Gutter costs

Gutter pricing is quoted per linear foot, so the first number you need is your own footage. Measure the roofline, not the walls. A 2,000 square foot house commonly has 150-250 feet of gutter.

Material is the biggest swing. This Old House's 2026 figures for seamless installation are vinyl $3-$5 per foot, aluminum $4-$9, galvanized steel $8-$10, copper $15-$25, and zinc $35-$45. On 200 feet that is $600-$1,000 for vinyl versus $7,000-$9,000 for zinc.

The guard math is where people overpay. This Old House's 2026 survey data puts professionally installed guards at roughly $40 per linear foot on average — about $6,414-$9,468 for 200 feet. Compare that against your real cleaning cost. At two cleanings a year at $250 each, that is $500 a year, and a $7,900 guard job takes nearly sixteen years to break even before you count the fact that most guarded gutters still need annual cleaning.

Anything sold at the door on a today-only price is a pricing red flag, not a deal. Guard quotes in particular are heavily discounted from an inflated starting number. Get two independent quotes and let the first one expire.

How to choose

Price per foot, not per job

Divide every quote by your linear footage. It is the only way to compare bids that include different downspout counts and extras.

Separate the line items

Demand gutters, downspouts, guards, fascia repair and haul-away as separate lines. Bundled 'system' pricing hides where the money goes.

Aluminum is the default for a reason

At $4-$9 per foot it covers nearly every house. Copper and zinc are architectural choices, not performance upgrades for a standard home.

Run your own guard break-even

Annual cleaning cost times the years you plan to stay, versus the guard quote. If the guard does not win clearly, skip it.

Height costs more than length

Three-story cleaning runs $210-$450 versus $145-$250 single-story. Expect the same premium on installation.

Watch the discount theater

A quote that drops 40% when you hesitate was never a real quote.