Storm & repair
Repair or replace? How to tell what your gutters actually need
Most homeowners call about a symptom — a drip, a sag, a corner that comes loose every year. The useful question is whether that symptom is isolated damage or evidence the system was never right. Those two answers lead to very different budgets.
Repair is the right call when the system is fundamentally sound
If the gutters are correctly sized for the roof, the metal is in good condition, and a specific section has failed, repairing is far cheaper than replacing. Most repairs of this kind land in the low hundreds rather than the thousands.
- A single leaking seam, end cap, or mitered corner
- One run that holds standing water and needs re-pitching
- Loose or missing hangers on an otherwise straight run
- A damaged downspout, elbow, or extension
- Storm damage confined to one side of the house
Replacement usually wins when the pattern repeats
Once you are fixing something every season, you are paying for a replacement in installments. The tell is repetition and spread — multiple runs, multiple symptoms, and problems returning after they were addressed.
- Rust or corrosion through the metal, not just surface staining
- Several sagging runs across different sides of the house
- Sectional gutters with seams that leak in more than a couple of places
- Gutters that overflow when clean — an undersizing problem no repair fixes
- Spike-and-ferrule systems that loosen again within a year of being reset
Fix the cause, not just the leak
A leaking corner is often a symptom of a run holding standing water, and standing water usually means wrong pitch or a sagging hanger. Sealing that corner without correcting the pitch just moves the leak. Ask any contractor why the failure happened; if they cannot tell you, you will likely see it again.
The same applies to fascia. Water that has been running behind a gutter for a season has usually softened the wood. Re-hanging new gutters on rotted fascia guarantees a repeat call.
If a storm caused it, document before you fix
Hail and wind damage is often claimable. Photograph the damage from multiple angles before any repair work happens, and note the date of the storm. As part of ARCC we document storm and hail damage regularly and can work directly with your adjuster.