Does a gutter guard installation sideline help or hurt a gutter cleaning business?

Start by separating the numbers. Ask for the sideline’s revenue, materials, labour and equipment costs on their own, away from cleaning. Many owners lump everything together, which hides whether the installs make money. Look at how much time the crews spend on each kind of work and whether installs are scheduled in slower periods or compete with the busy ones.

Think about what the work asks of the people. Installing guards is different from clearing debris: it involves measuring, fitting, and standing behind the result. Ask who does it, whether they are trained, and what happens if they leave. Check the warranty promises made to customers, and how many callbacks the owner has handled.

Consider the customers. Do cleaning customers move on to guards, or are they separate groups? A sideline that sells to existing customers costs less to market. One that needs new advertising and quotes may stretch a small business thin. Finally, decide what you want. If you prefer a simple, routine service, you could drop the sideline, or contract it out. If you like projects, you might grow it. Ask your accountant to review the sideline’s margin before making a call.

Key takeaways

• Separate the sideline’s income and costs from the cleaning figures.
• Check training, warranty promises and callbacks before counting on the work.
• Decide whether to keep, grow, subcontract or stop it based on your own plans.