Gutters and downspouts are used to collect water run off from the root and direct it away from the foundation of the house. They are commonly made from vinyl, galvanized steel or aluminum. There are many seamless guttering companies available to choose from. They make the guttering on site with a machine that forms rolled aluminum stock into a gutter. A 4” wide gutter will handle most homes. For roof areas larger than 800 sq. ft. on a section you may need to go up to 5” wide. The gutter needs to slope in order to drain (1” drop per 20’ run) Gutters should be installed after roofing and soffit and fasia. Since the downspouts are attached to the house with brackets the siding or brick should also be completed prior to the guttering. Your sub contractor can measure your home and write up a proposal saving you the trouble. Competitive bids are recommended here as price may vary according to how busy the subcontractor happens to be at any given time. Also it just so happens that some people are willing to work for less money than others.

If you are building an area with a lot of trees and leaves you may want to consider a gutter cap or leaf guard, especially if the gutters are high off the ground and hard to clean out.