DIY gutter job or hire it out?

[nate379]

I need to put gutters on my house and garage.

I priced it out using the vinyl gutter system Lowe's has and it's going to be right around $425 in materials.

I got 2 quotes for metal seemless gutters. One is $975, the other is $1000.

My Dad said that it was $$$$ and I should do it myself... I dunno. I have no problem doing the work, just one of those... is it worth my time situations kinda.

 

[bry@n]

Personally, I would sub it out. They will be done in a couple of hours. Not worth it for me, but that's just me. My gutters are also 40ft in the air and I don't have a ladder. so..

 

[nate379]

These are ~10ft up and I have 2 or 3 ladders.

 

[rieferman]

I think you can accomplish the work no problem based on all the other tasks I've read about you handling. But the question is wheter you want seamless or not. The cost difference isn't too big from what you're writing (and you may be able to haggle with them a little) that I'd personally go with seamless and forget about it.

 

[nate379]

I can do the work no problem. Never put up gutters before, but it can't be that hard to screw up

More or less it comes down to is metal seemless with the ~$600 extra.

 

[tdkkart]

The prices on the seamless seem high to me, but you didn't say how many feet of gutter we're talking about.

I've had both, I'll never have the vinyl again. They sag, the seams leak, they don't handle snow/ice loads very well, and if you're area is prone to hail, quarter size hail will turn your gutters into screens.

Seamless IMO.

 

[Falcon67]

Vinyl is OK, I've had some on the garage and part of the house for almost 10 years. Buy spare mating parts and mounts, especially downspout brackets. All plastic shrinks and will eventually crack or fail somehow. Once it's up for a while - years - it'll sometimes bust into pieces when you try to move a section. I'm sure the vinyl in the Lowes gutters is not the premium brand LOL. But they work. Just need a little slope and a place to point the downspouts. FWIW they survived the big hail storm in 1999 that caused us to replace our entire roof down to the rafters. They didn't survive the roofers though.

 

[malibu101]

A few years ago I wanted to replace my gutters. It was nothing that I couldn't handle but I really wanted seamless aluminum. I called a local roofer and asked him if he would spit out some gutter in my yard and supply me with the end caps and hangers when he had time.
He stopped by in a few days made the gutters to the length I asked for and supplied the hardware.
He asked if I was paying cash or check. I pulled out cash and he gave me his price which I thought was a very good deal. He stuck the cash in his pocket and we were both happy guys.
That's my experience. If you can safley reach it-do it.

 

[rieferman]

good call malibu, I hadn't even thought of that as an option

 

[knudsen]

I was amazed at how fast and easy plastic went up for me. No leaks for 5 years. I got the cheapest **** I could find at Menards, the wal-mart of hardware/lumber yard stores. I vasolined all the rubber. Longest run 24 ft. They often have the gutter free after rebate, then burn you on all the fittings.

 

[GN4WHLN]

Never used the plastic stuff, but about 10 years ago I did my home with white powder coated metal. I fitted them using aviation snips, riveted the connectors to the gutters and down pipes, and sealed the seams with roofing tar. They have worked perfectly since installation. Bear in mind I don't get snow or hail here and I have no problems with leaves. I wash them out about once a year. We get heavy rain ony a few times per year, but during that time thay have worked fine.

My mom and dad have seemless, but part of that decision is they wanted copper that would oxidize as an architectural detail. Beautiful, but expensive.

I would be inclined to do it myself unless you are looking for something special that you need to hire out. For me, I have enough money to hire out most stuff but I hate paying some one to do something I am capable of.

 

[nate379]

I wish I could get aluminum at Lowe's instead of plastic. They don't carry it up here. I need to check at Home Deport though.

It's about 125ft and 5 downspouts.

 

[knudsen]

I wonder how long the plastic lasts. If it makes it ten years, I'm ahead of the game.. I know hte longevity of siding and other outdoor plastics is way better than years back. I would have gone metal if I had the money a the time and I was going to stay here after I retire. Can't they special order the alluminum for you?

 

[ddrewyor]

I'm in Michigan and we have a place called Siding World that will make the gutter any length you want for $.99 a foot. When I did my garage, 40' long, I had them make 4 runs just over 20'. Could not carry anything longer. I seamed them with the silver gutter sealer in the middle and they have never leaked. See if you can find a shop like Siding World or a contractor like malibu101 suggested. Good luck

Dave
________
Chevrolet Kodiak Specifications

 

[ddawg16]

The gutters are one of the few things that was well worth the money....

Walk around the neighborhood and look at houses that have plastic (vinyl) and those with the seamless....I personally think the seams in the plastic look like ****.....and your limited to colors...white and brown.....

No, it's not hard work....but I would rather work over time doing something I enjoy vs climbing up on the roof....and it is a 2 person job....one guy would have a hard time.

 

[nate379]

If they are going to roll the gutter I'd just assume have them hang it at that point. I don't think there would be much cost savings.

I have another guy coming tomorrow. He can do 1/2 round which is what I wanted. If his price is in line with the others, I think I will have have him do it.

The one guy that came buy kinda pissed me off. I called and the secretary said he'd call back. Left my details with her.
Next day I call again... oh... um... hmmm... he will call.

Like a week later he calls at some odd hr and says he won't be able to make it out, but he will try later. (Never had set up an appointment, so not sure WTF was going on there)
Then out of the blue last night he comes by and does the quote.

My parent's did plastic gutters in the early 90s and they are still on the house now. Leak a bit here and there, but not too bad. They get 15-16ft of snow a winter too, and held up to that, ladders, etc... but IMO they are cheap looking compared to seamless.

