Gutter installation and cleaning in the Lewiston Orchards
The Orchards is Lewiston's big residential plateau, roughly 650 to 700 feet above downtown. Most homes here are single-family houses from the 1960s and 1970s onward, and more of them are owner-occupied than anywhere else we work. Lewiston Rain Gutters installs, cleans, and repairs gutters throughout the Orchards, including South Central Orchards.
Orchards housing by the numbers
The census tract at the center of the Orchards, around Thain Road, is mostly single-family houses, and nearly four in five are lived in by their owners.
| Measure | Central Orchards tract | All of Lewiston |
|---|---|---|
| Median year built | 1973 | 1971 |
| Built before 1940 | 4% | 16% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% | 12% |
| Single-family homes | 82% | 70% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% | 67% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, census tract 9608, Nez Perce County. The Orchards covers more than one tract, and tract lines don't follow neighborhood names.
From fruit farms to neighborhoods
The Orchards began as an irrigation and land project led by Harry L. Powers. The Lewiston-Sweetwater Irrigation Company was organized in 1905, a planned agricultural community followed in 1906, and growers there shifted from apples to cherries over the years. Fruit growing stayed the main business until the 1940s. The area, about 9,000 acres, was annexed into the city in late 1969.
What the numbers mean for your gutters
A house built in 1973 that still has its first gutters has had them for about 50 years. With so many homes owner-occupied, long-term fixes tend to pay off here: seamless gutter installation, guards, and drainage that moves water well away from the foundation.
The weather numbers are measured up here
Lewiston's official climate averages come from the Lewiston Nez Perce County Airport, which sits on the same plateau as the Orchards at about 1,440 feet. USGS elevation data puts the center of the Orchards at about the same height. So when this site quotes NOAA averages, they describe Orchards conditions directly.
- About 42 days a year at 90°F or above: hard on gutter sealant at corners and end caps
- Wettest months March to May: the time to have gutters clean and flowing
- About 10 to 13 inches of snow a season and about two weeks of days below freezing: occasional ice on shaded eaves
Source: NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals, Lewiston Nez Perce County Airport.
The services Orchards homes use most
Gutter cleaning. Houses near large trees fill their gutters every fall. A yearly gutter cleaning before the spring wet season keeps overflow off the foundation.
Gutter guards. Owners tired of cleaning twice a year often add gutter guards, ideally screwed down so they hold in wind.
Downspouts and drain lines. Around the center of the Orchards the ground is close to level: USGS elevations fall only about 65 feet over roughly two-thirds of a mile from south to north. On ground that gentle, water leaving a downspout doesn't always run away on its own. Extensions and buried lines make sure it does; see downspouts and drain lines.
South Central Orchards
South Central Orchards is one of the parts of the Orchards we work in. Every service on this page is available there, from new seamless gutters to cleaning and drain lines.
We haven't found a public source that maps the boundaries of South Central Orchards, so we don't publish separate housing or weather figures for it. The plateau-level weather above applies across the Orchards. When you call, give us your street and we'll confirm the address and talk through what your house needs.
Nearby areas we work in
Thain Road climbs from the lower part of town up onto the plateau and into the Orchards; homes along it are covered on our Thain Road page. Below the plateau, we work on Normal Hill and downtown as well.
Orchards gutter questions
Do you work in South Central Orchards?
Yes. South Central Orchards is one of the parts of the Orchards we work in, with every service available.
My Orchards house still has its original gutters from the 1970s. Should I replace them?
Not automatically. Aluminum gutters that still hang straight and only leak at a corner or two can be repaired. If they sag, leak at many joints, or overflow even when clean, replacement with seamless gutters usually makes more sense.
Is the weather in the Orchards different from downtown?
The Orchards sits roughly 650 to 700 feet higher than downtown. Lewiston's official weather averages are recorded at the airport on the Orchards plateau, so those averages describe Orchards conditions; downtown by the rivers can differ.
Water pools near my foundation on a nearly level Orchards lot. What fixes it?
Usually longer downspout extensions or a buried drain line that carries water to a lower spot in the yard. On a nearly level lot, the outlet location matters, so it's planned when we look at the property.
Gutter work anywhere in the Orchards
Call Lewiston Rain Gutters at (208) 858-8002 from anywhere in the Orchards, including South Central Orchards. Tell us your street and what you need, and we'll set up a time to measure and give you a price.
Call (208) 858-8002