5 Questions to Ask a Rain Gutter Contractor

Some of the most commonly asked questions a homeowner will ask any contractor are:

• “How long have you been in business?”
• “Do you belong to the BBB?”
• “Do you have recent references?”

While these are good questions, when it comes to hiring a rain gutter contractor, or a roofing contractor that installs gutters, there are five more questions you need to ask:

What are the size of gutters you install?

The majority of homes will have five-inch gutters, but a six-inch size gutter is more effective, especially for a home with expansive and steep roofs or has multiple levels.  The six-inch gutter will handle forty-percent more water, and you may want to ask about seven-inch gutters. 

When you install the gutters, what do you use to make sure they are level?

A level is a tool that tells a contractor if something is, well, level. It may surprise you to find out how many contractors that install gutters do not us a level. Without your gutters being level and properly pitched, you can be pretty sure you’ll have problems later on. If you’re talking to a sales person, they often have no idea what actually happens on the job.

Is your company bonded and insured?

For any contractor business, liability and worker’s comp insurance are must-haves, but they are expensive. Contractors in the gutter and roofing industry pay some of the highest insurance rates, too, but that isn’t your concern. You never want to hire any contractor that does not have current liability and workers comp insurance. This can make you liable should any of their employees get injured while working on your property.

How close do you place the gutter hangers?

Gutters that are properly installed will have hangers that are hidden. These are brackets that will hold your gutters in position. They can increase the price of a gutter job, and unless it is by city zoning, there is no law on how many hangers or how close they should be for a gutter contractor. So, a contractor is often tempted to use as few as possible and save on the job. What this means to you is a weak install job that can break with too much weight from rain, snow or water. The average is 24″ apart.

What improvements are there for my gutters?

Gutter installation is a low-margin business, so for most contractors, they make it up in volume. What that means to you, they are in there and done fast and moving on to the next house. When you are getting quotes, ask each contractor what they would recommend to improve your home’s gutter design and then see what they offer. This can tell you a lot about the contractor’s attention to detail, their experience, and even the quality of work they offer.