tools and gear moving between houses
Is polite with homeowners and careful around their yards and pets
Has used basic hand tools
Teach these on the job
Extension ladder setup, footing and stabilizers
Running and emptying a gutter vacuum
Flushing downspouts and clearing simple clogs
Spotting loose hangers, leaks and other problems to report
The crew's job app for photos and checklists
Extension ladders and stabilizers, gutter scoops, buckets and tarps, a leaf blower, and the hose and canister of a gutter vacuum. Helpers also learn the crew's job app for photos and checklists.
Gutter cleaning helper interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Staying with the ladder
You're footing the ladder for a technician when the homeowner comes out to ask you a question. What do you do?
A strong answer: Stays at the ladder and politely asks the homeowner to wait a moment or talk with the technician once they're down.
Behavioral · Being dependable
In the fall, routes are full and one late start pushes every customer back. Tell me about a time at work, school or volunteering when a group depended on you showing up on time. How did you make sure you did?
A strong answer: Specific habits, such as setting out gear the night before and planning the ride in, and a record of showing up ready.
Treat these as sample goals from the template. Set the helper's goals with the lead, using what your best helpers did last season.
Job Setup Efficiency
Time from parking the truck to the first climb, logged by the lead or the job app. Watch for fast setups that skipped cones, stabilizers or a check of the ground.
Safety Compliance
The lead's spot checks of the helper's setups and gear use, scored against the crew checklist each week. Count corrections as well as incidents.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Read the ratings and comments on jobs the helper worked, especially notes on mess, trampled plants and manners. Share the good comments with the helper too.
Callback Rate
Count return trips for the helper's crew caused by leftover debris, a downspout left clogged or a mess on the ground, from the callback log.
Career path
Apprentice / helperSets up ladders, runs the vacuum hose and keeps each site clean.
What do the helper template's lifting, heights and weather lines involve?
They describe the work. A helper carries extension ladders and the gutter vacuum from the truck to the house, lifts full debris bags into the truck bed, and climbs ladders once trained. The day is spent outdoors, standing and walking between houses, in fall cold and spring rain. In the ad, list those tasks and let applicants tell you whether they can do them.
How much does a gutter cleaning helper make?
Janitors and cleaners who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $17.21 an hour ($35,790 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $30,590 and $38,520 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Does a gutter helper need experience?
No. Most of what the helper does is taught on the first few routes. Look for people who arrive on time, listen well, and have done hands-on outdoor work such as landscaping, moving or painting. Ask how they'd handle a homeowner's dog in the yard or a ladder that won't sit level; the answer shows how they think.
What should a helper say when a homeowner asks a question on site?
Answer the easy ones politely, such as how long the crew will be or where the debris goes. Pass anything about prices, repairs, damage or guards to the lead, and say that the lead will come over. A helper who guesses at a repair price or promises a free fix creates a problem the office then has to sort out.
What should the crew tell a new helper before the first house?
Where to set cones and how to foot and level the ladder, how the tech up top will signal for a move or a tool, and what to do if the ladder shifts. Cover where debris goes, which yards have pets or gates noted on the job, and who to call if the lead is up and can't answer.
