7 Signs You Need New Gutters

One sagging section is a hanger failure (cheap fix). Sag in two or more runs on different elevations is systemic: the fascia is compromised, the hangers are old-style spike-and-ferrule, or the gutter wall has lost its rigidity from sun and water cycling. Re-hanging buys 1 to 3 years before the next sag appears 2 ft down the run. Replace.

Sectional gutters are joined every 10 to 20 ft with a sealed lap joint. The sealant fails at year 5 to 8. Every Houston rainstorm pushes water through the open seam, behind the gutter, and into the fascia. We can re-seal one seam ($150). We can re-seal three seams ($400). When 5 or more seams are open, the whole sectional system is at end of life and the only real fix is replacement with seamless that has zero lap joints in the field.

Aluminum does not rust, but the steel hangers and screws in it do. Rust streaks running down the front of the gutter mean the hangers are corroded and will fail within 1 to 3 years. Galvanized steel gutters (common on Houston homes built before 1985) rust from the inside out and develop pinhole leaks at year 25 to 35. Once rust-through starts on steel gutters, it spreads fast. Replace before the holes become slits.

One dent from a fallen branch is cosmetic. Hail dents across 30 percent or more of the gutter system after a major storm event (April 18 2016, March 24 2020, etc.) is documented storm damage and typically covered under homeowners insurance. We document the damage with date-stamped photos, supplement the adjuster, and replace the system under the claim. Do not wait, most policies require claim filing within 1 year of the event.

The sign that gutters have been failing silently for years. Run a screwdriver into the fascia board behind the gutter at each hanger. If the wood is soft, water has been getting behind the gutter for at least 18 months. Replacement is the only path forward because the new gutters need sound fascia to anchor into. Plan for $400 to $1,200 in carpentry on top of the gutter replacement cost.

If the gutter overflows during rain that is not an extreme event, the system is undersized or clogged with sediment that cannot be cleared. 5 inch gutters with 2x3 downspouts on a two-story Houston home overflow as designed. The only fix is to size up to 6 inch with 3x4 downspouts. Patching, cleaning, or re-pitching does not solve a sizing problem. Replace.

One detached downspout is a $200 reattachment. The same downspout pulling loose twice in 18 months means the gutter outlet itself has elongated, the fascia behind the band is rotted, or the downspout sizing is wrong for the flow. We have replaced downspouts on the same house 3 times in 5 years; the right call is to replace the whole system with properly-sized 3x4 downspouts strapped into rafter tails, not nailed into fascia.