Every type of gutter is designed for the same task: capturing rainwater and guiding it off your roof and away from your home’s foundation. This protects your home’s structure, eaves and exterior surfaces from potential damage caused by excess water.
But gutter styles vary in appearance, size, price range and installation requirements. So, how do you know which is best for your home? The answers boil down to a few variables: your home style, roof size and budget. Here’s what you need to know about choosing and installing rainwater gutters for your home.
Key takeaways
Gutters protect your roof and home from water damage.
K-style gutters are the most common and affordable type of residential gutter.
Sectional gutters may be less expensive, but seamless gutters offer better curb appeal and are less prone to leaks.
What do gutters do?
Did you know that just a few inches of rain falling on a house’s roof can produce several thousand gallons of water runoff? There are several ways to control that runoff, including relying on landscaping to move it away from the home or installing a below-ground system to send it downhill through channels. Or, you can choose a simpler, less costly way.
Rainwater gutters are passive systems that collect runoff directly from the lowest points of your roof and divert the water away from sensitive components, such as foundations, basements, eaves and siding. Gutter systems vary by style and pricing. but all have similar configurations consisting of channels and downspouts.
Types of gutters
The easiest difference to notice between the types of gutters is their shape, or profile. While all gutter types do the same job, each shape has its own pros and cons.
K-style gutters
K-style gutters feature a flat bottom, with vertical back and front walls that give them their K-shape. With the beveled-edge look of crown molding, K-style gutters are the most common type of modern gutters. As such, they come in many colors and materials, including aluminum, copper, steel and vinyl.
Like most gutters, K-style gutters attach to your roof’s fascia — the long, straight board that runs along the lower edge of your roof to create a barrier between the edge and the outside. Their 5- to 6-inch channels can handle a good amount of water.
K-style gutters are widely available, affordable. Depending on whether they are seamless or sectional, they work for professional and DIY installations,. While seamless versions are available only with professional installation, sectional systems are available at home center retailers for both DIYers and pros.
Pros
- Provide excellent drainage capable of handling climates across most of the country
- Readily available for professional or DIY installation
Cons
- Prone to debris buildup because of shape
- Doesn’t stand out from a design or aesthetic perspective
Box-style gutters
Box gutters are square or rectangular and larger than K-style gutters. With channels anywhere from 7 to 10 inches wide, box-style gutters move a lot of water and add a bold, modern design element. They’re common on commercial buildings but are also increasingly prevalent on houses.
Their deep, wide shape makes box-style gutters easier to clean than traditional gutters and can prolong their lifespans — they last up to 50 years. However, because of their seamless design, box-style gutters must be pre-cut and professionally installed, which means they’re typically more expensive.
Pros
- Large size means high capacity flow for large roofs
- Installation method includes a section placed under shingle edges for extra protection from water damage
Cons
- Maintenance and cleaning can be challenging
- Higher installation cost than other gutter styles
Fascia gutters
While most gutters attach to your roof’s fascia boards, fascia gutters are part of the fascia itself. Like box gutters, fascia-style gutters are usually larger than K-style gutters. Their larger rainwater capacity and streamlined, modern appearance make them especially popular in Western states like California and Oregon.
However, fascia gutters are generally very deep and can collect leaves, pine needles and other debris. They’re also typically custom-designed to fit your home’s aesthetic and are about twice as expensive as traditional gutters.
Pros
- Custom, integrated appearance
- Seamless construction prevents leaking
Cons
- Requires professional installation
- Expensive
Half-round gutters
Shaped like a semicircle with curved walls that run along the length of the system, half-round gutters are usually made of galvanized steel, aluminum or copper. This gutter design, standard on homes until the mid-1950s, takes up less space and helps minimize standing water.
This makes them excellent for capturing a traditional look. Half-round gutters may be the best option if you’re protecting a historic structure. Aside from their historic aesthetic, half-round gutters are also easier to clean.
Pros
- Design makes them easy to clean
- Can provide a traditional, classic appearance
Cons
- Can look out of place on newer homes
- Lower water carrying capacity than other gutter styles
Gutter styles
Two different configurations are available for the K-style and half-round shapes, as well as for other types of gutters.
Sectional gutters
Sectional gutters, or seamed gutters, are available at home improvement stores in lengths ranging from just a few feet to over 20 feet long. Sections of seamed gutters are connected using special fittings that fit the profile contour. This sectional design makes them excellent for DIY installation, and they typically cost less than seamless versions.
However, despite price and installation benefits, seamed gutters have a few downsides, including a higher potential for leaks than seamless models and more maintenance requirements.
Seamless gutters
As the name implies, seamless gutters have no seams between individual gutter sections except at end caps and corners. This makes them less prone to leaking, and they can require less maintenance than seamed varieties.
Seamless gutter systems help provide a cleaner look than sectional gutters. They are formed on-site to the precise dimensions needed of your home and are installed by professionals. Seamless gutters are available in all four common gutter types.
|
Installation type
|
Price range (linear foot)
|
Lifespan (years)
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Box-style | Professional |
$30 - $40 |
20 - 50+ |
| Fascia | Professional |
$6 - $40 |
20+ |
| K-style | DIY or Professional |
$2 - $38 |
20 - 50+ |
| Half-round | DIY or Professional |
$4 - $36 |
20 - 50+ |
| Sectional | DIY or Professional |
$3 - $20 |
10 - 20 |
| Seamless | Professional |
$3 - $40 |
20+ |
Types of gutter materials
Not only are gutters available in multiple styles, but they also come in various materials, each with their own pros, cons and features.
Aluminum gutters
Aluminum is the most popular material for gutter construction. Aluminum gutters are available in varying thicknesses, colors, price ranges, styles and types, making them arguably the most versatile material.
