The short cut
To write a gutter invoice, bill the run by linear foot with material and profile named, count downspouts by the piece, put removal and fascia repair on their own lines, and for cleaning, print the story count, flush downspouts as a separate line and note anything you found.
Installation and cleaning are different invoices
A gutter business usually sells two things. Installation is a small construction job, priced by footage and parts, with a warranty attached. Cleaning is a maintenance visit, priced by access and repeated every season. Put both on one form and neither reads well, so keep two layouts: one with material, footage and downspout counts, and one with the visit date, the story count and what you found while you were up there.
| Line | Unit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Gutter run | Linear foot | Measured along the roof edge; the customer can check it |
| Downspouts | Each | Ordered and counted by the piece |
| Old gutter removal | Linear foot or flat | Scales with the run being replaced |
| Fascia or soffit repair | Each section | Only known once the old gutter is off |
| Guards | Linear foot | A product on top of the gutter, declinable |
| Cleaning | Linear foot, story or visit | Height and access drive the time |
| Downspout flush | Each | Separate work from the gutter trough |
Installation: the linear foot carries the price
Gutters are measured along the roof edge, so the quantity is linear feet. It is the number a customer can check with a tape and the one your supplier prices from. Name the material, profile, size and color on the line, as in seamless aluminum, 5-inch K-style, white. A change of color or profile after the coil is ordered is a change you will want written down.
For context only: This Old House currently puts installation at $3 to $29 per linear foot, $16 on average, citing 2026 estimates from the Homewyse contractor pricing guide. The width of that range is the point. Material decides most of it, which is why the material belongs in the line description and not in a note at the bottom.
Gutter installation invoice, filled in
A full replacement on a two-story house, with downspouts counted, old gutters removed and a rotted fascia section found mid-job. Rates are samples.
INVOICE
Bill to
Helen Park
9 Birchwood Court
Work carried out at
Same address, two-story house
Estimate E-2026-057
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seamless aluminum gutter, 5 in. K-style, white Linear feet, hung to existing fascia, hidden hangers | 160 | $8.50 | $1,360 |
| Downspouts, 2 x 3 in., with elbows and straps Each, at the six points marked on the estimate | 6 | $75 | $450 |
| Remove and haul away old gutters Linear feet | 160 | $1 | $160 |
| Fascia board repair, rotted sections Each section, found on removal, approved by phone 10:15 am | 2 | $70 | $140 |
| Subtotal | $2,110 |
| Total due | $2,110 |
Warranty. Leaks at seams, end caps and outlets repaired free for the period on the estimate. Overflow from clogging is maintenance, not a defect.
The lines come to $2,110: $1,360 of gutter, $450 for six downspouts, $160 for removal and $140 for two fascia sections. The fascia note carries the time of the phone approval, which is what turns an extra into an agreed extra.
Downspouts are a count, and the count has a reason
Bob Vila recommends about one downspout for every 30 feet of gutter, closer to one per 20 feet on steeper roofs that shed water fast, and as few as one per 40 feet on shallow ones. A 160-foot run on a moderate pitch lands around five or six. Write the number and locations on the estimate, then bill exactly that number. A seventh downspout appearing on the invoice without a call is how a friendly job ends in a dispute over $75.
Say what each downspout includes. Elbows, straps and the extension to a splash block are the parts people argue about, so if the extension is extra, the line should say so.
What you find behind the old gutter
Rotted fascia is the cost nobody can see until the old gutter is off. Put a sentence on the estimate saying damaged fascia will be priced per section if found, with the price if you can give one, and that you will call before doing anything. When you find it, call, note the time and the yes, and bill it on its own line. Folded into labor it looks like padding; on its own line, dated and approved, it looks like what it is.
Cleaning: price by height, flush by the piece
Cleaning prices move with height far more than with footage, because access is the time. LeafFilter, which sells gutter guards and so has a view on cleaning, lists $0.70 to $1.30 per linear foot for a one-story home and $1.25 to $2.50 for two stories, says the cost often doubles at three stories or more, and adds about 15% for a steep roof. Housecall Pro, writing for service companies, puts pros at $0.80 to $2 per foot and lists downspout flushing at $25 to $75 each as a separate charge. Treat both as published ranges, not your rate.
