Gutter guards for Cleveland, Tennessee homes

How it works

1. Call or send a request

   Tell us your address and what the gutters are doing wrong.

2. We connect you

   We pass it to an independent gutter guard installer that covers your part of Bradley County.

3. They call you back

   The installer looks at the house and gives you a quote directly.

Who is this site for?

Homeowners, landlords and property managers in Cleveland, Tennessee, and the communities around it: Charleston on the Hiwassee, Hopewell up Georgetown Road, and the rural roads of Bradley County in between. This is Cleveland in East Tennessee, the Bradley County seat about 15 miles west of the Blue Ridge, not the city in Ohio. Cleveland had 47,356 residents at the 2020 census and sits at about 860 feet among the long, parallel ridges of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, with Candies Creek Ridge to the west and Blue Springs Ridge running through town. Many houses here are tucked against those wooded slopes, which is great for shade and rough on gutters.

How much rain do Cleveland gutters handle?

A lot. Under the 1991 to 2020 climate normals, Cleveland averages about 57.6 inches of precipitation a year, and March is the wettest month at roughly 5.6 inches. Snow barely registers, at about an inch a year. So the threat to gutters here isn't ice dams. It's volume: long, soaking spring rains and fast summer thunderstorms that drop more water on a roof than a half-clogged 5-inch gutter can carry. When the trough is packed with leaves, that water goes over the front edge and lands right at the foundation.

Why do gutters here clog so fast?

Because the trees never take a full break. Oaks, maples, hickories and tulip poplars cover the ridges and fill older neighborhoods, and they drop leaves through the fall, then seed pods, catkins and tassels in spring. Pines shed needles all year. Spring pollen settles in the trough and turns to sludge with the first rain. Wind coming up a ridge carries leaves onto roofs from trees that aren't even on your lot. For a house under mature trees, two cleanings a year often isn't enough to keep up.

Do gutter guards really work?

Good guards, installed well, keep leaves, twigs and seed pods out of the gutter and the downspouts, and that's where nearly every overflow starts. They don't make gutters maintenance-free. Pine needles, pollen and shingle grit can collect on top, especially below roof valleys, and most guards need a brush-off or rinse now and then. The difference is that you're clearing the top surface every so often instead of hauling a ladder out to scoop wet muck several times a year.

Which guard type fits which house?

• Stainless micro-mesh. A fine mesh on a rigid frame. Stops needles, seeds and most grit. Usually the best choice for houses under pines or mixed woods. More on gutter guards.
• Perforated aluminum covers and screens. Bigger holes and a lower price. Work fine under broad-leaf trees, but needles and small seeds get through.
• Reverse-curve hoods. Water follows a rounded front edge into the gutter and leaves slide off. They can work, but they change the look of the roof edge and can let water shoot past in a heavy downpour.
• Foam and brush inserts. Cheap and quick to install, but they hold debris and wear out sooner.

Can guards go on the gutters I already have?

Often, yes. If the gutters are sound, slope toward the downspouts and are fastened into solid fascia, an installer can clean them, tighten or add hangers, reseal the corners and add guards. If they sag, hold water, leak at several joints or lean away from the house, replacing them with seamless gutters and adding guards in the same visit usually makes more sense. A good guard on a failing gutter just hides the problem for a while.

What are the warning signs?

• Water spilling over the front of the gutter during rain
• Stained, peeling or soft fascia and soffit boards
• A trench in the mulch or bare soil under the roof edge
• A damp crawl space or basement after a wet week
• Seedlings or grass growing in the gutter
• Downspouts that overflow at the top or barely trickle
• Runs that sag between hangers or pull away from the house

What about where the water goes?

A gutter only does half the job. With close to 58 inches of rain a year and many yards that drain slowly, a downspout that empties beside the foundation can keep a crawl space wet for days. On a lot that slopes toward the house, water released on the uphill side tends to run right back. Downspout extensions or buried drain lines carry it around the house and out to a safe spot in the yard.

Does a gutter installer need a license in Bradley County?

It depends on the price of the job. Bradley County is one of nine Tennessee counties that require a state home improvement license for residential remodeling projects of more than $3,000 and less than $25,000. At $25,000 and up, a Tennessee contractor license applies. The state's list of covered work names roofing but doesn't mention gutters specifically, so ask the installer which license it holds and check it at verify.tn.gov. The Cleveland, TN gutter guard guide covers the details.

Is this a gutter company?

No. Cleveland TN Gutter Guards is a referral service. We connect you with an independent gutter and gutter guard installer that serves your address, and that installer measures, prices, installs and warranties the work. Before you sign anything, read our tips for hiring a gutter installer.

Areas we cover

• Cleveland
• Charleston
• Hopewell

Planning ahead? Read our Cleveland, TN gutter guard guide.