Pros
- Cost-effective
- Lightweight and easy to install professionally or as a DIY project
Cons
- Susceptible to denting
- Lack originality
Copper gutters
Beyond their elegant-sounding name, copper gutters won’t rust and will stand up to harsh weather for a long time. They are expensive but can offer value due to their low maintenance requirements and the likelihood that you won’t need to replace them while you own the home.
Pros
- Can last over 100 years
- Exceptional style and appeal
Cons
- Expensive
- Professional installation required
Steel gutters
Steel gutters are stronger than aluminum and available in the same styles. While galvanized versions are coated to protect against rust, they, along with the stainless iterations, will succumb to rust or corrosion over time.
Pros
- Durable material is hard to damage
- Available in galvanized or stainless versions
Cons
- Rust or corrosion damage is possible
- Require professional installation
Vinyl gutters
Popular with DIYers and those looking to save money on their gutter system, vinyl gutters are inexpensive and easy to install. They are available in many colors, but if you purchase them from your local home center, you’ll probably be limited to just a few options.
Pros
- Least expensive gutter material
- Excellent choice for DIY installation
Cons
- Short life expectancy
- Sun and weather degrade their integrity
Zinc gutters
Another highly durable but costly gutter option, nearly on par with copper, is zinc gutters. A zinc gutter can self-heal minor scratches and cracks over time as its patina develops. Patina development is a natural process that results in a protective barrier that alters the material’s color from a shiny metal appearance to a light gray tone and helps to protect it from corrosion.
Pros
- Highly durable and self-sealing
- Long lifespan
Cons
- Costly installation
- Can corrode if exposed to high salt levels
|
Installation type
|
Price range (linear foot)
|
Lifespan (years)
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum | DIY or Professional |
$4 - $15 |
10 - 25 |
| Copper | Professional |
$15 - $40 |
50 - 100+ |
| Steel | Professional |
$8 - $20 |
50 - 100+ |
| Vinyl |
DIY or Professional |
$1 - $8 |
10 - 20 |
| Zinc | Professional |
$10 - $32 |
50 - 80+ |
Anatomy of a gutter
For such a common product, gutter systems have a whole collection of words and terms that may not be familiar to many people. Here’s a list of terms to know when gutter shopping to help communicate your needs to, and understand responses from, your retailer or gutter professional.
- Downspout: This critical part of the system directs water collected by the gutters vertically to the ground and away from the house. Some homeowners may divert some or all of the water flow to collection containers.
- Downspout elbow: Each downspout may have more than one elbow. These bent parts of the downspout ensure the vertical portions connect to the gutters and direct water away from the home at the bottom of the system.
- Drainage: Drainage refers to the system that carries water away from the home or directs water away.
- Eaves: Your home’s eaves are the roof parts that stick past the exterior walls. The leading edge of the eaves is called the fascia, which is where your gutter system is connected.
- End caps: Just as they sound, end caps secure onto the end of the gutter lengths at the edges of the house to contain water within the gutter system.
- Fascia boards: Fascia boards are horizontal members that cap the eaves and are where gutter systems are installed.
- Ferrule: A ferrule is a metal sheath that conceals a large screw, which fastens to the fascia as an attachment point in a gutter support system.
- Gutter guards: Inserted into or over the top of your home’s gutters, these devices work to keep debris out of the system to reduce clogs and increase system efficiency.
- Hangers: Hangers support horizontal gutter sections and help keep the unit from sagging. Used in quantities, hangers hold the entire gutter system in place.
- Mitered corners: Small gutter sections that wrap around fascia corners horizontally are called mitered corners.
- Pipe cleats: These unassuming pieces secure the downspouts to the side of the house.
- Splash block: Splash blocks are solid-surface pads that lie beneath the lowest section of the downspouts and help prevent pooling.
How to choose the right rain gutters
I asked expert Chris Stevenson from 730 South Exteriors in Denver to explain how to choose the right rain gutters for a house in simple terms. He offered this checklist to help you make the right choice.
- Cost: Consider how much you’re willing to spend.
- Durability: Think about how long you want your gutters to last.
- Aesthetics: Choose a style that matches your home’s look.
- Maintenance: Consider how much upkeep each material requires.
- Climate: Select gutters that can handle your local weather conditions.
Should I get gutter guards?
Installing gutter guards is often worth the investment, especially for houses with nearby trees. Gutter guards can reduce the annual cost of cleaning gutters while helping to protect your gutter system from becoming clogged, which could lead to water damage to your home.
While the initial cost of gutter guard installation can be a turn-off, there are options for both professional and DIY installations to help fit a budget.
Tyler Hull, a professional roofer and home exterior contractor from Modern Exterior in Milwaukee, listed several considerations for installing gutter guards yourself or hiring a pro.
- DIY installation can save money over a professional install.
- Installation can take a significant amount of time.
- Experience is necessary to do the job yourself.
- Working from ladders and the roof can be dangerous.
- Professional installation takes advantage of the installer’s expertise and will likely be backed by a warranty.
- Having a professional do the work on homes taller than one story is recommended.
- Professional installation helps to ensure the efficiency and functionality of the system.
- Hiring a pro keeps you safe.
Bottom line
Your home’s gutter system helps protect the structure from potentially costly water damage. While gutters may not be necessary for some properties, they are worth the investment in most cases. Additionally, you can add gutter guards to the system to increase its effectiveness and reduce maintenance needs.
Gutters are available in a wide variety of types, styles, colors, shapes, materials and price ranges to help ensure you find the selection that works best for your home’s needs, its curb appeal and your wallet.
