Gutter installation cost

Gutter installation costs roughly $6 to $12 per linear foot installed in aluminum, which puts a typical 150-foot house at $900 to $1,800 before downspouts. Steel runs higher at $9 to $15 per foot and copper far higher at $25 to $45. Guards are a separate line item: $1,800 to $4,500 for micro-mesh on top of the trough itself. The figures below are estimates for planning, not quotes.

What a Gutter Installation Costs by Material

Prices below are installed, meaning material plus labor, for a standard one-story home with normal access. Sectional and seamless are both included in the aluminum range; seamless tends to sit toward the top because it is formed on site.

Copper is quoted against the metal market as well as labor, so its number moves more than the others between seasons. Galvanized steel is the budget version of steel and sits below the range shown; it also rusts from the inside, which is why most contractors steer homeowners toward aluminum at similar money.

The Arithmetic on a Typical House

Measure the runs, multiply by the per-foot price, then add the parts.

A 150-foot job in seamless aluminum at $10 per linear foot is 150 × $10 = $1,500. A 200-foot job at the same rate is 200 × $10 = $2,000. At the low end, 150 × $8 = $1,200; at the high end, 150 × $12 = $1,800.

Downspouts are priced separately because they are sold by the foot and by the fitting. At $8 to $15 per linear foot installed, four downspouts at 12 feet each is 48 feet, or $384 to $720. Add elbows, strainers, and splash blocks, and the downspout package on a typical house is a few hundred dollars more.

Hangers are usually included in a replacement quote but not in a repair. Hidden hangers screwed into rafters cost more per unit than spike-and-ferrule and hold far better, which matters once a guard adds weight to the trough.

Guards Are a Separate Line

A gutter guard is not part of a gutter installation. It is a second product installed on top of the first, and it is priced separately: micro-mesh at $1,800 to $4,500 installed, reverse curve at $2,000 to $5,000, DIY screens at $300 to $900, and inserts at $200 to $800.

The one genuine saving from combining the jobs is labor. The crew is already on ladders, the gutter is already clean and empty, and there is no second mobilization charge. If you know you want guards, price them with the gutter rather than a year later.

Against that, guards on new gutter are only worth it if the debris load justifies them. A new 150-foot aluminum job at $1,500 plus $2,400 of micro-mesh is $3,900 for a house that might need $300 of cleaning twice a year.

What Pushes the Quote Up

Four variables move a gutter quote more than material choice:

• Stories. Second- and third-story work needs taller ladders, more setup, and often a lift. Labor per foot can double.
• Removal and disposal. Tearing off old gutter, especially painted steel or copper, adds labor and dump fees.
• Fascia and soffit damage. Rotted fascia has to be replaced before new hangers can be fastened. This is often discovered during the job, so ask what the contractor charges per linear foot for fascia repair.
• Roofline complexity. Valleys, dormers, and wrap-around porches mean more corners, more outlets, and more waste.

Permits are rarely required for gutter replacement on a single-family house, but some jurisdictions require them for structural changes or for work on historic properties. Ask who pulls the permit and who pays for it.

Repair or Replace

Repair is the right call when the problem is local: one leaking seam, one crushed section, a handful of pulled hangers. A repair visit is a few hundred dollars against a replacement in the thousands.

Replacement becomes the better value when the failures are spread out. If seams are opening in several places, the gutter is undersized for the roof area, or the fascia behind it is soft along multiple runs, patching just moves the cost forward. Our gutter repair cost breakdown covers what individual fixes run, and gutter replacement cost covers the guard-side comparison.

One rule worth applying: if the repair quote reaches a third of the replacement quote, replace. On a $1,500 aluminum job that threshold is $500.

How to Compare Gutter Quotes

1. Ask each contractor to state total linear footage, material, gauge, and whether the gutter is seamless or sectional.
2. Confirm hanger type and spacing in writing. Hidden hangers at 24 inches on center is a common standard; ask what they use.
3. List downspout count and length separately, with the discharge point for each.
4. Ask what happens if fascia damage is found mid-job, and get a per-foot price for the repair before work starts.
5. Get the warranty in writing: material term, labor term, and who performs warranty work.
6. Compare the totals per linear foot, not just the headline number, since footage often differs between quotes.

Bottom Line

New gutters cost about $6 to $12 per linear foot installed in aluminum, $9 to $15 in steel, and $25 to $45 in copper, so a 150-foot house lands near $900 to $1,800 before downspouts. Downspouts add $8 to $15 per foot, and guards add $1,800 to $4,500 as a separate product. Combine the jobs to save mobilization, not to save on material, and skip guards on new gutter if the debris load is light. For the guard side of the budget, see gutter guard installation cost and downspout installation cost.