Gutter comparisons

Seamless vs sectional. Sectional gutters come in stock lengths and are joined every few feet. Every joint is a future leak. Seamless gutters are rolled on site from one coil per run, so the only joints are at corners and outlets. This Old House puts seamless at 20-30 years against 10-15 years for sectional. If a pro is doing the work, seamless is the standard.

5-inch vs 6-inch. A 5-inch K-style gutter handles roughly 5,520 square feet of drainage area; 6-inch takes it to about 7,960, per This Old House. Bigger roofs, steeper pitches, long uninterrupted runs and high rainfall intensity all push you toward 6-inch. Six-inch also pairs with larger 3x4 downspouts, which clog far less than 2x3.

Aluminum vs copper. On 200 feet this is $800-$1,800 against $3,000-$5,000. Copper is a look. Nothing about a standard asphalt-shingle house requires it.

Guards vs cleaning. This is the comparison that costs people the most money. Professionally installed guards average about $40 per linear foot; cleaning is $191-$529 per visit. Do the arithmetic for your own house and your own tree cover, and remember that guarded gutters still need periodic cleaning.

How to choose

Default to seamless if hiring out

The price difference over sectional is small next to the difference in service life.

Upsize before you guard

If your gutters overflow in storms, 6-inch gutters and 3x4 downspouts fix more than any guard will.

Compare on installed price per foot

Material price alone is meaningless. Labor is most of the job.

Do the guard break-even in years

Guard quote divided by annual cleaning cost. If the answer exceeds how long you plan to own the house, do not buy.

K-style vs half-round is aesthetic

K-style holds more water per foot at the same nominal size and dominates modern homes. Half-round suits period architecture.

Match downspouts to gutters

A 6-inch gutter feeding a 2x3 downspout is a bottleneck. Upgrade both or neither.