Installation & replacement
Gutter installation and replacement in St. Louis
Whether the old gutters are leaking at every seam or the house never had them, a good gutter installation in St. Louis means seamless aluminum formed to the exact length of each wall, sized for the storms the region actually gets, with the water put where it can't reach the basement.
Why seamless gutters
St. Louis winters are the argument. A seamless gutter is formed on site from a single coil of aluminum, so each run is one piece from corner to corner. Sectional gutters — the ten-foot lengths from the home center, joined with slip connectors — have a seam every ten feet, and every one of those seams goes through freeze-thaw cycles dozens of times a winter here. They all leak eventually. Seamless costs about the same in labor, the material is barely more, and the only joints left are the corners. For a house you plan to keep, it isn't a close call. The same applies to seamless rain gutters in University City's brick colonials as to a ranch in Florissant.
Sizing for St. Louis storms
The 5-inch K-style gutter with 2x3 downspouts was designed for average, steady rain. St. Louis gets its 41 inches in bursts — a spring thunderstorm can drop two inches in an hour. A good gutter installer works out the roof area feeding each run and uses:
- 5-inch gutters with 3x4 downspouts on most single-story ranches. The larger downspout alone adds roughly 60% capacity for a few dollars more.
- 6-inch gutters with 3x4 downspouts on two-story homes, steep roofs and any run collecting a large roof area or a valley. Six-inch carries about 40% more than five.
- An extra downspout on any run over 35 feet. One downspout at the end of a 60-foot run is a very common reason a clean gutter overflows here.
If your current gutters overflow in a storm, this guide explains why, and 5-inch vs. 6-inch gutters walks through the choice.
Materials, hangers and colors
Most of the aluminum gutters St. Louis contractors hang today are .032 gauge — ask, because some bids use thinner .027 — in more than 25 baked-on colors to match the trim or the brick. Look for hidden hangers screwed into the rafter tails every 24 inches, closer where ice load is heavy, and no spikes. Copper and aluminum half-round for the city's older brick homes are on the copper and half-round page and quoted separately. Galvanized steel is available, but it rusts in this climate; gutter materials for St. Louis homes compares them.
Gutter installation, St. Louis, MO: what's included
- Tear-off and haul-away of the old gutters and downspouts
- A screwdriver check of the fascia, with any rotted boards replaced before anything new goes up (per foot, as its own line)
- New seamless gutters, corners, end caps and downspouts
- Extensions or splash blocks so water lands at least four feet from the foundation — six where the yard is flat
- A hose test on every run before the truck leaves
Gutter replacement in St. Louis is mostly the same job: 1970s–90s sectional aluminum in Ballwin, Florissant, Chesterfield and O'Fallon, weeping at every seam, on spike hangers that have backed out. Tear-off is normally included in the per-foot price — confirm it on the estimate.
What installation costs
Seamless aluminum installed is about $9–$16 per foot in the St. Louis area. A single-story home with 160 feet of gutter and four downspouts is typically $1,600–$2,700; a two-story West County home with 220 feet and six downspouts, $2,600–$3,900. Six-inch, fascia repair and guards should be separate lines so you can see each one. The cost guide has the tables, and what the price per foot actually buys explains why three quotes on one house can be a thousand dollars apart.
Homes that never had gutters, and partial runs
Some 1960s ranches in North County and a fair number of newer homes in St. Charles County were built with gutters only over the front entry. If there's a trench in the mulch under the roofline and mud splashed up the brick, that's the fix. First-time gutter installation in St. Charles or the city is usually priced like replacement minus the tear-off. Partial jobs are fine too — gutters over the garage door, the back patio and the side where the AC sits solve most of the problem for a fraction of the price. Do you need gutters? helps decide.
Mistakes that shorten a new system's life
- Copying the old layout. If the old gutters overflowed at the back corner, the same downspout in the same spot will too. The layout should be worked out from the roof, not traced from the old metal.
- New gutters on old fascia. Hanging fresh aluminum on a soft board means a sag within a few winters. The fascia check belongs before the price, not on install day.
- Too little pitch, or too much. About a quarter inch of fall per ten feet keeps water moving. A run that is dead level holds water; one that drops too steeply looks crooked from the street.
- Downspouts that end at the wall. A new system that still dumps water at the foundation hasn't fixed the basement.
- Guards sold on top of a bad install. Get the gutters right first. A guard can't make up for missing downspouts.
How to compare two or three install quotes
Line the quotes up side by side and look for the same items on each: gutter size, metal gauge, hanger type and spacing, downspout size and count, tear-off, fascia pricing and where the water ends up. If one quote leaves an item out, ask about it before you compare prices. The lowest total is often missing a downspout or quoting thinner metal. The price-per-foot guide shows how three quotes on one house can differ.
Looking after new gutters
New seamless gutters still need care. Clean them once or twice a year depending on your trees, keep the extensions in place after mowing, and look at the corners each fall. Walk the house during the first heavy storm and watch each downspout. If any run spills over, call it in early while the installer still remembers the job.
Installation day
The coil and the forming machine come on the truck. Old gutters come down, fascia is checked and repaired, each run is measured and formed to the wall, corners are sealed, downspouts strapped, extensions set, and every run gets the hose. Many homes are done in a day; installation day, start to finish covers noise, access and what to move. West County has its own guide: Chesterfield. Requests from this site go to an independent local contractor partner who quotes and performs the work.
Other gutter services
Gutter Repair
Leaking corners, sagging runs, crushed downspouts, missing straps and the rotted fascia behind them — what each repair involves and what it typically costs.
Gutter Repair →Gutter Guards
Micro-mesh, screen and reverse-curve guards compared, with a straight answer on which ones survive St. Louis sycamore, oak and maple debris.
Gutter Guards →Gutter Cleaning
Every foot cleared by hand, downspouts flushed, debris hauled, and a ladder check of corners, hangers and fascia — what a proper cleaning includes and costs.
Gutter Cleaning →Copper & Half-Round Gutters
Soldered copper repairs, half-round re-hangs and replacements on the city's 1900s–1950s brick homes — what the work involves and what it typically costs.
Copper & Half-Round Gutters →Questions gutter contractors get asked
How long does gutter installation take?
One day on many homes. The contractor measures and quotes on the first visit, orders coil in your color, and forms the gutters on site on install day. Big two-story homes with a hip roof and a dozen corners can spill into a second morning; ask when you get the quote.
Should I get 5-inch or 6-inch gutters in St. Louis?
Six-inch on two-story homes, steep roofs and runs that collect a valley; five-inch with 3x4 downspouts on most single-story homes. The size should be calculated from your roof rather than guessed. Undersizing is a common problem on West County homes, and it's why so many clean gutters overflow in May.
Do new gutters come with a warranty?
The aluminum usually carries the manufacturer's finish warranty, often 20 years or more against peeling and fading. Workmanship coverage — pitch, hangers, corners, leaks — varies by contractor, so ask for the term in years and what it covers, in writing, before you sign.
Can gutters go on a brick house with no fascia board?
Yes. Many 1900s–1940s city homes have the gutter hung from the roof edge or from brackets in the masonry rather than on a fascia. Contractors use roof-strap hangers, or half-round brackets fixed into the mortar joints; ask for both options to be priced on the estimate.
What time of year is best for new gutters in St. Louis?
Spring and early fall are easiest, because sealant cures well on dry days above about 40 degrees. Winter installs can be done, but corners sealed in the cold may need a second look in spring. Booking before the October leaf drop avoids the busiest weeks.
Need gutter work in St. Louis?
Call for a free estimate. Mon–Sat 7am–7pm.