Whatever you charge, print the story count on the invoice and keep downspouts off the trough line. Then report what you saw. A cleaning visit is often the only time anyone looks at the gutters closely, and a short note about a loose hanger or a separated seam turns a $488 visit into the next repair job.
INVOICE
Bill to
Arjun Mehta
40 Quarry Road
Visit
Fall cleaning, 20 November
Next visit booked for April
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean gutters, two-story house Linear feet, debris bagged | 180 | $1.60 | $288 |
| Flush and clear downspouts Each, two were blocked at the elbow | 5 | $35 | $175 |
| Haul away debris Three bags | 1 | $25 | $25 |
| Subtotal | $488 |
| Total due | $488 |
Access. Ladder work from the ground; no roof walking.
180 feet at $1.60 is $288, five downspouts at $35 is $175, and haul-away is $25, for $488. The findings are listed and quoted separately, not repaired and added to the bill.
Height is a safety cost, so name it
The second-story premium is not padding. The OSHA portable ladder QuickCard says falls from portable ladders are one of the leading causes of occupational fatalities and injuries, and its setup rules (three points of contact, an extension ladder reaching at least 3 feet above the point of support, the base set a quarter of the working length out from the wall) all take time on a tall house. If height, a steep lot or a roof walk changed how you worked, a short note on the invoice explains the line before anyone asks.
Guards, repeat customers and tax
Keep gutter guards on their own line so a customer can decline them and compare, and keep any guard removal for cleaning on its own line too. For houses you clean every spring and fall, a recurring invoice with the visit dates saves quoting each time. Sales tax on installation and on cleaning is set by your state and can differ between the two. Three examples: the Nebraska Department of Revenue guide on building cleaning and maintenance (January 2013) lists gutter cleaning among taxable building cleaning and maintenance services, and Arkansas rule GR-9.7 says the tax applies to the service of cleaning gutters. In New York, New York advisory opinion TSB-A-24(39)S (August 2024) found that installing a gutter protection system was a capital improvement and not taxable, while noting that services whose end result is repair or maintenance of real property are taxable. So in a state like New York, a new guard system and a cleaning visit can carry different tax lines. Ask your state revenue department and set the tax line for each job type once.
Send the gutter invoice from the driveway
Open the generator, enter the footage and downspout count, and add a payment link. Works on a phone, nothing to install.
Gutter installation invoice questions
How do I invoice gutter installation?
Bill the gutter by linear foot with material, profile and color named, count downspouts by the piece, and add removal of old gutters and any repairs as separate lines.
How many downspouts should the invoice show?
Bob Vila recommends about one per 30 feet of gutter, closer to one per 20 feet on steep roofs and one per 40 on shallow ones. Bill the number and locations stated on the estimate.
How do I price gutter cleaning?
By linear foot, story or visit, since height sets the time. Published ranges run higher for two-story homes and steep roofs. Print the story count on the invoice.
Should downspout cleaning be a separate line?
Yes. Flushing a downspout is separate work from clearing the trough, and service-company guides price it per downspout.
What if I find rotted fascia during installation?
Stop, call the customer, note the time they approved it and bill the repair on its own line.
Do I charge sales tax on gutter work?
It depends on your state. Nebraska and Arkansas tax gutter cleaning, and a New York advisory opinion treated a gutter guard installation as a non-taxable capital improvement. Ask your state revenue department.
Free gutter invoice template
The nearest preset in the generator is Roofer, which already has removal and materials lines; retype them in linear feet. For a file, download the blank invoice as Word, Excel or PDF, and keep a copy of the blank estimate in Word for the downspout count and fascia clause.
Trades that work the same roofline
Tools for gutter crews
For installs and seasonal cleaning rounds.
- Quote GeneratorQuote footage and downspouts, then convert the quote to the invoice.
- Roofing Estimate CalculatorRough out roofline work before you climb.
- Recurring invoicesSpring and fall cleaning on the same houses.
- Payment links and QR codesGet paid before the ladder is back on the truck.
- Markup CalculatorSet your margin on coil, downspouts and guards.
- Change ordersWriting up the fascia you found mid-job.
What this is. A guide and template from InvoiceTools. It is not legal, tax or medical advice. Rules on deposits, sales tax, late fees and record keeping differ by state and by contract, so check the ones you rely on for your own state before they go on a real document.
Last reviewed by InvoiceTools, Houston, Texas, on 4 November 2026.