If you have decided that it’s time to replace your gutters, you are probably wondering how much gutter installation will cost. There are some special considerations for homeowners in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill that affect how much you will pay for updating your gutters, so let’s get right into the details.
Gutter Replacement Usually Costs More for Older Homes
National publications like Architectural Digest will tell you that the average cost for gutter installation is about $2200, with a range of $1500 to $7000, but gutter replacement for older homes in the Triangle sometimes gets pretty pricey.
That’s because older homes in the Triangle accumulate damage from rain and humidity a lot more than in other parts of the country. The most common added expense when a homeowner is replacing gutters in central North Carolina is fascia repair.
If you repaint fascia boards before they undergo significant damage, you may extend their life another 10 to even 20 years. That’s not quite as long as the gutters you are putting over them, however, so going ahead and preventing wood rot is usually a good idea.
Most contractors recommend wrapping the trim boards beneath your gutters in aluminum or vinyl, or at least giving them a protective coating with epoxy paint. If you don’t keep your fascia in good repair, you can soon discover you have an attic full of squirrels!
If your fascia is in good shape, the cost of replacing your gutters is likely to be a lot closer to $1,500 than to $7,000. Now, let’s take a look at how to do the math to come up with a good estimate of the cost of replacing your gutters.
How to Estimate the Cost of Replacing Your Gutters
The first step in estimating the cost of replacing your gutters is figuring out how many feet of gutter you need to replace. The rule of thumb for homes in central North Carolina is that you need 1 linear foot of gutter for every 10 square feet of floor space in your home.
If you have a 2,000-square foot house, for example, you will need 200 linear feet of gutter. If you have a 6,000-square foot house, you will need 600 linear feet of gutter.
There is some expense involved in taking down the gutters you already have. Budget 65 to 85 cents per linear foot for gutter removal.
Then you need to consider the cost of replacing your gutters. A low-cost option, like copper, will set you back $4 to $6 a linear foot. Durable, long-lasting materials like copper may cost $25 to $40 per linear foot.
Here are some comparative costs for gutter replacement calculated for a 2,000-square foot house in Triangle.
- Vinyl costs $5 a foot, so replacing the gutters on a 2,000-square foot house would cost around $1,000.
- Aluminum is $9 a foot, so gutter replacement would run around $1,800.
- Steel is $10 a foot, so gutter replacement would run around $2,000.
- Zinc is $20 a foot, so gutter replacement would run around $4,000.
- Copper is $33 a toot, so gutter replacement would run around $6,600.
There is one more cost factor for gutter replacement for homes in the Triangle. If you have trees — and most homes in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill do — you need a gutter guard to keep leaves and other debris from clogging your gutters. High-end, professionally installed gutter guards may add $5,000 to $7,000 to the cost of gutter replacement. However, do-it-yourself gutter guards in PVC may cost as little as $2 per linear foot.
