Gutters sized for Knoxville rain

Signs your gutters are done

• Water pouring over the edge in a hard rain, even when they're clean.
• Seams and corners that drip, or rust and peeling paint along the bottom.
• Sections that sag, or hangers pulled loose from the fascia.
• Puddles or washed-out mulch along the foundation.
• Stains on the siding under one corner.

A loose hanger or one leaking corner is a repair. Gutters that sag along whole runs, leak at seam after seam, or hang on soft fascia are worth replacing, and you'll get both prices in writing.

One-piece gutters, 5-inch or 6-inch

One-piece gutters are formed at the house from a coil of aluminum and cut to each eave, so a run has no joints along it to leak. 5-inch K-style is the common size here. 6-inch carries more water, for a steep roof or a valley that empties onto a short run. We size each run by the roof above it.

They hang on hidden hangers: brackets inside the gutter, screwed through to the fascia, so nothing shows from the yard and the gutter doesn't pull loose the way old spikes do. More in K-style or half-round gutters.

Downspouts matter more than people think

A gutter can only empty as fast as its downspouts. Knoxville's 1991 to 2020 normal is 51.93 inches of rain a year, measured at McGhee Tyson Airport. Where a big slope drains into one corner, we add a downspout or step up from 2-by-3-inch to 3-by-4.

At the bottom, an extension carries the water away, so it doesn't splash the siding or soak the ground along the foundation. If one backs up, here's how to clear a clogged downspout.

Fascia first

Gutters hang on the fascia board, the trim along the roof edge. If it's soft, gutters pull loose within a season, so rotten fascia gets replaced first. We also look at the drip edge, the metal strip that should drop water into the gutter instead of behind it.

Gutter guards: an honest answer

Under big trees, guards usually pay for themselves, because oak leaves and pine needles fill gutters every fall. A basic screen stops leaves. Needles slip through, so under pines we'd look at micro-mesh. On a house open to the sky, guards often aren't worth the money. We'll tell you which you are and price it both ways. More in Gutter guards under oaks and pines and When to clean gutters.

Price, timing and warranty

What moves the price: the number of feet, 5-inch or 6-inch, how many downspouts and extensions, guards, and any fascia that has to be replaced first. Your written price lists each one.

Most houses are done in a single visit, since the gutters are formed in the driveway and hung the same day. Gutters done the same week as a roof replacement keep the drip edge and the gutters working together, with one setup. We also do gutters on their own. Not sure yours are worth saving? Read How long gutters last.

The aluminum and its paint carry the maker's warranty. Ask for our written workmanship terms with your price, and see finished roofs and gutters on our projects page.

Gutters across East Tennessee

Leaf fall in the hollows, red clay that washes out along a foundation, long eaves on lake houses: gutters do different work in different towns. We hang them across East Tennessee, including Knoxville, Farragut, Hardin Valley, Karns, Powell, Oak Ridge, Maryville, Lenoir City, Loudon, Sevierville, Seymour, Jefferson City and Morristown. Each town page covers the roofs and weather there.