Gutter guards: what drives the cost
No home product has a wider spread of quotes for the same house than gutter guards. The type explains some of it. The way they are sold explains the rest.
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The short version
- What sets the price
- The type of guard, the footage and how it is sold.
- Know before the visit
- The length of your gutters, so quotes can be compared per foot.
- Slow down when
- The price drops sharply if you sign on the spot.
A quote should spell out
- The type and material of the guard.
- The price per foot and the total footage.
- Whether gutters are cleaned and repaired first.
- What the warranty covers, in writing.
Signs to slow down
- A price that falls by half during the visit.
- Pressure to sign before the salesperson leaves.
- A claim that you will never clean gutters again.
- No written description of the product.
The main types
- ScreensMetal or plastic mesh that sits over the gutter. Simple to fit and to remove for cleaning.
- Micro-meshA fine stainless mesh on a frame. It stops small debris and needs occasional brushing off.
- Solid coversCurved covers that let water follow the edge into the gutter. Heavy rain can overshoot them.
- InsertsFoam or brush pieces that sit inside the gutter. Low cost, and they hold debris that has to be cleared.
How to compare offers
- Measure your gutters so every quote uses the same footage.
- Ask each company for the product name and the price per foot.
- Read the warranty for what it excludes.
- Take a day before signing. A fair price is still fair tomorrow.
Guards reduce how often gutters need cleaning. They do not make gutters something you can stop checking, whatever the brochure says.
Do gutter guards work?
Gutter installation: what drives the cost