Looking for information regarding gutter styles and sizes?
Most homeowners don’t think about their home’s gutter system until it’s time to replace them or they have a gutter issue. When this occurs, many homeowners are pleasantly surprised by the variety of gutters they can choose from.
Today, we will review the essential rain gutters, styles, and sizes to help you select!
The Basic Rain Gutter Styles And Sizes
The most popular gutter styles are K-style gutters and half-round gutters. Sometimes the gutter material you choose will determine which style looks best on your home!
Gutter Sizes
Most houses that utilize rain gutters will have five-inch or six-inch gutters. Pricing is based on linear feet, and the size of your gutters can increase or decrease the price. Since most homeowners use aluminum gutters, the two factors that will determine which size is best for your home are as follows:
- The severity of rain storms in your area. Heavy rainfall means you need more oversized gutters in most cases! Many new homes are installed with 6-inch gutters.
- Size of your fascia/trim area where gutters are mounted. If a small space is too small to support six-inch gutters, though rare, you must stick with five-inch gutters.
Now that you are familiar with the sizes of gutters, here are the styles you can choose from!
K-style rain gutters
Named after their resemblance to the letter K when viewed from the side, k-style gutter systems are aluminum gutters with rectangular downspouts. The back of these gutters is flat, so it can be flush mounted to your home’s fascia boards. The k style gutter is installed using hidden hanger screw-in brackets which helps with durability.
āļø Pros include affordability, a classy style, and a variety of colors.
āThe cons are they do require cleaning or gutter guards.
Half-round gutters
Shaped like a pipe cut in half, half-round gutters carry water very effectively and are much easier to clean. Since they were more common years and years ago, their recent popularity has made them more desirable because of their traditional look. Many times, the material for half-round gutters is a stronger metal, such as galvanized steel or copper.
ā The downside is they are expensive to install, and they are not flush on the back side, thus requiring professional installation with brackets.
Fascia gutters
Custom-built fascia gutters have a contemporary look but are more expensive since they are custom. According to ABC Seamless, fascia gutters offer increased water capacity and can carry up to 33 percent more water than the conventional 5-inch K-style gutter. The double-flow capacity of our optional downspouts and extensions reduces the possibility of your gutters overflowing, clogging, or flooding by directing water away from your homeās foundation.
Box-Style gutters
You most likely won’t see box gutters on a home. Instead, more often than not, you will find them in a commercial building. That said, these gutters are designed to handle heavier rainfall and are typically much larger, ranging from 7-8 inches in size up to 10 inches. Most homes that utilize a box-style gutter system have larger roof areas.
Most Popular Gutter Materials
Now that you know the popular gutter styles, here is a list of the most popular gutter materials!
Aluminum Gutters
Seamless aluminum gutters are the most popular gutter material, offering affordability and durability. If you currently have gutters on your home, chances are you have aluminum k-style gutters. Aluminum gutters offer the following:
- Durability
- Affordability (aside from vinyl, aluminum gutters are the cheapest)
- Wide variety of color selection
The only thing aluminum rain gutters require is regular cleaning each fall if you live in a heavily wooded area.
Copper Gutters
Copper gutters typically come in the half-round variety but can also be found in k-style. Offering an elegant look, copper gutters are very classy and pricey. Most homeowners choose aluminum gutters with a brown color instead of using copper. The upside to copper gutters is they don’t rust, warp, or bend and are known to be very durable.
Galvanized Steel Gutters
Steel rain gutters are more durable than aluminum gutters, particularly in severe-weather climates, but that also means they are more expensive. The upside to galvanized steel gutters is you will never have to replace them since their average life expectancy is 80 years! Installation is a bit trickier, and they require professional installation.
Vinyl Gutters
Vinyl gutters are the least expensive choice, and the easiest for DIY installation, as they are lightweight, reasonably easy to cut, and snap together. The pro to vinyl is the price; outside of that, the truth is vinyl gutters are not built to last. Regarding your home’s gutter system, gutters are meant to perform and protect. Vinyl gutters cost little because they don’t perform or last very long.
Zinc Gutters
Zinc rain gutters are expensive but highly durable, resisting corrosion, weathering, and warping because they are pre-weathered. Similar to steel gutters and copper gutters, zinc gutters are very hardy but also very pricey.
Sectional vs. Seamless Gutters: Which Is Better?
All of the above-mentioned styles and materials are installed as seamless gutters. This means each gutter system is custom-cut to fit the area on your home. The other option is sectional gutters, which are traditionally known to have more leaks and durability issues.