 

[Bevis]

Getting ready to have seamless gutters hung on the front of my house. Quoted $500. With my schedule, he can roll them out and hang them and it'll be one less thing I'd have to do.

 

[jay50]

I vote for seamless gutters installed as turn key job.
Contractor does it while I watch while sipping on a cold beer.

 

[Ruiner]

I like malibu's idea, I'll have to find someone local when it comes time to do that...

 

[35mastr]

I had my roof and gutters done last year. The prices you guys listing seem to be very cheap or you dont have that much footage to cover. I paid 2100.00 for mine. But I have them all the way around the house including the garage and 36 feet on the shed.

Seamless is the only way to go. Can get in many colors and they are cut to size and put up in a day by a pro. I just could not be bothered doing that job. Too many times running up and down the ladder for me.

 

[jay50]

I had my roof and gutters done last year. The prices you guys listing seem to be very cheap or you dont have that much footage to cover. I paid 2100.00 for mine. But I have them all the way around the house including the garage and 36 feet on the shed.

Seamless is the only way to go. Can get in many colors and they are cut to size and put up in a day by a pro. I just could not be bothered doing that job. Too many times running up and down the ladder for me.

The guy that did mine "borrowed" the bosses gutter machine to do mine as a cash job on the weekend (he didn't get caught..)

Always ask for the cash price; it's a win-win for both...

 

[tcianci]

The prices you are getting dont seem too bad. All you need to do is decide of you want to cough up the money for the labor or not. Around here (MA) we get the seamless guy to come on site and spit them out. After I zip screw the end caps and ferrules into them and seal them, I fasten a couple of outriggers to the underside of the soffit and just rest the assembled gutter on them, that leaves my hands free to attach the gutter to the fascia. But I wouldn't bother doing the sections from Lowes or HD

 

[malibu101]

I agree that if the gutter runs are long I'm sure it gets tough to do without proper rigging and enough hands.
My longest piece was about 25' long and about 12' off the ground. 2 guys with 2 ladders was really not a problem at that length. House has a couple that are about 20' at about 25' high. It would be hard for one guy to take up, hold with one hand and screw with the other almost any length.

 

[malibu101]

...............
After I zip screw the end caps and ferrules into them and seal them, I fasten a couple of outriggers to the underside of the soffit and just rest the assembled gutter on them, that leaves my hands free to attach the gutter to the fascia. But I wouldn't bother doing the sections from Lowes or HD

SMART idea

 

[kwright]

This is one job I sub out. I have seamless gutters on everything, house, pole barn (for hobby-farm), and now my new 28x36' shop.

I called the guy a while back, his crew shows up a week later at 5:15pm, there's two of them. They matched the fascia color perfectly, it's all seamless, and they were done in just under an hour. No metal scrap or stray nails or screws in the yard when they left (I always check), no fuss no muss.

Bill came to $416.00 for two 36' foot runs w/downspouts.

 

[benjamming]

You said 5 downspouts. What is the rule of thumb for how often to place a downspout?

 

[nate379]

You want a run to be no more than 40 ft usually. I have 1 run that is 48 and the others are shorter. It just works out with quite a few downspouts because of the multiple rooflines.

 

[BillK]

Nate,
I did not read all of the replies ...... what I did about a year ago, was pay someone to actually make the seamless gutters. Then I put them up myself. Saved about half.

For what its worth .... I was replacing the vinyl gutters that had been p for about ten years. They have always leaked at the joints and really did not look that good.

 

[nate379]

I got another quote today.

$860.

He can do 1/2 round, but it's $14 a foot in aluminum... compared to $12 a foot for copper K sytle. The Aluminum K style is $5 a foot.

I'd be looking at ~$1500 just for materials to do 1/2 round.

Anyhow I think I'm gonna go with this guy.

 

[PurdueSD]

Another vote for seamless...

I had a guy come to my house and roll me (2) 36' sections and 1 30'. It cost about 400 bucks including hangers/ rivets/ sealer and 3 downspouts/ all the elbows.

My father and I hung them all in about an hour and a half.

2 things to really watch for if you have them install them...

a. make sure they put up enough hangers

b. Make sure they start the gutter up in behind the drip edge on one end. If the long run tapers down far enough that there is a gap between the gutter and drip edge, you are going to have water leaking behind the gutters ( Have them slide a thin strip of aluminum in there to make up the gap... Not a ton of water but just enough to piss you off.

 

[4-RunDog]

Having no seams is worth the extra expense!

 

[nate379]

The one run that is 48' they want to do 1 downspout, I think I will have them do 2 instead. The first quote I got they put 2.

 

[chrislehr]

I am bumping this thread and adding a question - those who did Vinyl and DIY'd - what make/vendor/system did you go with? Would you do it again if you could re-pick and why/why not?

 

[sc3013]

Just had mine done today.
Two 40' runs, and two 36' runs. Four down spouts, but they used 5'' comercial downs. Two of them are 14' and two are 9'. Was easy work sitting and watching them go up, and safer to boot. Just short of $800.oo. Color match was spot on also. leroy

 

[nate379]

Cost me $858 for the house. Took them an afternoon, would have taken me a weekend easily. I talked to him about "drop and go" and it would have been around $600, so well worth the extra $300 for intall.

 

[Flathead Red]

I have had the HD version of plastic gutters and I will never do it again. I got them because they fit my budget at the time and I could do them myself. I put them up in a couple hours and they worked great for the first year and then joints leaked and faile in two spots. After replacing the joints they worked well for another year and two other joints failed. For the time and money spent, go with seamless. They look better too.

Flathead Red