Gutter Installation Cost Guide

Gutters work to help drain water away from your home’s foundation to help with soil erosion and damage, and they make it easy to harvest rainwater for your garden. The gutter installation cost you’ll pay depends on a broad range of factors, and they come in a host of styles and materials that can complement your home’s appearance, give you a low-maintenance addition to your home, and match small details of your home’s architecture. Unfortunately, gutters don’t last forever, and this can send you searching for quotes for gutter installation cost to replace them if you notice them sagging or pulling away from your home. 

On average, your gutter installation costs will run from $500 up to $1,500 for 200 feet. This works out to just over $1,000. The installation post may seem costly and daunting, but you have to think about all of the good it does for your home’s foundation. Repairing the foundation due to water damage can easily total up in the tens of thousands, so coming up with a feasible gutter installation cost is a more cost-effective option. 

If you want vinyl gutters, you should be prepared to spend between $3.00 and $5.00 per linear foot, and aluminum gutters cost between $6.00 to $12.00 per linear foot. Steel is slightly more expensive at $9.00 to $20.00 per linear foot, and copper is the most expensive choice at $25.00 to over $40.00 per linear foot. The style, length, and number of downspouts will also factor into your total gutter installation cost, as will labor prices. 

Since there is such a broad range of factors that influence your gutter installation costs, getting an exact estimate can be challenging. However, we’re going to outline the biggest factors that you want to consider when you’re budgeting for this project. Since it’s not something you want to put off, planning and getting estimates is critical, and this guide will help. 

Gutters are an important part of any home, and some older houses may not have adequate ones in place. Figuring out your gutter installation costs will help you budget for this project and protect your home’s foundation. Gutter by Patrick Morin / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Figuring Out Your Gutter Installation Cost Per Linear Foot

When you go to purchase your gutters, one of the first things you’ll realize is that most people sell them by the linear foot. The gutter style, type, and material will influence the price point, and some shapes or materials cost more than others. The gutter installation cost can easily fluctuate between $3.00 and $30.00 a linear foot. Materials like vinyl are some of the most cost-effective, and galvalume is on the other end of the price spectrum. For a seamless aluminum gutter, you’d pay around $8.00 per linear foot to install it. 

Prices for Different Gutter Materials 

There are a range of gutter materials to choose from, and each will influence your gutter installation costs. Some are less expensive and great for people on a budget, and others are more long-lasting but they have a higher upfront cost. 

Aluminum

Aluminum is one of the most popular gutter materials, and it works wonderfully if you want to run them to a rain barrel. It’s inexpensive and lightweight, and you can install them seamlessly to give them better performance that doesn’t leak as much. You can get it in almost every color and a factory finish, but you can also paint it to match your home or trim. It comes in several styles and sizes, and it’ll boost your gutter installation cost by $6.00 to $14.00 per linear foot. 

Copper

Copper has a very beautiful and striking rich color hue to it, and it works well to help give your roofline an accent. Copper has a rich color that will develop a patina with exposure from the elements over time, but they can easily last for decades if you take care of them. This is a more expensive option, and it can cost between $15.00 and $30.00 a linear foot. 

Galvalume

This is a coating that features silicone, aluminum, and zinc. It’s very similar to the galvanizing process steel goes through, but it does a much better job at protecting your gutter from rust or corrosion. They won’t rust, and this makes them perform better and have a longer lifespan than aluminum or galvanized steel gutters. They come in seamed and seamless styles in a range of colors, and they will increase your gutter installation cost by $20.00 to $30.00 a linear square foot. 

Galvanized Steel

This is a very durable and tough material that will hold up well against the elements. It will perform well in a range of climates, and it resists denting, corrosion, and rust. You can get seamed or seamless types, and it comes in different styles or sizes. It’s heavier, and a professional should install it to ensure it stays up. You’ll spend between $8.00 and $12.00 per linear foot. 

Vinyl or PVC

This is a very inexpensive gutter material, and it’s relatively easy to install. This can help you keep your gutter installation costs down because you can do it yourself. It works on many home styles, and it comes in different colors. In cold temperatures, it’ll get brittle. It also softens in hot temperatures, so you want to use it in moderate climates or arid environments like part of your desert landscaping. You’ll pay between $3.00 and $6.00 a linear foot. 

