Every fall the gutters fill up, and every fall someone in the group text says it is a Saturday job. You know better. The gutter run is a ladder job, and a ladder job costs something even when no money changes hands. Before you decide whether you climb or call, put the labor on paper.
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Count the trips before you count the money
Walk the house once and count the runs. Every section of gutter is a ladder setup, and every clogged downspout is a second trip if it has to be cleared from below. Note how many stories the house has, which sides collect leaves from trees, and whether any section sits near a porch roof or a bush you would have to step over. A single-story house with clear sides is a different job than a two-story with a maple on the north corner. Write the count down so the decision rests on the house and not on who feels brave this weekend.
Check the ladder and the second person
A ladder for this work should stand on firm, level ground, and it should reach the job without you leaning out past your belt. Most of the trouble in gutter work comes from reaching, not from height alone. If you do the job yourself, plan for a second adult at the base to hold the ladder and pass the bucket, and make sure that person is not the one who is already worn out. Who owns the ladder, the scoop, the bags, and the hose? Put that on the list too. If the ladder lives at the other sibling's house, that is a line item.
Test the downspouts the simple way
Before you climb, run a garden hose into the top of each downspout and watch the bottom. If the water backs up or pours out the top, the clog is in the pipe. Clearing it from below with a hose or a plumber's snake is a different chore than scooping leaves off the gutter, and it may call for different tools. Note which downspouts need that and which only need a scoop. This is where a hired crew often earns its keep, since they tend to bring the tools and bags and haul the debris away.
What to ask a company before you hire
Ask for a written quote that says what is included. Does it cover every section or only the front of the house? Does it include clearing the downspouts, bagging the debris, and hauling it off the property, or does the debris stay in the yard for you to deal with? Ask whether they check the hangers and the fascia while they are up there, and whether they will tell you in writing if they see a sagging run or a loose section. Ask for proof of liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage, and ask the company to send it straight to you rather than taking a sales rep's word for it. Ask what happens if rain stops the job partway through and who pays for a return visit.
Write the split down before the first leaf drops
If the family decides to hire, the payment goes on the same ledger as the rest of mom's house care, with the date, the amount, who fronted it, and who owes whom. If the family decides to climb, write down who holds the ladder, who bags the leaves, who runs the hose, and who checks the job the next season. The fall that goes wrong is usually the fall nobody claimed. Put names next to each task, and the next group text gets shorter.