Fall is here, and that means your gutters get full of leaves and other debris. 

But timing a fall gutter cleaning is trickier than it sounds. Do it too early, and you have to get back on the ladder in a few weeks all over again. Wait too long, and you're chipping frozen debris out of a gutter.

Here's the perfect window for cleaning your gutters so that, hopefully, you only have to do it once.

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What are the two numbers to the perfect window?

Let me start by saying that there is no shame in paying someone to clean your gutters. If you are not comfortable on a ladder, or you own a home with at least two stories, it may just be safer to hire a professional. I know many people who have experienced a ladder fall or have family members with lasting injuries from falling off ladders. But you could still use this ideal window to save money by only having to have your gutters cleaned once this season.

(MORE: Cleaning your gutters is one of the most dangerous things you can do this fall)

Now, let’s break down these numbers. The first is a percentage. It is best to clean your gutters when roughly 70% of the leaves near your home have fallen. That way you will catch the bulk of the season’s debris in one pass without waiting for every last leaf to drop.

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As a homeowner, I have waited too long before. If you wait too long, then even lighter rain can cause your gutters to overflow from the side and can lead to water collecting near the foundation. 

The second is temperature. The real deadline is 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Once you get temperatures below freezing, standing water and wet debris can freeze. This makes removal harder and riskier, since chipping at frozen gutters can dent them and warp hangers. It can also crack seams and pull gutters loose from the house.

(HOMEOWNER CHECKLIST: Do these 17 things before winter)

My rule of thumb is to try to get up there while it's in the 40s or 50s — or warmer if you are in the South. I personally feel like debris starts to resist below 40, so I try to avoid seeing a 30 on my thermometer when I'm going out to clean them. Plus, above 40 and my hands take longer to go numb on the ladder.

What happens if you miss this window?

I don’t want you to fret if you miss this window — you aren’t necessarily going to ruin your gutters or your roof.

But let me tell you what happened to me. When I waited until more than 70% of the leaves had fallen, a lighter rain caused my gutters to overflow from the side, leading to water collecting near the foundation of my house. I never made that mistake again. Even with gloves on, my hands were freezing while getting the debris out.

(MORE: Don’t rake away all your fall leaves — put them to work)

Your situation may not be as dramatic, but waiting until the real freeze can have real costs. Trapped water freezes, expands and can crack seams, warp hangers and build ice dams that push meltwater back under the roofline — damage that costs far more than the $100 to $300 a professional cleaning typically runs.

And my other suggestion: If you miss the window, pay someone to come clean them. It is riskier to try to clean your gutters in the colder months. Scraping ice off the ladder, climbing up when everything is frozen and dealing with the extra effort required to get the debris out make it much safer to pay a professional.

One exception worth knowing: homes under heavy tree cover may need two passes, once in mid fall before peak leaf drop and again once trees are bare, so gutters don't refill right after they're cleared.

If you see water overflowing from your gutters during the rain, you may need another pass.