Gutters cause more leaks than most people expect
When a gutter blocks or sags, water backs up under the bottom row of tiles or behind the fascia, and from there it is inside the roof. It shows up as a stain along the edge of a ceiling or a damp patch on an internal wall, and it gets diagnosed as a roof leak, because that is what it looks like. Quite often the roof is fine and the gutter is the whole problem.
The work itself splits into three things. Replacing gutters and downpipes that have rusted, sagged or come away. Fixing the fall, because a gutter that does not run to the downpipe holds water no matter how clean it is. And gutter guard, which is the only one of the three that is genuinely optional and worth thinking about properly rather than being sold.
How we do it
Check the fall to the pipe
A gutter holding water is usually a fall problem, not a blockage. Worth knowing before you pay to replace anything.
Look behind the gutter
Rotted fascia and rusted brackets hide there. Both are far cheaper to deal with while the gutter is off.
Quote the work in writing
Metres of gutter, number of downpipes, guard or no guard, and anything found behind the old one.
Replace and set the fall
New gutter set to a proper fall, brackets and fasteners matched to the material so the joins do not corrode.
Downpipes and flow test
Downpipes sized and connected to stormwater, then water through it to confirm it actually runs where it should.
Gutter guard usually pays for itself when
- You have gums, paperbarks or anything else that drops constantly overhead
- The house is two storey and clearing the gutters yourself is not realistic
- You are in a bush fire prone area and ember protection is part of the reason
- Gutters block often enough that you are paying someone to clear them regularly
- Birds or possums are getting into the gutter line or the roof edge
Save your money when
- There are no significant trees near the roof
- The gutters only need clearing every year or two
- The real problem is the fall or a rusted gutter, which guard will not fix
- You would be putting guard over gutters that are close to needing replacement anyway
Gutter guard reduces how often gutters need clearing. It does not mean never again, and anyone telling you it does is overselling it.
What does guttering cost in Newcastle?
Gutter replacement is priced by the metre, so the total comes down to the size of the house and how many downpipes it needs. A full replacement on a standard single-storey home is generally a low-thousands job. Two storeys costs more, and the extra is mostly access rather than materials.
Gutter guard is also priced per metre and typically adds a meaningful amount again over the gutter itself, depending on the product. There is a wide quality range, and the cheap mesh products in particular do not hold up to sun. It is worth asking specifically what is being installed rather than comparing two quotes that both say gutter guard.
One thing that changes a quote once work starts: rotted fascia behind the old gutter, which nobody can see until the gutter comes off. We flag it as a possibility up front rather than presenting it as a surprise on the day.
Gutters near the coast and under the gums
Two different problems, and which one you have depends mostly on your postcode. Near the water at Stockton, Merewether, Redhead or Swansea, the issue is corrosion, and it starts at the brackets, fasteners and joins rather than in the middle of the gutter. Mismatched metals there will eat a new gutter years early. Further west and around the lake at Toronto, Cardiff and Warners Bay it is more often organic: gum leaves and bark, which hold water against the metal and block downpipes. The right answer looks different in each case, and a quote that does not distinguish between them is a generic quote.
Common questions
How often should gutters be cleared?
Once or twice a year for most houses, and more often if there are gums overhead, particularly heading into storm season and into summer if you are in a bush fire prone area. Gutter guard stretches that interval out, it does not remove it.
Can blocked gutters really cause a roof leak?
Yes, and it is one of the more common causes we find. Water backs up over the edge of the gutter and under the bottom row of tiles or behind the fascia, and from there it is in the roof space. It typically shows up as a stain along the edge of a ceiling.
Do I need to replace the fascia when I replace the gutter?
Only if it has rotted, which you cannot tell until the old gutter is off. Timber fascia behind a long-leaking gutter often has, and it is far cheaper to deal with while everything is already open than to come back to later.
What gutter guard is best?
It depends on what you are keeping out. Metal mesh handles embers and leaves and holds up to sun. Plastic products cost less and generally do not last as long outdoors here. Solid covers suit some roof types and not others. We would rather look at your trees and your roof and tell you which one fits than name a product on a page.
Can you just clean my gutters rather than replace them?
Yes, and sometimes that is genuinely all that is needed. We will tell you if a clean is the answer rather than quoting a replacement for a gutter that has years left in it.
Related services
Roof plumbing is its own licensed trade: metal roofing, guttering, downpipes, flashing and box gutters. If water is meant to move, this is the work that moves it.
Learn morePressure cleaning to strip moss, lichen and years of grime. Often the first step of a restoration, and sometimes all a roof actually needs.
Learn moreA stain on the ceiling or a drip during last night's rain. Call us and we will come and look at it, find where the water is actually getting in, and make it safe.
Learn more
Thinking about guttering and gutter guard?
We will come and look at the roof, photograph what we find and put a price in writing. Free, across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter.