One of the most important and necessary structures for your home are gutter systems. They protect your walls, the foundation, and the roof from water buildup, potentially saving you tens of thousands of dollars in repairs and replacement costs. When a gutter system breaks or gets damaged, it should be a homeowner’s priority to get it repaired. With this article, we’ll help you understand the cost of gutter repair, what drives the price, and what you can cut to keep costs low.
What Is the Average Cost of Gutter Repair?
For standard gutter repairs, you can expect to pay between $4 and $18 per linear foot of gutters, with a total project costing anywhere from $175 to $600. But that price can vary even more, depending on the type of gutter, its materials, and the level of damage that’s needed. For example, you can get a repair for lighter materials like vinyl for as low as $50. And high-quality gutters made from copper or zinc can cost thousands of dollars to repair.
What Are the Factors That Affect Gutter Repair Cost?
Consider several important factors before pricing out your gutter repair: gutter material, length, and damage level. Here’s how they affect the cost of your gutter repair.
Material and Type
The most important factor that determines a gutter’s repair price is its material costs. It affects the price of parts to the time and skill required to fix the gutters.
Aluminum and Vinyl gutter guards are usually the least expensive. They’re lightweight, easy to work with, and cheap to produce. Galvanized steel is a middle-of-the-road option, and it’s more durable and longer-lasting, but it costs more than double what vinyl costs. Zinc, copper, and wood are luxury materials — and the most expensive. But they last the longest and have the greatest aesthetic appeal.
The following table outlines how much you can expect to pay for gutter repair for each main type of material:
| Gutter Material Type | Cost Range Per Linear Foot |
| PVC or Vinyl Gutters | $4–$8 |
| Aluminum Gutters | $5–$8 |
| Galvanized Steel Gutters | $11–$18 |
| Copper Gutters | $27+ |
| Zinc Gutters | $30+ |
| Wood Gutters | $33+ |
After materials, the next most important cost factor is style. A gutter’s style does more than affect its aesthetic appearance: it determines how it fits into fascia, how well it drains water, and how easy it is to install and repair. Here’s what various styles of gutters cost to repair or replace.
| Gutter Style | Cost Range per Linear Foot |
| K-Style | $9–$17 |
| Half Round | $10–$19 |
| Box Gutters | $18–$127 |
Length
The length of your gutters also affects the material and labor costs for their repair.
Damage
How damaged your gutters are determines the needed repair and part of the cost. The more materials needed and the more labor hours required drives up the price. A professional can fix sags, dislocated sections, and severe clogs with manual labor, patching, and few replacement parts, the costs lower.
Location of Damage and Number of Stories
The final two elements that impact the cost of a gutter repair is location of the damage and the number of stories of a residence. Repairs on higher stories are more difficult to get to, which means more labor hours, special equipment, and an inherently higher risk. Repairs on a two-story home are much more expensive than a one-story home.
Homes with multiple stories need more gutters. When they wear down or break, repair costs are higher.
Are There Different Types of Gutter Repair?
Different types and degrees of gutter damage affect the cost to repair them. Fixing sags, leaks and pitch adjustments don’t cost the same. For example:
Gutter Pitch Adjustment
You usually need this repair if your gutters were installed incorrectly. If your gutters aren’t pitched at the correct slope, they won’t drain water properly, which leads to overflows. Technicians will realign the pitch of an entire side of the gutter section, including potentially removing and replacing parts. Gutter pitch adjustment typically costs between $85 to $250.
Sagging Gutter Repairs
Over time, hangers and screws (gutter spikes) can loosen. When they do, your gutters will sag, creating a space between the fascia of your roof and gutter, letting water get to vulnerable areas of the overhang. Repairing sagging gutters can be time-consuming. Depending on how many sections droop, the fix costs $75 to $300 or more.