Wood

Although this isn’t a hugely common material, wooden gutters can easily create an eye-catching statement. They come in several species and styles that allow you to match your home or stand out. If you get cypress, it’ll resist insect activity and moisture or mold. On average, this material will increase your gutter installation cost by $18.00 to $25.00 per linear foot. 

Zinc

For historic homes, zinc is a very popular material that offers a low-maintenance material that doesn’t need a lot of upkeep. It has a color that will blend into many facades, and it’ll develop a patina over time like copper gutters do. This will help protect the gutter from damage and corrosion, and they can easily last for decades. You’ll pay between $20.00 and $25.00 per linear foot. 

Picking out a gutter material will influence your gutter installation cost because they have different price points. The more expensive ones usually last longer than the lower-end products.  Gutters by Elisha Pospisil / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Gutter Installation Cost by House Size

Since gutters come in linear feet, the bigger your home is or the more stories it has, the more gutter materials you’ll have to purchase and install. Gutters also don’t get installed around your home’s entire perimeter, but they do get installed in areas where rainwater has to drain away from your foundation. Bigger homes with multiple stories will also need longer downspouts to reach the ground, and the exact number of feet you need will depend on your home’s placement and architectural style. The hips, gables, roof pitch, and other features will also influence your gutter installation cost. 

• 800 Square Feet – $150 to $1,800
• 1,000 Square Feet – $240 to $2,400 
• 1,500 Square Feet – $300 to $3,000
• 1,750 Square Feet – $450 to $4,500
• 2,000 Square Feet – $600 to $5,500

Gutter Styles and Prices

You can choose your gutter style to accent your home’s design, and it’s possible to paint them to stand out or match. Some styles go with specific types of architecture better than others, and some will go with almost any style. However, not every material has all of these styles, and the gutter installation costs will vary from style to style. 

European Seamless

This is a U-style gutter type that can accommodate more water running through them because they have a slightly larger design on them. They’re gaining in popularity, and this makes them more available and common in different materials. On average, they cost between $12.00 and $25.00 a linear foot. 

Fascia

These are slightly more decorative types of gutters, and they come with a slightly carved appearance. They come in fewer material choices than U or K-style gutters, so they can be a lot more challenging to find. However, if you find them, you can expect to pay between $5.00 to $10.00 per linear foot for your gutter installation cost. 

K-Style

This is one of the most popular and common gutter styles currently available. They will hold much more water than almost any other type, and this makes them extremely effective and leakproof. When you slice these gutters, they have a profile that looks like a K. Depending on the material you choose, the gutter installation cost will range from $3.00 to $23.00 per linear foot. 

U-Style

This is one of the earliest gutter styles that was historically available. You’ll have to install a soffit first and attach a half pipe to the underside of it. It doesn’t hold nearly as much water as some of the newer types, but some newer models can hold more. You’ll pay between $4.00 and $25.00 per linear foot. 

V-Style

When you take a look at this gutter from the side, you’ll see that it has a V shape. They won’t hold as much water as some other types, and they can be more difficult to find. This can drive the gutter installation cost up to the tune of $9.00 to $25.00 per linear foot. 

Victorian Ogee

You’ll get a frilled front edge with a very decorative style with Victorian Ogee gutters. They don’t come in a lot of materials, but they come in several styles. This can make them difficult to source if you really want them, and the cost per linear foot is between $8.00 and $15.00. 

The different gutter styles and prices make it challenging to figure out which ones will suit your home the best. However, a little research can help you find the perfect match to drain the water away. Old Swan House by Herry Lawford / CC BY 2.0

Sectional and Seamless Gutter Costs

Essentially, your gutters will come in one of two types. Seamless gutters are also known as continuous, and seamed gutters are also known as segmental. Seamed gutters have set lengths to them, and they get joined on site if you need more than one piece. Seamless gutters get put together right on the job site to match your needed length, and they have fewer leaks because they have no seams. 

Seamless

This type of gutter is more expensive than sectional gutters because they get formed to meet the exact measurements of your home. Each piece can be longer, and this makes it more challenging to install. However, they have fewer leaks and they tend to last longer, so this can help you justify the initial gutter installation cost of $4.00 to $30.00 a linear foot. 

