New gutters, done properly: a guide to hiring the right installer

What replacing guttering involves

A guttering job means removing the old gutter, checking and repairing the fascia behind it, then fitting new gutter, brackets and downpipes set to the right fall so water runs to the outlets rather than pooling. It usually includes tying the downpipes into the existing stormwater and, on many homes, fitting or renewing valleys and flashings where the roof sheds into the gutter.

It overlaps closely with roofing and fascia work. Rotten timber fascia often has to be replaced before new gutter can be hung, and homes with tricky rooflines or a switch to fascia-mounted systems can turn a simple swap into a bigger job. Gutter guard and leaf protection are common add-ons quoted alongside the replacement.

How guttering is priced

Guttering is quoted per linear metre installed, so the perimeter of the roof, the number of downpipes and the profile you choose set the band — a straightforward single-storey replacement lands in the low thousands, while a large or two-storey home with fascia repairs and gutter guard climbs from there. Colorbond in a standard profile is the value option; heritage, box and half-round profiles cost more.

Access is the quiet multiplier. A single-storey home with clear ground around it is quick; a two-storey, a steep block or a home hemmed in by structures needs more setup and safety gear, and that time lands in the quote. Fascia replacement, extra downpipes and leaf guard are separate lines. Treat the figures here as indicative until an installer has seen the roofline.

Choosing a guttering installer

Guttering falls under roofing and building work, so licensing depends on your state and the scope — check what's required where you are, and prioritise installers who carry public liability insurance and work safely at height, because most of this job happens on a ladder or roof. Recent local jobs and a written quote that spells out the profile, colour and downpipe count are the marks of a professional.

The technical detail that separates good from bad is fall and fixing. Ask how they'll set the fall to the outlets and how often the gutter is bracketed, because under-bracketed gutter sags and badly fallen gutter overflows no matter how new it is. A quote that mentions fascia condition unprompted is a quote from someone who's actually looked.

Mistakes to avoid

Gutter problems that come back are almost always fall or drainage problems — new gutter hung with the wrong fall overflows exactly like the old one, and downpipes that don't reach the stormwater just move the flooding.

• Choosing on colour and profile while ignoring how the fall and bracketing are set
• Not checking whether the fascia behind the gutter needs replacing first
• Assuming downpipes will be tied into stormwater — confirm it, or you've just relocated the problem
• Skipping gutter guard on a leafy block, then paying for constant clean-outs
• Hiring on price without confirming insurance and safe working-at-height practice
• Comparing per-metre rates without matching the profile and downpipe count