Gutter replacement cost
Guttering is an essential aspect of our homes that often slips down the ‘to-do’ list in favour of other maintenance jobs. The purpose of gutters – troughs that are usually installed along the eave edges of a roof – is to catch the rainwater run-off and transport it to vertical downpipes and away from your home’s foundations.
With winter upon us, storms, heavy downpours and high winds could all be taking their toll on your guttering system. For example, you might notice sporadic ‘waterfalls’ cropping up around the exterior of your home where the overflow is particularly bad, or unexplained nails and screws littering the ground, as guttering slowly works itself loose. These are both warning signs that the guttering might need to be repaired or replaced.
As with all home upkeep, prevention is better than a cure. In this case, gutter cleaning is a relatively straightforward and uncostly way to keep on top of the problem before it escalates. Ignoring the tell-tale symptoms of blocked or damaged guttering can lead to big issues. These include:
- Leaking roofs – if gutters are blocked by debris such as fallen leaves, rainwater can ‘pool’ on the roof, weakening tiles and causing them to collapse.
- Damaged foundations – structural damage can occur when the rain overflow collects at the base of a building, seeping into the very foundations and in worst-case scenarios can cause collapses. Damp can also become a problem as the water infiltrates the walls of your home.
- Fungal wood rot in walls and attics – moisture-saturated air is especially problematic in winter, when it can cause condensation and mould to form around windows and also go deeper into internal wood structures causing fungal wood rot, a very expensive problem to repair.
- Landscaping damage – A little water for your prized plants and shrubs is a good thing, but too much rain overflow can essentially drown them, along with washing away the soil entirely.
In this blog, we’ll explore gutter replacement cost, gutter cleaning cost and other steps to take to keep your gutters in tip-top condition. Hiring professional and skilled tradespeople is so easy at Find a Craftsman. One simple click here gives you access to a choice of guttering repair specialists, roofing contractors and damp proofing experts amongst many other tradespeople local to you.
Clean gutters regularly
A clean is long overdue if you can’t remember when you last gave your gutters some attention. As a general rule of thumb, it should be done once a year, ideally at the end of autumn – the prime leaf-clogging season – or at the beginning of spring to clear away winter debris, such as twigs, moss and general soil/dirt. Homes in areas surrounded by lots of trees and birds (who may build nests in the guttering trough) can require biannual gutter cleans. Below, we show you how to clean the gutters yourself, but for high roofs and complicated set-ups, it might be best to get the professionals in. Click here to find a specialist in your area.
How to clean gutters
Step 1: Prepare the required kit for the job: a high ladder, thick work gloves, garden scoop, wire brush, bucket and garden hose.
Step 2: Remove as much debris as possible with the garden scoop – after a heavy downpour is a prime time to do this task because it will clump together.
Step 3: Feed the hose nozzle into the gutter and use the flowing water to push stubborn blockages towards the downpipe. The wire brush can help to dislodge further build up. Give the guttering a final rinse.
Gutter cleaning cost
Some professionals charge around £4–£5 per linear metre, or £25–£30 per hour. Depending on the size of the property, on average, cleaning can take from two hours up to a day. Prices vary depending on whether scaffolding is required or not. The quick estimate table below can give you a rough idea of gutter cleaning prices.
Scaffolding | Type of house | Total cost |
X | Terraced | £75–£125 |
X | Semi-detached | £100–£150 |
X | Detached | £100–£200 |
✓ | Terraced | £325–£425 |
✓ | Semi-detached | £375–£425 |
✓ | Detached | £400–£450 |
Source: homehow.co.uk
Gutter replacement cost
The advantage of using a gutter cleaning tradesperson is that they will be able to spot any damaged sections that need to be replaced. Aside from the trough, gutter clips, fascia brackets, stopends (used to cap off open ends) and unions (connecting pieces) can be broken and not water tight. Often, the fascia boards that the guttering is attached to will require replacement or decorating at the same time.
The average cost to replace gutters and fascia is laid out below covering a range of material options (excluding labour).
Property type | Plastic | Cast iron | Copper | Steel | Zinc | Aluminium |
2-bedroom terrace (26m) | £50–£70 | £450–£570 | £640–£700 | £385–£485 | £480–£590 | £560–£680 |
3-bedroom semi (32m) | £60–£80 | £560–£660 | £790–£900 | £490–£580 | £600–£700 | £690–£800 |
4-bedroom detached (46m) | £85–£110 | £810–£910 | £1,100–£1,200 | £680–£780 | £860–£975 | £1,000–£1,100 |
Bungalow (28m) | £50–£80 | £495–£600 | £690–£800 | £410–£530 | £510–£630 | £600–£700 |
Fascia board replacement (including labour) | £100 per metre. A cheaper option is ‘capping’, covering over the existing board with UPVC. This will cost around £50 per metre. |
Source: Roofingassociation.co.uk
Choosing the gutter material
Your budget will influence which material that you select, but there are pros and cons for each one. Screens, filters and specialist guards can also be added to give greater protection. Here are a few examples:
- Plastic is easy to install and can stand up to extreme weather conditions surprisingly well. However, it’s not an eco-friendly choice and may look out of place on period properties.
- Cast iron is hard to beat in terms of longevity – if it is installed correctly, it can last for over 100 years. It is also low-maintenance and 100% recyclable. A good choice for listed buildings and barn conversions.
- Aluminium is the most expensive option, but it provides high strength for low weight and the durability will mean you won’t have to replace it in your lifetime. It is also aesthetically pleasing, adding kerbside appeal for future sale of the property.
Which shape of gutter will look best?
There are a choice of gutter profiles to pick from, apart from the widely used half-round (cylinder) type, which can be selected in a deep-style variant for maximum rain-catching performance.
- Ogee gutters are designed in an S shape with several curves. Once widely used in the Victorian era, they work perfectly with traditional and period properties but can also add a stylish flourish to today’s builds.
- Box cutters, as the name suggests, are constructed in a three-sided rectangular channel. They have larger rainwater capacity compared to other gutter types so should be considered if you live in a particularly wet part of the UK.
Now you have an idea of both the average cost of new gutters and the cost to have gutters cleaned, it makes sense to stop any existing problems in their tracks and ensure no lasting damage is done to your property. As the UK’s most established trade association, The Guild of Master Craftsmen has been proudly representing tradespeople and artisans who have skill, integrity and expertise for over 40 years.
So, you’re just one click away from finding hundreds of reliable, trustworthy and experienced contractors at Find a Craftsman, conveniently located all over the UK. Simply select two or three tradespeople, compare quotes, experience and testimonials, and your guttering will be watertight in no time.