Gutter replacement
New gutters fail the same way old ones did unless three things change
Replacing a gutter is straightforward. Replacing it so it stops doing what the old one did means fixing the wood it hangs on, sizing it for the water it actually receives, and getting the outlets in the right places.
What gets decided before anything is ordered
Establish what is behind the gutter
Fascia condition, whether there is a drip edge or gutter apron above the trough, and whether the soffit is dry. Hanging new aluminum on wet, soft wood is the single most common way a gutter replacement fails within a few seasons.
Size it to the roof, not to the old gutter
Roof area draining into each run, plus the pitch of that roof. A steep plane delivers water faster, so the same area needs more trough or more outlets.
Place the outlets where the water is
Downspouts belong at the low end of each run and at the point where a valley dumps into the gutter. An outlet in the convenient corner is the reason a run backs up along its whole length.
Set the pitch deliberately
A slight, continuous fall to each outlet, roughly a sixteenth of an inch per foot of run. Enough to drain, not so much that the gutter visibly droops against the fascia line.
Hang it close enough to matter
Hidden hangers screwed into solid wood, spaced tighter than the minimum. This market gets a lot of damaging wind, and hanger spacing is the difference between a run that stays up and one that peels.
K-style, half-round and what the house asks for
| Profile | Where it belongs | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| 5-inch K-style | Most post-war and modern suburban houses with simple roof planes | Adequate for modest areas; the outlets usually decide whether it copes, not the trough |
| 6-inch K-style | Large or steep planes, valleys discharging into one run, roofs with a lot of area per foot of eave | More capacity and a larger outlet; the difference shows up only in heavy rain |
| Half-round | Historic and architecturally sensitive houses, often with a round downspout | The correct profile on a period elevation; hung on brackets and less forgiving of debris |
| Built-in box gutter | Pre-1940 cornices in the city neighborhoods | Not replaceable with a hung gutter without changing the look of the building — see box gutters |
The fascia question, answered honestly
A gutter crew that never mentions the fascia is quoting a gutter, not a repair. Fascia rot is common here precisely because so many roofs were installed without a drip edge or a gutter apron at the eave, so water has been curling back behind the trough for years.
- Soft spots at the ends of runs and under valleys, where the most water has been going.
- Fastener holes that have wallowed out, which is what makes a gutter sag between hangers.
- A fascia board that has been face-nailed and caulked repeatedly, which is a sign somebody has already tried to hold a gutter on with sealant.
- Rot that carries on into the rafter tail behind the board, which is carpentry rather than trim work and is worth knowing about before it is covered up.
If the fascia is going to be replaced, that is also the moment to get a gutter apron in. It costs almost nothing while the trough is down, and it is the detail that keeps the new board dry.
What you should get
- A written scope naming the profile and the outlet count, not "replace gutters".
- Hanger spacing stated, because that is the wind detail and it is invisible once the gutter is up.
- What happens to the existing downspout runs, including any that go underground.
- Whether a gutter apron or drip edge is being added, and if not, why not.
Want the fascia and the sizing looked at before anything gets ordered?
Request a free inspectionCan new gutters go up without replacing the fascia?
Often, yes — rot is usually local rather than continuous, and hidden hangers can be placed in sound wood. What does not work is hanging a run across a section of fascia that is soft the whole way and hoping the fasteners find something.
How many downspouts does a run need?
It depends on the roof area feeding that run and where the water concentrates. What matters more than a rule of thumb is where they go: an outlet at the low end and one near any valley discharge solves most of the problems a longer run has.
Do gutters help with ice dams?
No. An ice dam forms because heat is escaping into the attic and melting snow that refreezes at the cold eave. A gutter full of ice is a symptom of that, and a heavier gutter will not stop it. The fix is air sealing, insulation and ventilation, plus ice and water shield at the eave.
What about the color?
Aluminum coil comes in a range of factory finishes, and they weather better than painted gutter. Matching trim exactly is worth checking against a physical sample rather than a chart, because a finish that reads as white in a brochure can be noticeably warmer on the house.
All work is performed by licensed and insured local roofing professionals.