Types of Gutters and Costs
The good news: Gutters come in all shapes, colors, and prices so you can easily find a match for your style of house and budget. Unfortunately, figuring the right sizes of the gutters and downspouts for your roof involves some head-banging mathematical formulas.
Not to worry. We're here to guide you on the path to gutter glory. If you'd like to do your own calculations for sizing your gutters, we'll help you through it.
Basic Types of Gutters
Let's start with shapes. There are two basic types, and they're referred to by the shape of their cross section. Both types come in 5- and 6-inch widths.
Gutter Materials
Residential gutters are made from various metals, including:
Aluminum
Most widely used material
Lightweight and easy to install for DIYers
Won't rust
.032- or .027-gauge thickness recommended for long-lasting duty in regions with snow
Comes in various colors and can be painted
Cost of materials if you DIY: $2 to 3 per linear foot (6-inch K-style) including downspouts
Cost of pro install (materials and labor): $4 to $9 per linear foot
Copper
Exceptional beauty
Won't rust
No need to paint; will develop a patina over time
Needs pro installation; seams and joints must be welded
Used primarily on high-end residences and historic restorations
Pricey
Cost of pro install (materials and labor): $12 to $25 per linear foot (6-inch K-style)
Seamless Aluminum
Seamless (or continuous) gutters are made at the job site. A truck with a spool of flat aluminum pulls up to your home, and the fabricator uses a gutter-forming machine to custom make whatever gutter length is required. There's no hauling of long gutters. About 70% of all gutter installations are the seamless type.
Installing seamless gutters:
Eliminates many seams and reduces chances of leaks
Costs slightly more than regular aluminum gutters
Cost of pro install (fabrication and materials): $5 to $11 per linear foot (6-inch K-style)
Steel
Strong
Galvanized steel resists rust but longevity is an issue; may start to rust after 5 to 10 years
Many color options; can be painted
Heavy and not recommended for DIY
Can be pricey
Cost of DIY materials, including downspouts: $4 to $6 per linear foot (6-inch K-style)
Cost of pro install (materials and labor): $8 to $10 per linear foot
Vinyl
Lightweight and inexpensive; good for DIYers
Not many colors to choose from
Color susceptible to fading from UV sunlight
May crack in severe cold
Won't support ladders placed against them
Cost of DIY materials, including downspouts: $1 to $2 per linear foot (6-inch K-style)
Cost of pro install (materials and labor): $3 to $5 per linear foot
Zinc
Durable and long-lasting
No need to paint; will develop a patina over time
Needs pro installation; seams and joints must be welded
Used primarily on high-end residences and historic restorations
Expensive
Cost of pro install (materials and labor): $10 to $24 per linear foot, 6-inch half-round (K-style not available in zinc)
Downspouts
Downspouts come as either round or square, in widths from 3 to 6 inches. The most common sizes are rectangular:
2 inches by 3 inches
3 inches by 4 inches
Decorative varieties, such as spiral shapes, are available.
The size and number of downspouts you'll need depends on the capacity of your system.
Rule of thumb: You need one downspout for about every 30 to 40 linear feet of gutter. To increase the capacity of your gutter system, add more downspouts.
How Much Gutter Do You Need?
Figuring gutters sizes and capacities is a complex brain-freeze equation involving the size and slope of your roof and the average maximum rainfall your area can expect. We recommend leaving the calculations to your gutter installation professional.
For the most part, you won’t go wrong with a 5-inch, K-style gutter. "A 5-inch gutter is pretty standard and will handle rainfall just about anywhere in the country," says Bill Sheetz, owner of Lake Cook Exteriors in Palatine, Ill. He uses them on “almost all our installations.” And he specs oversized (3-inch-by-4-inch) downspouts to ensure good drainage.
Sheetz says a 6-inch gutter has almost twice the capacity of a 5-inch, but cautions that in cold climates, larger gutters run the risk of getting weighted down with ice that could damage the gutter system. Moving to a 6-inch gutter increases costs by about 25%.
For those of you who are self-reliant DIYers determined to do the calculations, these step-by-step instructions will take you through the process.