Sectional

The other type of gutter available is the sectional gutter. They’re readily available for any DIYer, and they’re generally less expensive than the seamless variety. However, the seams will fail over time, and this means that they can’t last as long. You’ll pay between $3.00 and $20.00 per linear foot for this gutter style. 

Downspout Prices

When you’re trying to figure out your gutter installation cost, you have to include downspouts. Downspouts are on your gutters around every 35-feet apart, and you’ll pay between $5.00 and $8.00 per foot for aluminum or vinyl downspouts. Copper is $17.00 and up per foot, and steel is between $9.00 and $12.00 per foot. Other things to consider are the hangers, flashing, drains, and blocks. These will all have different price points, and you may need more than one. 

Cost to Replace Your Gutters

Eventually, you’ll have to replace your gutters due to normal wear and tear. For disposal and gutter removal, you’ll pay around $100. If you feel confident that you can remove them by yourself without damaging your home, you can save on these costs and do it by yourself. However, if something goes wrong, a professional will charge you to fix the gutters, along with finishing removing them. 

If you decide to do it yourself without a professional, you’ll pay around $40.00 to dispose of them. However, this price will fluctuate depending on your area. In some cities, the disposal fees can easily get upwards of $100. Before you go to dispose of them, it’s a good idea to get an estimate. If a professional does it, they could get better rates than you could get by calling around. 

Common Gutter Repair Costs

Along with the initial gutter installation costs, you have to worry about maintaining and repairing them. Even if you keep up with your gutters, repairs will eventually happen since pieces can wear out. It’s also easy for gutters to clog if you live in an area that gets a lot of rain and you have a lot of trees with leaves in your yard that fall like maple. The repair costs will vary depending on how severe the repairs are and what type of repair you need, and the most common ones with prices are: 

• Clogs – $100 to $600
• Dents – $550 to $650
• Hole or Crack – $700 to $800
• Leaks – $500 to $600
• Rot – $1,000 to $1,200
• Sagging – $600 to $700
• Water Refusing to Drain – $650 to $750

As you can see, it can easily cost several hundred dollars to repair even minimal problems. This is why routine and ongoing maintenance is so important. It can help catch problems early on, and it can help reduce how much you pay out for your repairs. 

Miscellaneous Gutter Costs

There are several optional things you can add to your gutters that will factor into your gutter installation costs. They can drive them up if you choose to have them, but they can also work to make your gutters work better and last longer. This helps you justify the higher upfront cost. 

Cleaning

You can hire a professional to come in and clean your gutters annually or bi-annually. This routine cleaning schedule can help prevent clogs, and clogs can shorten how long your gutters last. On average, you’ll pay almost $200 for gutter cleaning per session. 

Downspout Extensions

If the downspouts don’t reach as low as you need them to, you’ll need downspout extensions. The extensions themselves will cost between $10.00 and $50.00, and they’ll increase your gutter installation cost by $30.00 to $100. The price will depend on the type and how much extra length you need. You may also need more accessories, and this will impact your costs. 

Downspout Screens

These screens are responsible to redirect debris away from the openings of the downspouts. They are very helpful, and they can help prevent your gutters from clogging up. It has a design that will accommodate the water’s natural motion to push the objects and leaves above the gutters’ slope where they’ll sit until the wind blows them away. 

Flashing

Flashing attaches to your roof underlayment and provides a barrier from the gutters. It helps to shield the siding and the underlayment on the roof from moisture damage. This can be huge, and it’ll usually only add $10.00 to $20.00 to your gutter installation cost. 

Guards

If you live in an area that has a lot of trees that routinely drop needles or leaves, it’s a good idea to install gutter guards. These guards work to keep debris and leaves out of your gutters, and the gutters will stay much cleaner as a result. They can increase your gutter installation cost by $1,300 to $1,700, on average. 

Hangers

It’s a good idea to add hangers to your gutters evenly spaced apart. They provide support for your gutters to help keep them elevated. It’s especially important to have hangers if you live in an area that has excess water or wind, or a place that is prone to strong storm systems. They cost around $2.00 each. 

Heat Tape

Maybe you live in an area that has four distinct seasons and you get snow and ice at least once a year. If so, you want to install heat tape. Heat tape is an electrical wire that runs inside the gutters, and this can prevent them from freezing and cracking. Heat tape will boost your gutter installation cost by $500 to $700. 

