How much do new gutters cost in Virginia?

There is no standard Virginia price for new gutters. Installers usually quote by the linear foot, though some give one price for the whole job, and what you pay comes down to a handful of things you can see from your own driveway: how many feet of gutter the house needs, the material and size, how many downspouts and corners there are, how high the eaves are, and whether old gutters or rotten fascia have to come off first. Measure, decide on the specification, then compare written bids for the same job.

What drives the price

Footage. Everything else is multiplied by it. For a sense of scale, Amerimax puts the average home at about 150 linear feet of gutter,^[1] but a long ranch or a house with many bump-outs can be well above that. Measure every run before the first estimate visit, so you can check the footage on each quote.

Material. The Building America Solution Center, run for the U.S. Department of Energy, notes that gutters come in vinyl, aluminum, galvanized steel and copper,^[2] and that copper and galvanized steel stand up to impacts from ladders and tree branches better than vinyl and aluminum, which can crack or dent.^[2] Ask each bidder to price the material you want, and one alternative if you are undecided, so the difference shows up on your own footage rather than as a rule of thumb.

Size. Gutter channels typically come in 4-, 5- and 6-inch sizes, and a larger one carries more water faster, provided there are enough downspouts to drain it.^[2] New Tech Machinery, which builds the machines installers use, describes its 5-inch K-style machine as the residential standard and sizes its 6-inch one for larger homes and light commercial work.^[4] If you are weighing 5-inch against 6-inch, ask each bidder to price both per foot, with downspouts sized to match.

Downspouts. Each downspout adds material and labour. The Building America rule of thumb is to allow 1 square inch of downspout cross-section for every 100 square feet of roof area, with downspouts at least 20 feet apart but no more than 50 feet apart.^[2] Amerimax notes that a 2-by-3-inch downspout drains 186 gallons per minute and a 3-by-4-inch one drains 434.^[3] Ask for the number and size of downspouts to be written into every bid, so you are comparing the same drainage.

Seamless or sectional. Seamless gutters are formed on site from a coil of metal, one continuous piece per run with no pre-made joints.^[4] That takes an installer with a forming machine. Sectional gutters are sold as parts to assemble: Amerimax's sectional system, for example, lists gutter in 10-foot lengths, joined with seamers or slip-joint connectors and sealed with its SeamerMate sealant.^[3] See whether seamless gutters are worth it for the trade-off.

Height and access. A single-storey eave on flat ground is the cheap case. Second-storey runs, steep slopes, decks or landscaping under the eaves all add setup time and labour.

Corners, valleys and extras. Inside and outside corners usually add labour, so ask how each bid counts them. Downspout extensions, splash blocks and gutter guards are usually priced separately.

Tear-off and fascia. Amerimax's installation sheet starts by removing the old gutters and inspecting the fascia board, replacing it if needed.^[3] Rotten fascia often turns up behind gutters that overflowed for years, and its repair is extra. A good bid says how fascia repair will be priced if the installer finds it once the old gutters are down.

Hanger spacing. Amerimax calls for one hanger every 24 inches, or every 18 inches in areas with heavy ice and snow loads.^[3] Ask each bidder what spacing they use, and whether closer spacing would change the price, especially where snow sits in the gutters.

Permits

Virginia's Uniform Statewide Building Code applies statewide, and permit applications go to the local building official.^[11] The code's list of work that needs no permit includes construction work deemed by the building official to be minor and ordinary and that does not adversely affect public health or general safety,^[11] so how gutters are treated is the local official's call. Pittsylvania County lists gutters among the jobs that need no building permit.^[8] Elsewhere, ask your county or city building office, and ask again if fascia, roof edge or framing repairs are part of the job.

What to ask for in a written quote

The Board for Contractors' consumer guide says that if the work you are considering is valued at $1,000 or more, a valid Virginia Contractor's License is required,^[5] while under the Code of Virginia a Class C licence covers jobs with a single contract over $1,000 and under $30,000.^[6] The statute is what governs, and the two differ only at exactly $1,000, so check the licence of anyone quoting a job near that figure or above it. The same guide advises that you get at least three written bids or estimates using identical plans and specifications,^[5] and suggests an initial deposit of no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less.^[5]

The Board's regulations require a written contract for residential work that states the total cost, the amount of the down payment and the schedule of payments, and the materials and work to be performed.^[7] Any change to the cost, materials, work or completion date has to be in writing and signed by both parties.^[7] Ask every bidder to list:

• Total footage, gutter size, material and metal thickness, and colour.
• Number and size of downspouts, and any extensions or splash blocks.
• Hanger type and spacing.
• Tear-off and haul-away of the old gutters.
• How fascia repair is priced if they find rot.
• The labour warranty, and whose warranty covers the material's finish.

Virginia's Home Solicitation Sales Act covers a sale in which the seller personally solicits it at your home and you give your agreement there.^[10] In that case you have until midnight of the third business day after you sign to cancel in writing.^[9] The Act does not cover a sale made pursuant to prior negotiations between the parties.^[10] There is also an emergency exception. If you asked the seller to provide goods or services without delay because of an emergency, you lose the right to cancel only when all three of these are true: the seller in good faith made a substantial beginning of performance before you gave notice of cancellation; in the case of goods, the goods cannot be returned to the seller in substantially as good condition as when you received them; and your emergency request was in a dated writing you personally signed that expressly states you understand you are waiving your right to cancel.^[9] Outside that exception, any waiver of the right to cancel is void.^[9]

Stop and call a pro if

• Any run is above the first storey, or reaching it means getting onto the roof.
• The fascia behind the old gutters is soft, stained or split, or the rafter ends behind it look damaged.
• Water runs behind the gutters or the roof edge itself looks damaged.
• Clean gutters still overflow, so the system needs to be resized rather than replaced like for like.

Read how to adjust gutters so they drain properly if your gutters may only need rehanging, browse gutter install and repair businesses and the other exterior answers, or look up exterior pros around Blacksburg. When you are ready, describe the gutter job once and licensed local businesses quote it.