The 3 Best Ladders for Cleaning Gutters [Updated for 2022]
Cleaning gutters isn’t just a nasty chore, it can also be a difficult and somewhat dangerous one. After all, you’re working way off the ground while digging and leaning to clean out the gutters all-around your house.
If you’re cleaning gutters professionally, you’re dealing with these heights and risks in way more places and on different kinds of houses and businesses.
Professionals and homeowners alike need to have great equipment to make cleaning your gutters a little safer, a little easier, and less time-consuming.
A great ladder goes a long way toward that, making gutter cleaning easier by keeping you safer, getting you closer, and working on a wider variety of terrain.
That’s why we’ve put together this list of the best ladders for cleaning gutters to help you find the best ladder for you. We’ll go over all the details to help you find the right ladder for the job.
This 22ft ladder is a great option for cleaning the gutters of most single story (and even some two-story) homes. It’s A-frame design gets around the biggest complication for a lot of ladders since it’s self-supporting. You won’t need to connect this ladder directly to the roof or the gutter system to stay stable.
Little Giant Ladders also uses a fairly unique A-frame ladder design that creates a wider base and stays wider through the top of the ladder. That means more working space and less wobbling, even when you need a little leverage to clean the gutters properly.
The aluminum design is durable but also relatively lightweight. That makes storing the ladder easier, but more importantly, it makes moving the ladder much easier. Since you’ll have to move the ladder quite a bit while cleaning gutters, a lighter more mobile ladder will make your job much easier. Tip and glide wheels make it easier to move your ladder from place to place when it’s folded. That might not help much when you’re actively cleaning your gutters, but it’ll help anytime you need to change location.
The easy Rock Locks system adds quite a bit of stability once you’ve got the ladder set in place. That’s important since this ladder usually works as an A-frame ladder, but it’s designed as a flexible ladder that can be set up in a variety of different positions, including as a 90-degree ladder and a staircase.
Pros
- Aluminum construction and 300lb capacity
- Wider design for added stability
- Fairly lightweight
- Flexible design works in several different positions
- Stable rubber grips on the legs
- Easy to store and move from place to place
Cons
- Challenging to set up
- Lever action adjustment release may be disengaged when bumped
- Difficult to move around because of its weight
Our Verdict
This design is incredibly easy to use and also has a lot of flexibility in how you set it up and how you use it. The wider setup adds a lot of stability to the design and also increases the weight capacity of the ladder without adding a lot to the weight of the design.
Our Rating
This telescoping ladder is a great option for homeowners and professionals who are looking for a more compact design that works better for people who are on the go, or who need to stash a ladder in a relatively small vehicle between job sites.
Telescoping ladders extend out and then lock in place for greater stability, and then release back down to a smaller size for transportation. The maximum length of this ladder is 20.5ft, which is more than perfect for a single-story home, and will help you reach hard to hit places a bit higher up.
This design does need to lean against the work area and doesn’t really have its own fastening system to help hold the ladder in place.
However, the design is still very stable overall so you shouldn’t have any problems with slipping.
The no-pinch closure system works well to help prevent accidents when you’re collapsing the ladder, and the locking design is simple to use and helps prevent accidental collapses.
Pros
- Easy to store
- Locking mechanisms are secure and easy to use
- Carry-travel strap included
- Taller than you need for single story gutter, easier access
- Lots of safety mechanisms
Cons
- Too light for some people
- Its release system is not easy to operate
- A bit tricky to retract the ladder back
Our Verdict
If you’re looking for more of a portable ladder that will work in a wide variety of locations, this telescoping ladder is a good option. The design is much more stable than many telescoping ladders, and the taller design also gives you more options for how you’ll lean the ladder against your workspace.
Our Rating
Louisville ladders are known for being a durable manufacturer, and this fiberglass ladder is no exception. Fiberglass is heavier than other materials for ladders, but it’s also more damage resistant and less likely to bend and warp over time.
This extension ladder gives you the height you need for cleaning one- and two-story homes. The design isn’t so long that you’ll ever have more ladder than you need because you can collapse the length to exactly what you’re looking for.
The 300lbs capacity of this ladder gives you the weight capacity you need to work, and some extra to let you bring some tools and assistance up with you.
This ladder is also non-conductive when clean and dry, which means you can work with your power tools, including pressure washers, whenever you need them.
D shaped rungs are easier to stand on, and lightly textured to help you keep your balance. The steel swivel shoe at the bottom of each leg also helps you keep your balance by preventing the ladder from moving and shifting, even if the terrain under the ladder does move a little.
Pros
- Maxlock system at the top adds greater stability
- High weight capacity
- Adjustable length for different gutter heights
- Stable feet help with loose terrain
- D-shaped rung design easier to stand on
Cons
- No tool rack
Our Verdict
While this entirely hollow top design is a different take for a lot of tool stands, it’s also an incredibly effective and space-saving option. This isn’t your typical table saw stand, but it’s still a great professional quality stand that works in a wide variety of situations and locations.
Our Rating
Gutter Ladder Buying Guide
Height
Height is critical for a gutter cleaning ladder because you need to be able to get to the gutters you’re cleaning while standing on a safe portion of the ladder. Since most single-story buildings have gutters that are 11ft high, it’s important to get a ladder that’s at least 14-15 ft tall and has a functional height of at least 12 feet. That will give you the room you need to clean gutters more effectively without compromising your safety in the process.
When you get to two-story buildings, you want to slightly more than double the height of your ladders because you’ll lose more height to the angle you need to use the ladder safely. So a 28ft ladder is about the shortest safe length for a ladder meant to clean second story gutters.
Grip and Stability
There are two kinds of stability to think about for gutter cleaning ladders, top, and bottom. A-frame ladders only have one kind of stability because they are self-supporting, so look for a wide base and gripping feet that won’t move while you’re working.
For straight ladders that lean against your working area, you need to have the same grippy bottoms, but you also should look for a ladder that has a latching or hook system to help provide some stability at the top of the ladder.
These systems need to be no-damage or you risk adding wear and tear to the roof, but ladders without those systems are more likely to slip or wobble while you’re working.
Even just a small portion of the ladder designed to rest directly on the roof, instead of on the side, will help provide additional stability.
Materials
Aluminum and fiberglass are the two preferred materials for ladders of this type. Fiberglass is less likely to dent or get damaged while you’re working, even when accidents happen on a busy job site. But it’s also heavier, and fiberglass ladders tend to have a simpler overall design and be less flexible than aluminum ladders.
Aluminum designs are still very durable, but they can warp over time, especially if they’re used on uneven surfaces. However, aluminum ladders tend to be lighter and easier to transport and are also available in a wider variety of designs.
The Takeaway
Overall the Little Giant Ladders Velocity ladder is the most flexible of these designs and is a great option, especially if you’re mostly looking to be able to clean first story gutters. The additional stability and lighter weight of this design, plus the fact that it doesn’t need to lean on your work area at all, all make this ladder a clear winner for safely cleaning gutters.
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