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Gutter Questions Atlanta Homeowners Ask Before Calling

Plain answers on hiring, whether a house needs gutters and where the water should go, with links to the pages that cover each job.

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Hiring, permits and warranties

The questions that come up before anyone picks a date.

Do roofers install gutters?
Some do. When Consumers' Checkbook surveyed the people who put up gutter guards, roofing contractors were among them, alongside gutter installers. Either way, the visit should cover the measurements, the fascia and where each downspout will drain.
Do I need a permit for new gutters in Atlanta?
Usually not inside the City of Atlanta. The city's Office of Buildings lists repair or replacement of gutters on one- and two-family homes as work that doesn't need a permit. Houses in a city historic district are the exception, where exterior work over $2,500 can need a permit and design review. Other cities set their own rules, so ask us on the call if you're outside Atlanta or in a historic district.
Do new gutters come with a warranty?
Two kinds. The coil maker's finish warranty covers the paint, and Englert's, for one, runs 20 years, pro-rated. The installer's workmanship warranty is a separate agreement and varies, so ask for it in writing along with the price.

Whether the house needs gutters

Downspout emptying into a puddle against a brick foundation wall
A downspout emptying against the foundation, the spot the water should be carried away from.
Does every house need gutters?
The residential code Georgia uses doesn't require them everywhere. It calls for a controlled way to carry roof water at least 5 feet from the foundation only where expansive or collapsible soils are known. Without gutters, the water falls along the drip line, and gutter makers list where that leads: foundation damage, wet basements, rotting siding and trim, mold and mildew.
Do I need gutters on every side of the house?
Only along the eaves, the level edges where the roof sheds water. A gable roof sheds off two sides, so it needs gutters on two; a hip roof sheds off all four. The sloped gable ends, called rakes, don't get gutters. Porches, dormers and additions each add short eaves of their own.
Can bad gutters cause a wet basement or crawlspace?
They can. Water from an overflowing gutter, or from a downspout that empties against the wall, lands right at the foundation, and the downspout guide on the EPA's stormwater site says to send it at least five feet out to prevent leakage into the house. The downspouts and drainage page covers where it should land.

Where the water goes after the downspout

Can a downspout feed a rain barrel?
Yes. UGA Extension's rainwater guide says about 62 percent of the rain on a roof can be collected, so a 400-square-foot section of roof yields about 154 gallons from an inch of rain. The barrel's overflow still has to be carried away from the foundation and any septic lines.
Can downspout water drain onto the lawn or the street?
Onto the lawn, usually yes. Georgia's plumbing code lets one- and two-family houses discharge storm water onto flat areas such as lawns or streets where the local authority approves it, as long as it flows away from the building. Whether yours can run to the street is a local question, so ask us on the call.
Downspout water spilling off a splash block and cutting into red clay

How new gutters look up close

Why do my new gutters look wavy?
That ripple in the flat face is called oil canning. It can show up on roll-formed metal, heavier gauges included, and one gutter maker's spec says it isn't cause for refusing the product. If the gutter also holds standing water or pulls away from the fascia, that's a different problem, and worth a call.

Something on your gutters you can't name? Describe it on the call.

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New white K-style gutter and its end cap on a painted fascia

Questions answered on other pages

Each of these has its answer on the page for that job or guide, so it's said once, in the place it belongs.

If your question isn't here, open the call with it. Most come back to the house itself, which is where we'd start anyway.

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