Per-foot pricing by guard type, what a whole house costs, and the honest math on guards versus cleaning.
Installed gutter guards in the Salt Lake area range from about $8 per foot for aluminum screen to $30 per foot for premium stainless micro-mesh, so a home with 160 feet of gutter lands between $1,300 and $4,800. National brands that advertise on television often quote $25 to $45 per foot for a comparable micro-mesh product plus new gutters you may not need.
The type matters more than the brand. Cottonwood fluff, scrub oak leaves and pine needles each defeat a different cheap guard, so the right choice depends on what is over your roof. This page gives the prices by type and the payback math against cleaning; the gutter guards service page explains which product fits which tree.
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Prices on this page are typical installed ranges for the Salt Lake area and are updated as material costs change. Your written estimate is the number that counts, and it is free.
| Guard type | Installed per foot | Whole house, 160 ft | Handles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum screen | $8 to $12 | $1,300 to $1,900 | Leaves and large debris; pine needles and cottonwood get through |
| Micro-mesh, stainless on aluminum frame | $18 to $30 | $2,900 to $4,800 | Everything, including cottonwood seed and pine needles; our recommendation |
| Foam inserts | $4 to $8 (plus removal later) | $650 to $1,300 | Leaves for a season or two; clogs, grows seedlings, degrades in sun |
| Brush inserts | $4 to $8 | $650 to $1,300 | Large leaves; traps needles and seeds |
| Reverse-curve (surface tension) | $20 to $35 | $3,200 to $5,600 | Leaves; overflows in cloudbursts and sheds pine needles poorly |
We install screen and micro-mesh and do not sell foam or brush inserts, because we spend part of every fall pulling them out of clogged gutters. Reverse-curve systems are sold by a few national brands and can work on simple rooflines, but they overshoot in the hard summer storms the Wasatch Front gets.
| Option | Up-front | Per year | Fifteen-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional cleaning twice a year | $0 | $400 to $800 | $6,000 to $12,000 |
| Aluminum screen plus one cleaning a year | $1,300 to $1,900 | $150 to $250 | $3,500 to $5,700 |
| Micro-mesh guards, rinsed from the ground | $2,900 to $4,800 | $0 to $100 | $2,900 to $6,300 |
Micro-mesh pays for itself in roughly five seasons on a home under trees. On a home with no trees nearby, guards still keep roof grit, shingle granules and bird nests out, but the payback is slower and we will say so at the estimate.
Micro-mesh guards we install carry a manufacturer material warranty of twenty years or more against rust and failure, and our own seven-year workmanship warranty on the installation. Screen guards carry a shorter material warranty. See the warranty page for terms.
National brands fold in a sales commission and, in LeafGuard’s case, a complete new gutter system. The micro-mesh product we install is comparable and fits your existing gutters if they are sound.
Yes, if the gutters are properly pitched and securely hung. We check both and fix problems before installing guards.
Micro-mesh nearly eliminates cleaning; an occasional rinse from the ground clears pollen and dust. Screen guards still need a yearly look.
Often. Many homeowners guard the back eaves under the cottonwoods and leave the front open. Pricing is per foot either way.
No. Ice dams come from roof heat loss and north-facing eaves. Guards do not cause them, and heat tape can be installed with guards where ice is a problem.