The obvious choice is seamless gutters, which consist of one long continuous run that doesn’t leak.
Knowing Your Gutter System
You might be wondering what the purpose of your gutter system is and what it consists of. The core function of your home’s gutter system is to protect your home from rainwater. Hence the common name of “Rain Gutters.”
Your gutter system consists of the following:
- Gutter runs: these are the k-style gutters or half-round gutters mounted to your house.
- Fascia board: where gutters are mounted along the edge of your home’s roof.
- Downspouts: vertical rectangular gutter pipes that carry rainwater from your gutters to the ground below. Some homeowners like round downspouts, typically found on historic buildings and older homes.
- Downspout elbow: The curled parts on downspouts that bend allowing for water to shift when entering/exiting downspouts.
- Splash block: Water can erode the ground below a downspout very quickly and this includes asphalt! A splash block collects the impact of water traveling down a downspout!
- Pitch: The angle at which your seamless gutters are installed to shift water flow in towards downspouts.
- Gutter Guard: gutter guards are covers that are designed to protect your gutters from clogging. Not all gutter guards are created equally. You can learn more here about gutter guards.
Rain Gutters Installation Cost
Gutter installation is actually straightforward to estimate, and it is based on linear feet. You can use our gutter calculator here to get an accurate estimate online:
Use our Gutter Calculator!
Easily estimate the cost of what new gutters will cost for your home!
Thanks, we will contact you soon, if you have questions please feel free to reach out.
Pick Your Gutter Color
Pick Your Gutter Color
Estimate Total Footage
Estimate the linear distance in feet for your gutters and also your downspouts!
- You can use Google Maps to search for your home and use the measuring tool to measure your home, or simply use rough estimates (if the front of your home is 40' across and there is one long gutter, you can estimate that at 40').
- Downspouts are usually 13 feet for a one-story home and 23 feet for a two-story home. Count the number of downspouts you have in your home currently.
Remember, this is just an estimate; the final total will be calculated when our install team measures for materials.
Estimate Total Footage
Estimate the linear distance in feet for your gutters and also your downspouts!
- You can use Google Maps to search for your home and use the measuring tool to measure your home, or simply use rough estimates (if the front of your home is 40' across and there is one long gutter, you can estimate that at 40').
- Downspouts are usually 13 feet for a one-story home and 23 feet for a two-story home. Count the number of downspouts you have in your home currently.
Remember, this is just an estimate; the final total will be calculated when our install team measures for materials.
Would you like to add gutter protection?
You can select from one of two options for gutter protection, affordable OR self-cleaning (no maintenance required).
Estimate the total amount of gutters (do not include the downspouts). Remember, this is just an estimate; the final total will be calculated when our install team measures materials.
Final Cost
The final estimated price is :
Summary
| Description | Information | Quantity | Price |
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Pricing for gutters is typically between $6-$10 per linear foot for aluminum gutters and upwards of $15-$30 per linear foot for premium metal gutters like zinc, copper, or steel. If you had a need for 150 feet of gutters at $10 per linear foot, you would spend $1,500 on new gutters.
If you need a gutter replacement, be sure to have a rough idea of how many linear feet your project will require.
FAQ:
Should I get gutter guards?
Not all gutter guards are created equally, so if you decide to get gutter guards, you want a guard that will cover your entire gutter and also is self-cleaning.
What’s the best type of material for rain gutters?
The best material when factoring in both price and durability is aluminum gutter materials. Stainless steel gutters and other metal gutters are more durable and last longer, but they cost 2-3x more. Not to mention, with the average homeowner owning their home for less than 10 years on average, most people don’t need 50+ years of gutter lifespan.
What is the most effective gutter system?
The most effective gutter system is a seamless gutter system. Material and style can help with durability, but as far as displacing water, seamless gutters are the way to go. Also, never try to complete a DIY installation gutter project!
How do I estimate gutter length?
You can use this guide to help you estimate your gutter length here, but the easiest way is to find your home’s plat and measurements. Simply add up where you have gutters. To measure downspouts, account for 13 feet per floor, meaning a two-story downspout is approximately 26′. You can also use the Google Map measuring tool.
Why do houses need gutters?
Houses need gutters for protection from rainwater. Water travels down your roof’s shingles and is collected by gutters and displaced by the downspouts. Without gutters, this rain would run off your roof’s edge, which seems ok at first glance. However, what happens is this water can penetrate your home’s foundation and siding and erode landscaping. Gutters need to be properly installed and the appropriate gutter size to work appropriately in unison with your roof.
Seamless Gutter Colors [Guide] for 2023