A lead gutter cleaning technician runs one truck's route, takes the tall homes, steep roofs and tough clogs, and trains the newer techs and helpers on it. They check each house before and after, talk with homeowners on site, and keep the job records the office bills from.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, building services companies · BLS, May 2025
Leads and executes complex gutter cleaning services with a focus on outstanding quality and safety. Trains and mentors new hires to ensure adherence to best practices and company standards. Plays a key role in optimizing service delivery and enhancing overall customer satisfaction.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Oversee and perform detailed gutter cleaning and maintenance on a variety of residential and commercial properties.
Conduct advanced cleaning operations, ensuring all work meets high-quality standards.
Train, supervise, and evaluate new technicians to build a skilled, safety-conscious team.
Maintain accurate records of work performed and provide feedback to improve service processes.
Ensure all safety procedures and company policies are strictly followed during each project.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Inspect gutter systems for blockages and potential damage before initiating cleaning.
Execute complex cleaning tasks using appropriate tools and techniques.
Communicate with customers to address concerns and provide service updates.
Conduct daily briefings and training sessions with team members.
Document job details, including any challenges or improvements for future reference.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Revenue per hour: $150.
Customer satisfaction rating: >4.8 stars.
Callback rate: <5%.
Training completion and certification rate for new hires: 100%.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent, with relevant technical certifications preferred.
Minimum of 3 years of experience in gutter cleaning or a related field.
Proficient in using specialized cleaning equipment and safety gear.
Strong communication skills, both verbal and written.
Ability to lead, motivate, and provide constructive feedback to team members.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous experience as a lead technician in the home services industry.
Experience training and supervising teams in field service operations.
Familiarity with local safety and environmental regulations.
Track record of consistently achieving high customer service ratings.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds.
Frequent climbing of ladders and working at heights.
Comfortable working in various weather conditions, including hot, cold, and wet environments.
Endurance to perform physically demanding tasks over extended periods.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours: Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Occasional weekend or evening work as needed to meet customer demand.
On-call duties may be required for emergency cleanup services.
Travel within designated service areas to various client sites.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly rate: $25 - $35 per hour, based on experience.
Performance-based bonuses available.
Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance.
401(k) retirement plan.
Additional fringe benefits including paid time off and professional development opportunities.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We are a dynamic, growth-oriented company dedicated to excellence in home services.
Our team is committed to continuous learning, innovation, and delivering unparalleled service quality.
We foster an inclusive and supportive work environment where each member is empowered to contribute and excel.
Join us to build your career and make a tangible difference in the communities we serve.
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 lead still cleans gutters all day. The difference is the harder houses, the calls the crew can't make alone, and the people they're teaching.
Birds nest in gutters and downspouts
Spring routes turn up nests in gutters and downspout tops. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says no federal permit is needed to destroy an inactive nest, one with no eggs or chicks, as long as it isn't kept. Destroying an active nest of a protected bird needs a permit. Starlings, feral pigeons and house sparrows aren't protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, but state rules can add limits. When eggs or chicks are present, the lead notes it and that run gets cleaned later. Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Federal depredation permit FAQ.
A ladder certificate for the training count
The template tracks a training and certification rate for new hires, so the lead needs something to count. The American Ladder Institute offers free online ladder safety training that covers extension and other ladder types, with a certificate for passing the final test. Have new techs finish it before their first route, then watch them put it to use on real houses. Source: American Ladder Institute: Free ladder safety training.
Read the overflow before cleaning
When a homeowner says water spills over the front, debris isn't always the cause. The lead checks whether the run slopes toward the outlet, whether hangers have pulled loose and let it sag, and whether one downspout is carrying too much roof. A clean gutter that still overflows needs a repair note for sales, not a second cleaning.
Trainees start on the easy houses
Plan which homes on the route each trainee works: single-story homes with firm, open ground first, then taller homes with the lead footing the ladder, and steep roofs last. Keep a short record of the skills each trainee has shown, so the field supervisor can see who's ready for which homes.
How much lead gutter cleaning technicians make
The closest BLS group for lead gutter cleaning technicians 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.
Hourly, and many companies add a bonus based on revenue per hour or callbacks. The template's hourly band clears even the upper end of the BLS figures shown here, which count janitors and building cleaners in general, not crew leads who climb and train.
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
Several seasons of gutter cleaning, including tall homes and steep roofs
Shows a task once, then hands it over and watches
Finds why a gutter overflows, not just what's in it
Explains a problem they found so a homeowner understands it
Keeps accurate notes and photos on every house
Teach these on the job
Your guard products and how each one is cleaned
Your training checklist and sign-off steps
Writing repair notes sales can quote from
Your job app, price book and callback rules
First aid and CPR
A gutter vacuum with extension wands, a backpack blower, scoops and buckets, a hose with a flushing nozzle and a plumber's snake for clogged downspouts. Many leads also carry a pole camera to show homeowners the inside of a high gutter.
Lead gutter cleaning technician 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 · Stopping overreaching
Your crew is behind, and a new technician starts overreaching from the ladder to avoid moving it. What do you do?
A strong answer: Stops them right away, has them move the ladder, explains why and reminds the crew that running late doesn't change the rules.
Behavioral · Developing technicians
Tell me about a new technician who struggled with ladder setup or pace on their first routes. How did you help them?
A strong answer: Watched to find the specific problem, such as setup time or cleanup, showed a better method, practiced on easier homes, checked progress and says where the person ended up.
The template's targets are samples. Pick numbers from your own trucks' records, and keep revenue per hour fair by comparing routes of the same kind.
Revenue per hour
Divide the revenue from the truck's completed jobs by the crew's paid hours, from the job app and payroll. Look at it by week, since drive time and weather swing it.
Customer satisfaction rating
Ratings and comments from homeowners served by the lead's truck, read monthly. Compare trucks on similar routes, since guard work and plain cleanings draw different comments.
Callback rate
Return visits caused by the truck's own work, divided by the jobs it completed, from the callback log. Sort them by cause so the lead knows what to coach.
Training completion and certification rate for new hires
Share of new techs and helpers on the truck who finished the company's training checklist and any required course by their target date, from training records.
What do the lead tech template's lifting, ladder and endurance lines involve?
They describe a full route. The lead carries extension ladders and the vacuum, climbs many times a day, works from the ladder or the roof on tall homes, and keeps moving house to house through wet fall weather and warm spring days. List those tasks in the ad, so applicants see the work behind the endurance line.
How much does a lead gutter cleaning technician 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.
What does on-call emergency cleanup mean for a gutter crew?
Those calls usually follow a storm: a gutter torn loose by a falling limb, a downspout ripped off, or a packed run sending water into a window well. The lead makes the site safe, clears what's blocking the water, takes photos and writes up the repair for the office. A limb tangled in power lines is the utility's job, not the crew's.
How do you test a lead gutter cleaning technician before hiring?
Pay for a working half-day on a real route with your field supervisor. Watch how they set up on a tall home, how they explain a problem to the homeowner, and how they teach your helper one task. Then ask them to walk a finished house and tell you what they'd fix.
Can a lead gutter tech turn down a house that looks unsafe?
Yes, and the company should say so in writing. Rotted fascia, a steep roof that's wet, or a yard with no safe footing for a ladder are reasons to stop. The lead calls the field supervisor, photographs the problem and notes it, and the office reschedules or quotes another way to reach the gutter, such as a lift.
