When Gutters Need Replacing

Seven signs a gutter system is done

1. Rusted or split seams that reopen soon after being resealed.
2. Cracks or splits along the trough, not just at joints.
3. Soft or rotted fascia behind the gutter, often visible as dark stains below it.
4. Gutters pulling away from the house in several places, even after hangers are reset.
5. Standing water along whole runs because the pitch has sagged out.
6. Peeling paint or water marks on siding and brick below the gutter line.
7. The wrong size for the roof — overflow every heavy storm even when the gutters are clean.

Repair or replace?

Many repairs are inexpensive — HomeGuide puts the average at $275 — so a single problem on a sound system is rarely a reason to replace. The calculation changes when several of these show up at once, or when repairs keep coming back. More detail on fixes is on the gutter repair page.

Why so many Cobb County systems are reaching the end

More homes standing in Cobb County today were built in the 1980s than in any other decade, and about 29 percent were built before 1980, according to Census figures reported by the Cobb County Courier. Homes from those decades that still carry their original or first-replacement gutters are where seams, hangers and fascia tend to fail together.

Replace the gutters and add guards in one job

When gutters are being replaced anyway, it is the cheapest moment to add gutter guards: one setup, one estimate, and guards fitted to new, properly pitched gutters instead of old ones. It is also the moment to size up to 6-inch gutters on large roof planes.

What replacement costs

Full replacement runs about $12 to $25 per linear foot installed, or $2,200 to $5,000 for a typical home, plus $50 to $200 to remove and dispose of the old system. Two-story homes add roughly $1 to $3 per foot. See gutter costs around Marietta for the full table.

What happens on replacement day

Most single-family replacements around Marietta take a day. The old gutters and downspouts come down first, which exposes the fascia; any soft boards are cut out and replaced before anything new goes up. New runs are formed on site, pitched toward the downspouts, hung on hidden hangers and sealed at the corners. Downspouts go back in the same spots or are moved where drainage was poor, and the system is run with water before the crew leaves.

Choices worth making at replacement

Replacement is the one moment when size, material and layout can all change without extra cost of tearing out something new. The common upgrades:

• Size up to 6-inch on large or steep roof planes that overflow today.
• Add downspouts where long runs drain to a single outlet.
• Move downspouts away from walkways, patios and low corners of the foundation.
• Add guards while the gutters are new and correctly pitched.
• Switch to half-round on older homes where K-style was a later substitution.

Fascia and soffit

Years of overflow usually leave the fascia behind old gutters in worse shape than it looks from the ground. HomeGuide lists fascia and soffit replacement at $4 to $22 per linear foot, and the work is far easier while the gutters are down than as a separate job later. An estimate that includes an allowance for fascia repair avoids surprises.

Comparing replacement quotes

Gutter quotes are easiest to compare per linear foot with the same specification. Before choosing, it helps to line up each quote on the same points: gutter size and gauge, hanger type and spacing, number of downspouts, removal of the old system, fascia allowance, and any guards. Two quotes that look far apart often turn out to describe different systems.