Check current gutter installation costs in your area
Approach your guttering project like a pro by scrutinizing the price quotes from local gutter replacement professionals. With our reliable contractor-matching service, you'll never be hooked to pay more than gutter installation services are actually worth.
The gutter solutions were lent to the modern world by ancient civilizations but happened to be some of the most underrated genius home design inventions. Despite taking elaborate forms and becoming works of art that still adorn churches and historical buildings, gutters have always been the essential elements of water management. From antiquity to this day, rainwater drainage remains the noble mission of a gutter system. It channels snow and rainwater away from the home's construction and foundation.
This simple structure along the edges of your roof protects your house from top to bottom from rotting, rusting, cracking, leakages, and mold. On a deeper level, gutters prevent cumulative rainwater from causing structural issues, the soil shifting, and erosion on your property. In fact, water damage can take more forms than are commonly cited, but it’s better not to learn this the hard way.
Knowing that gutters in your home are essential to protect it from the elements and water damage, you may want to install them immediately. To ensure you meet the budget, you must consider all factors contributing to the cost of gutter installation. This guide is meant to help you figure out the price formation of gutter replacement service. Read on to find the cost difference between DIY and professional gutter mounting.
What factors contribute to the gutter installation cost?
In addition to being the most affordable waterproofing project, gutter installation yields long-term benefits due to modern technologies and materials. Style-wise, there’s plenty of choice with custom options and mass-produced configurations that come in different shapes and sizes.
Styles of gutter systems and their average costs
Style
Average cost per linear foot
Half-round
$4 - $25
K-style
$3 - $23
Seamless
$4 - $30
Fascia
$5 - $10
The DIY-friendly gutters sold in home improvement stores are available as 5-, 10-, and 15-foot sections to be linked together. Though sectional gutter install cost per foot ranges from $3 to $20, this option comes with an increased risk of misalignment, corrosion, and leaks.
With professional seamless gutter machinery, you can fit your home with guttering extruded and cut on-site to custom lengths. Better aesthetics, performance, and a longer lifespan make seamless gutter installation a practical solution, not just an excellent feature to create a sleek visual line.
K-shaped (ogee) angled gutters are the most functional as they work well with modern architecture and various roofing materials. Half-round or U-style is a shape commonly found on older homes or in climates where snow and ice can add weight when sliding off a roof.
Fascia gutters are decorative, made-to-measure alternatives to traditional styles. Such customized “runs” are more expensive than regular gutters, require professional installation, and are usually made of aluminum or copper.
Gutter materials and their average costs
The overall project cost of a gutter installation is determined by several factors, material being the most essential. Gutter type, size, length, and the number of downspouts or any other gutter components and accessories have to be considered for a rough estimate. You have to add the cost of professional installation or replacement to gutter prices quoted by some contractors, while others include labor costs in their “per linear foot” price.
Check the breakdown below to find out how the gutter installation cost varies depending on its material. The prices are given per linear foot, including labor.
Material
Average cost per linear foot
Vinyl
$3-$5
Aluminum
$5-$12
Steel
$8-$20
Zinc
$20-$25
Copper
$25-$40
Vinyl
It is the most lightweight and least expensive choice but has the shortest life expectancy. Being an affordable and DIY-friendly option, it’s a suitable quality/price combination for many homeowners to keep costs down. However, vinyl cannot withstand severe climates, heavy snowfalls, and freezes. It will fade and crack due to intense sun exposure and can’t be repaired when damaged.
Aluminum
It is the top choice regarding affordability and longevity recommended by most gutter replacement experts and companies. It’s easy enough to handle for DIY installation and won’t rust, but it isn’t suitable for coastal climates and can be damaged by heavy snow or wind. Available in different styles and colors and being the most favored seamless gutter system material, aluminum won’t last as long as galvanized or stainless steel, zinc, and copper.
Steel
Gutters made of steel last for decades, holding up well to wind and snow but featuring less variety of colors and styles. Available as galvanized and stainless steel, this material is durable and rust-resistant but heavier and costlier than aluminum and vinyl. The seams and joints require soldering, so DIY installation isn’t recommended.
Zinc
Gutters made of zinc can last up to 50 years, even in severe weather climates. It’s highly durable and develops a distinctive oxidized patina, adding character and historic charm to a home. This material must be welded, requiring professional installation.
Copper
Like zinc, copper takes on an attractive patina, and it can outlast any other gutter material, but it’s an expensive, upscale option for professional installation only.
What else can affect the gutter installation cost?
For multi-story homes and seamless gutter systems, the installation costs will be higher, as well as for the cases when the structural or landscaping features make the perimeter of a home an obstacle course. Decorative and custom varieties of gutters, downspouts, hangers, or end caps come with significant price tags. Depending on the configuration and size of your house and the capacity your gutter system requires to meet your specific or climatic needs, the sizing and the number of parts, such as downspouts, corner pieces, and hangers, will vary. Installing mesh leaf guards adds to the cost but goes a long way in preventing clogging, corrosion, and leaks.
