Gutter replacement cost

Gutter replacement costs $7 to $15 per linear foot for aluminum, which is $1,400 to $3,000 on a 200-foot house, and $5,000 to $8,000 for copper on the same run. The gap between those numbers is metal and finish, not labor. Most replacement quotes are driven by footage, stories, and the number of corners, so the same house can produce bids hundreds of dollars apart before anyone discusses material.

What Replacement Covers

Gutter replacement is the removal of the old trough and the installation of a new one, including fascia inspection, new hangers, downspouts, and a drainage test. Seamless gutter is formed on site to the exact length of each run, which removes most of the joints and is now the standard for residential work.

Sectional gutter, sold in 10-foot lengths with clip-together joints, is cheaper per foot and leaks at more places. Vinyl is the cheapest of all and the shortest-lived in a freeze-thaw climate.

The Price by Material

These are installed planning ranges for a typical house, including removal and standard downspouts. They assume a single story and a simple roofline.

The life expectancy column is a range because the same metal lasts differently on a coast, under trees, and in a climate with 100 freeze-thaw cycles a year. It is not a warranty.

Arithmetic on a 200-Foot House

Multiply the per-foot price by the footage, then add the items that a per-foot price usually excludes.

• Aluminum seamless at the low end: 200 ft × $7 = $1,400.
• Aluminum seamless at the high end: 200 ft × $15 = $3,000.
• Steel at $10 to $20: 200 × $10 = $2,000; 200 × $20 = $4,000.
• Copper at $25 to $40: 200 × $25 = $5,000; 200 × $40 = $8,000.

Now the add-ons. Four downspouts at $9 to $20 per foot installed add $434 to $1,042 on 48 feet of pipe, as set out in downspout installation cost. Removing and disposing of the old gutter adds $100 to $300. Fascia repair, if the old gutter has been leaking, adds $300 to $800 per rotted section.

A realistic all-in budget for a 200-foot single-story aluminum job is therefore $1,400 + $434 + $100 = $1,934 at the low end, and $3,000 + $1,042 + $300 = $4,342 at the high end. That is the number to compare with a bid, not the bare per-foot rate.

What Adds to the Bill

Height is the first. A second story adds roughly 20 to 40 percent to labor, because every length has to be carried up and held in place longer.

Corners and rooflines are the second. Each inside or outside corner needs a fabricated piece, and a house with dormers, bays, and multiple roof planes has more corners per foot than a plain rectangle. A quote that lists corners separately is easier to check than one that folds them into a rate.

Access is the third. A run above a deck, a steep grade, or dense landscaping slows the crew and sometimes requires scaffolding.

Finally, the season matters. Replacement work concentrates in spring and fall, and a crew booked out for weeks has less reason to sharpen a price.

Replace the Gutter or Just the Guard

A guard does not fix a gutter, and the order of spending matters.

If the trough is sound, holds pitch, and has good hangers, a guard is the next purchase: $1,800 to $4,500 for micro-mesh, $2,000 to $5,000 for reverse-curve, or $300 to $900 for a DIY screen. If the trough is rusted, sagging, or leaking at the seams, replacement comes first, because a $3,000 cover over failing metal is money spent hiding the failure.

The comparison is stark on a 200-foot house. Replacing the gutter in aluminum seamless costs $1,400 to $3,000 for the metal alone. A micro-mesh system costs $1,800 to $4,500. They are the same order of expense, which is why installing a premium guard on a 25-year-old gutter is usually the wrong sequence.

Timing: Do the Guard With the Gutter

If both are needed, do them in one job. The crew is already on the ladder, the fascia is already exposed, and the new gutter can be ordered with the guard’s fastening detail in mind. Doing them separately pays for the setup twice and often pays for a second removal when the guard has to come off the new gutter to fix a hanger.

There is one exception. If the budget only covers one this year, replace the gutter and wait on the guard. A sound bare gutter with annual cleaning is a working system. A guarded gutter with failing metal is not.

How to Compare Bids

1. Ask for the linear footage, measured run by run, and check the total against your own measurement.
2. Confirm the metal, the gauge or thickness, and whether the gutter is seamless or sectional.
3. Ask what happens to the fascia: is it inspected, and what is the price per foot if it is soft.
4. Confirm the number of downspouts, outlets, end caps, and corners included.
5. Ask whether removal and disposal are in the price.
6. Divide the total by the footage and compare with the $7 to $20 band, then compare the add-on lines between bids.

For the material detail, see seamless gutter cost and gutter installation cost. The repair alternative is in gutter repair cost, and the guard ranges are in gutter guard cost.

Bottom Line

Gutter replacement runs $7 to $15 per foot for aluminum and $25 to $40 for copper, which is $1,400 to $8,000 on a 200-foot house before downspouts and fascia. Seamless aluminum is the default for good reason: fewer joints, a formed fit, and a price close to what a premium guard costs. Replace failing metal first, and add the guard in the same visit if the debris load justifies it.