Gutter Leak Repair
Leaks come from many causes, including cracked or broken sections, loose connectors, and dents. They’re expensive to repair because they usually require replacing the broken section or purchasing a sealant to clog the leak. You can expect to pay anywhere from $120 to $230 to repair a leak.
Downspout Replacement
Clogs, heavy impacts and hard freezes damage downspouts. They cause cracks, bends, and dislodged or missing sections. A loose or broken downspout can lead to water pooling around the home’s foundation, creating more problems. The cost to replace the downspout depends on its material and length.
Here’s a rundown of the cost of different downspouts:
| Downspout Material | Cost Range per Linear Foot |
| Vinyl | $2–$8 |
| Aluminum | $5–$12 |
| Galvanized Steel | $7–$18 |
| Zinc | $9–$20+ |
| Copper | $18–30+ |
| Wood | $19–25+ |
How Do You Know When to Replace Gutters Instead of Repairing Them?
As time passes, even the highest quality gutters degrade and fall into disrepair. The older your gutters get, the less wise it is to invest in repairs — why spend hundreds of dollars repairing sections when you’re going to replace the entire system in a few years? There are signs to keep an eye out for that tell you that your gutters are nearing the end of their life span.
Some of the most important signs your gutters may need to be replaced include:
- Sagging
- Peeling paint
- Rust
- Separating sections
- Loose spikes and fasteners
- Cracks in gutter sections
- Rot and water damage in the fascia or around the gutters
- Pooling water beneath the gutters
Is DIY Worth the Cost Savings of Repairing Gutters?
Do-it-yourself repairs for existing gutters can save you money if damage is minor. Tightening gutter screws or replacing an end cap are easy tasks you can handle. But it’s best to hire a professional for any major gutter repair, such as replacing sections or adding a new downspout.
Serious gutter repairs are a difficult, dangerous job that can result in personal injury. Tackling it alone isn’t worth the small amount of money you’ll save given the risks of an accident. Plus, if you don’t do the job right, your gutters can leak, damage your walls, foundation, and fascia boards.
How Do You Save On Gutter Replacement and Repair Costs?
While professional installations can be expensive, homeowners can save on repair and gutter replacement costs by doing the following:
- Clear gutters regularly: Clogged gutters lead to overflows, freezes, and pest infestations. To avoid this, homeowners should clean their gutters twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall.
- Install gutter guards: Gutter guards go over the top of a gutter and protect gutters from corrosion and falling debris like leaves, twigs, pine and magnolia cones, shingles and foreign objects. Choosing one of the best gutter guards allows you to have clean gutters with much less maintenance.
- Get regular inspections: Be it new gutter installations or older systems, regular inspections help you spot problems before they develop too much and get expensive to fix. If you have a one-story home, you can inspect your own gutters, but you should hire a professional for two-story or larger houses.
We recommend cleaning your gutters at the end of the fall and spring, just before the seasons turn over. By doing this you can get all the debris and gunk removed from your gutters at once, eliminating the need for repeat cleanings.
So, Is Gutter Repair Worth It?
Rain gutter systems are the unsung heroes of home structures. Without them, your home’s walls, foundation, and other systems can get waterlogged, leaving them vulnerable to pest and mold infestations. Damage gutters can’t perform their primary function, keeping your home safe. When you spot a leak or notice your gutters sagging, have them inspected and repaired by a professional.
FAQs About Cost Gutter Repair
What is included in gutter repair services?
When signing up with a gutter repair service, technicians usually inspect your gutters, clean them, repair them, then throw away any debris.
How can I find a reliable gutter repair service?
You can find a reliable gutter repair service by checking for local gutter contractors through a search engine, researching credentials, obtaining multiple free quotes, then choosing the one that suits you best.
How much does it cost to repair gutters around the house?
On the low end, you can expect to pay between $4 and $8 per linear foot. High-end prices can range from $18 to more than $30. However, the national average cost of gutter repair services for a standard-size, single-story home is between $175 and $600.