Prices “per linear foot” quoted by the local contractors may differ from the national average depending on the labor rates in your area or old gutter removal and disposal costs. That’s why contacting several local gutter pros for quotes and details is the smart strategy for getting a nice deal and making the right choice of a gutter system that works for your home.
What is the average cost of gutter extension?
A downspout extension is required to improve the home's drainage system by directing water away from the foundation. It can involve above- or below-ground tubes to move the water from 3 to 40 feet away from the house. The cost extension will depend on the selected system. Above-ground plastic extensions cost around $12 per downspout. The below-ground ones have more complicated construction, ensuring a better water management system. They cost about $2.650, including material and labor.
What is the average cost of installing gutter guards?
Most homeowners install gutter guards and gutters simultaneously. It does make sense as you don't need to pay twice for calling out a gutter contractor. Guards can be of a few types - screens made of a wired mesh and placed over the existing gutters, and helmets clipped on the existing gutters or come as a solid piece together with gutters. No matter their type, gutter guards are used to prevent dirt and debris from clogging the gutters, limiting the need for their regular cleaning.
The national average cost to install gutter guards ranges between $950 and $3.100. Cost-affecting factors include gutter guard type, brand, and material. Professional installation can also raise the cost by $90-$200.
What are the national average costs of gutter replacement?
Here are a few reasons that make the existing gutters replacing an inevitable procedure:
Roof replacement
When roofers replace your home's roof, they remove a guttering system first, mount a new roof, and reinstall the gutter system. This sequence of stages is required to ensure the drainage system remains intact.
Pooling water
If you have noticed many water pools around your home's foundation, the chances are you need new gutters. This issue cannot be ignored, as water can penetrate your home's foundation, leading to its settling as well as mildew and mold growth.
Cracking and holes
If your existing gutters show signs of deterioration, like cracks, holes, or peeling paint, they will most likely start leaking, causing damage to your home's fascia boards and shingles.
Warping and sagging
Gutters that look sugged or warped should be replaced quickly as they most likely are flooded with water and dirt and can fail at any time.
The average cost of replacing gutters ranges between $600 and $1.450 or $4.50 - $10 per linear foot. Removing and disposing of the existing gutters can cost another $90 - $180.
Labor costs involved in the overall cost of gutter replacement
Spending on labor can total around 50% of the gutter replacement budget, which is why this cost formation factor cannot be skipped. Gutter professionals charge either per linear foot or hour of their work. Their rates vary from the location where they operate, the job's complexity, the house's age and construction, and accessibility and type of guttering system.
You can expect to be charged around $3.380 for installing a 200 linear feet aluminum gutter system in a single-story home. The labor cost of the project will take around $1700, without removal and disposal fees. Sectional gutters made of vinyl can be installed for as little as $4 per linear foot, while seamless guttering options made of hot-dipped galvanized steel can cost $15 and more. These prices also include labor. Please note that if you own a multi-story home, installation spending will be higher since it takes more time and effort to mount the gutters on the upper stories.
The best option to compare gutter replacement prices in real-time is to use a trusted contractor-matching service like MyHomeQuote. Thanks to the ramified contractors' network, we have up-to-the-minute rates data in different counties around the country. You only need to fill out our request form to get free and clear-cut quotes from suitable guttering professionals in your area. We ensure a quick response and ultimate support. Trust us when we say that using the MyHomeQuote service is more time-efficient than searching for a "gutters near me" request on the web.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between DIY and professional gutter mounting?
Though DIY gutter installation is a cost-effective alternative to hiring a pro, it certainly won’t make your money go the farthest. Paying about twice as much for professional services may look like a step you can skip, as sectional gutters can be joined together in what seems to be a snap.
However, location and climate are the key factors to consider for choosing the right material and gutter size – which are the two things DIYers typically get wrong. Depending on the average rainfall, roof size, and pitch, proper sizing determines the efficiency of your gutter system. Getting the size wrong and improper angle or gutter hanger spacing creates an extra load that compromises the performance and longevity of your gutters. It can cause overflowing, pooling, sagging, leaks and breakage.
Besides, trying to remove old or damaged gutters on your own poses a high risk of injury, as well as straddling a ladder to clean or repair them. When gutters are beyond their prime condition, they can easily break or separate from the roof, and that's why such jobs are better left to experts
What are the advantages of getting new gutters?
Installing new gutters or replacing the old ones is always a reasonable home improvement investment. First, you avoid the risk of basement flooding and the home's foundation and roof damage. Second, you save yourself the trouble of dealing with costly repairs. And finally, you improve the exterior of your house, boosting its appeal and sale value.