Painting

A lot of people choose painted gutters to help improve their overall appearance and help them match your house. However, not all gutters come painted. Some come with a factory finish on this, and you’re not supposed to paint it. However, if you choose to apply paint to your gutters, you’ll pay around $2.00 for each linear foot. Some painters may have a $500 minimum to consider when you’re trying to figure out your gutter installation cost. 

Removal

Before you install your new gutters, you’ll have to remove the old ones. We did say that if you’re confident, you can remove them on your own. However, a professional will usually only charge between $0.60 and $0.90 per linear foot to remove them, so it may be safer to choose professional removal over risking doing it yourself and damaging the house. 

Splash Blocks or Drains

Splash blocks or drains are plastic or metal trays that go under your downspout and help direct water further away from your foundation. This can help prevent damage and leaks. They don’t come with the gutter system, and you can expect them to increase your gutter installation cost by $5.00 to $10.00 per unit. 

Wire Mesh Screen

Wire mesh screens are a type of gutter guard. They have small holes that allow the water to slip through to the gutter, but the wire mesh will catch debris and leaves to keep them out. They usually cost between $2.00 and $3.00 a linear foot to install, but they can increase the lifespan of your gutters. 

The mesh running across this gutter will keep larger debris like leaves or twigs out, and this can help prevent clogs to keep your gutters lasting longer and preventing problems.  The Gutter by Smallbrainfield / CC BY-NC 2.0

Figuring Out How Much Gutter You Need

Gutters will come in several widths, and they start at three inches deep. A standard gutter’s depth is between four to six inches. If you live in an area that gets a lot of heavy rainfall, you can get deep gutters that have a depth between seven to eight inches. The deeper gutters have a higher installation cost because they have to be made custom. 

For the average home, a four to six-inch depth is more than adequate. The slope or pitch of your roof, average amount of rainfall you get, and how many trees you have around your property will all play into the gutter installation cost. If your roof has a very high pitch, it’ll dump more water into your gutters at a faster rate. Having a lot of trees invites clogging and usually means that you need a larger gutter to keep up. 

If you’re not sure what the adequate depth you need, ask your contractors when you call for estimates. If they’re in the local area, they’ll know which ones work best. They can calculate the best pick based on the average rainfall totals and your roof’s pitch and size. 

How to Maintain Your Gutters

Most gutters don’t need a lot of maintenance, and this is good for busy homeowners. You should schedule routine cleaning to remove any pine needs, leaves, or debris from the gutters that could cause expensive clogs. You should also make a point to inspect your gutters for rust or corrosion, pulling away from the house, or sagging. Some gutters will need to be painted once a year or every other year to look nice. 

Where to Find Gutter Installation Experts Near Me

Here’s a good resource to help you find gutter installation experts near you:

• Gutter Installation Experts

Frequently Asked Questions

Finished house – front angle by James / CC BY-NC 2.0

1. What happens if you don’t put gutters on your home?

The whole purpose of gutters is to direct water and rain away from your home’s foundation. If you don’t have them, the water can cause the soil to erode around your house, and it can also cause damage to your home’s foundation. 

2. What gutter size do you need?

Gutters come in half rounds and K-styles in four, five, and six inches. These are suitable for most residential buildings. A K-style gutter that is five inches deep can hold around 1.5 gallons of water, and a six-inch half round gutter will hold up to two gallons of water. Houses that have steep roofs or are in wetter climates will need extra downspouts and wider channels to keep up with the water. 

3. What are alternatives to gutters?

If you’re having a hard time justifying the gutter installation cost, there is an alternative. Your roof’s pitch, rainfall, and location will determine whether or not they’re suitable, but you can ask about French drains instead of traditional gutters. 

4. Do you need gutters running around your entire house?

One thing that will help control your gutter installation cost is the fact that you don’t need gutters running around your entire house. Your gables, roof pitch, and the roof itself will determine how much gutter you need, and each house varies. 

Bottom Line

Now you know the average gutter installation cost, and you can take this guide and apply each component to your situation. This way, you’ll have a rough estimate with the important components and know what to ask when you start calling around to professionals in your area.