Division 07 · Gutters & Downspouts
Gutter takeoffs where the elbows, hangers and ladder time are counted, not assumed
A seamless gutter run is cheap to extrude and expensive to hang when the eave is 32 feet up, broken by six dormers and wrapped around a hip roof. Our gutter estimators measure eave length by profile and size, drop every downspout from the roof plan to grade, count elbows, end caps, miters and outlets, space hangers to the specification, and separate ladder work from lift work so your labor hours match the building. Material is priced for aluminum, copper or steel in the coil gauge the job calls for.
- 5.0 Google
- 4.9 Trustpilot
- 4.9 Clutch
Roofing, Thermal & Moisture
aluminum coil gauge carried on commercial gutter unless the spec calls for heavier
- SMACNA gutter sizing
- Seamless LF by profile
- Ladder vs lift labor
aluminum coil gauge carried on commercial gutter unless the spec calls for heavier
24–48 hours
Typical turnaround
07 · 22
CSI divisions
XLSX · PDF
You receive
Overview
What a gutter estimate has to capture
Gutter work is measured in linear feet, but the feet are not all equal.
We take eave length from the roof plan and elevations by profile, K-style or half-round, and by size, 5-inch or 6-inch, because a 6-inch gutter uses roughly 20 percent more coil per foot and drains almost twice the roof area. Seamless runs are listed by continuous length so the installer knows what the machine will extrude on site, and sectional product is counted in 10-foot sticks where the spec allows it. Every inside and outside miter, end cap and outlet is counted separately, since those are the pieces that leak when they are forgotten.
Downspouts are taken off twice: once in linear feet from the outlet to the splash block or storm tie-in, and once as a count of each drop with its elbows, offsets, straps and boots. A two-story drop with two offsets around a belt course carries very different labor than a straight 10-foot run on a ranch. Hangers are spaced per the specification or manufacturer, typically 24 inches on center and tightened to 16 inches in snow country, and gutter guards are measured as their own linear foot line because the product and the labor rate differ from the gutter itself.
On commercial buildings the scope changes shape. Built-in box gutters are fabricated from 24-gauge galvanized or .040 aluminum in custom girths, lined and sometimes heat-traced, and are priced per linear foot of developed sheet plus the soldered or welded seams. Scuppers, conductor heads and overflow scuppers are counted each from the roof plan and wall sections. We also note the access condition for every run, so a crew working from a 40-foot boom lift along a tilt-up parapet is priced differently from one on 28-foot extension ladders, and we carry lift rental as its own line.
Gutter and downspout quantities we take off
Measured from roof plans, elevations and wall sections, with every run tagged by profile, size, material and access height.
Seamless gutter runsLF
K-style and half-round in 5-inch and 6-inch sizes, listed by continuous run length for on-site extrusion
Sectional gutterLF
10-foot sticks of aluminum, galvanized, copper or vinyl where seamless is not specified, with slip joints
DownspoutsLF / EA
Rectangular 2x3 and 3x4, round 3-inch and 4-inch, by material and gauge from outlet to grade
Elbows, offsets and bootsEA
A and B elbows, offset pairs around belt courses and soffits, boots and splash blocks
Miters, end caps and outletsEA
Inside and outside box or strip miters, end caps, drop outlets and overflow outlets
Hangers and fastenersEA
Hidden hangers, spike-and-ferrule, strap hangers and screws spaced to specification
Gutter guards and screensLF
Micro-mesh, reverse-curve and perforated aluminum guards by manufacturer
Box gutters and linersLF
Custom-girth built-in gutters in 24-gauge galvanized, .040 aluminum or copper, with liner and seam allowances
Scuppers and conductor headsEA
Through-wall scuppers, overflow scuppers, collector boxes and conductor heads
Sealants, touch-up and accessoriesLS / LF
Seam sealant, rivets, zip screws, color-matched touch-up and heat trace where specified
Fascia and drip edge repairLF
Fascia board replacement, fascia wrap and drip edge rework needed before gutter hangs
Labor by access conditionHRS
Hours split between ladder work, lift work and ground assembly, with lift rental days
Estimate types
What type of gutter estimating can you get?
Match the estimate to where your project is. Every option is priced as a flat fee before work begins.
| Estimate type | Accuracy | Turnaround | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
Residential gutter replacement estimate Full tear-off and replacement pricing from site photos and roof plans, with seamless gutter by profile, downspouts, guards and haul-off organized per elevation. | ±5% | Same day to 24 hours | Gutter and exterior contractors |
New construction gutter package Gutter, downspout and accessory quantities from architectural roof plans and wall sections for production builders and custom homes, with per-lot or per-plan pricing. | ±4% | 24 hours | Home builders and roofing subs |
Commercial box gutter and scupper estimate Built-in gutters, liners, scuppers, conductor heads and oversized downspouts priced per developed foot, with soldering, lift rental and parapet access carried separately. | ±6% | 48 hours | Sheet metal and commercial roofing contractors |
Gutter takeoff only Measured linear feet, drop counts and accessory schedules without pricing, for shops that run their own gutter machine and know their coil cost to the penny. | Quantities only | Same day | Seamless gutter installers with in-house pricing |
Storm and insurance gutter scope Hail and wind damage gutter and downspout scope documented per elevation with line items matched to carrier pricing conventions and depreciation schedules. | ±5% | 24 hours | Restoration contractors and adjusters |
Process
How our estimating process works
Four steps from upload to a bid-ready estimate, with a senior estimator signing off before anything leaves our desk.
- 1
Step 1
Upload plans and scope
Send your drawings, specifications and bid invitation through the secure upload form. We confirm scope, deadline and a fixed price within two business hours.
- 2
Step 2
Digital quantity takeoff
Estimators measure every item from calibrated plans in Bluebeam and PlanSwift, color-coding each layer so quantities can be traced back to the drawing.
- 3
Step 3
Pricing and labor
Quantities are priced with location-adjusted material costs, crew productivity rates and equipment, then marked up to your overhead and profit targets.
- 4
Step 4
Senior review and delivery
A second estimator audits quantities and pricing, documents assumptions and exclusions, and delivers your Excel workbook, PDF summary and marked-up plans.
Why LEEDS
Why contractors switch to LEEDS
An estimating desk that behaves like an extension of your team, not a software subscription.
- 01
Gutter runs listed by continuous seamless length, so your crew knows what the machine extrudes at each eave.
- 02
Downspouts counted as drops with their elbows and offsets, not just linear feet of pipe.
- 03
Hanger spacing taken from the specification or snow-load region, with fastener counts rounded to purchasable boxes.
- 04
Labor split between ladder, lift and ground work by eave height, with lift rental carried as its own line.
- 05
Coil priced by gauge and finish for aluminum, copper, galvanized and Galvalume on the day we estimate.
- 06
Box gutters, scuppers and conductor heads, measured by developed girth from wall sections, including seam and solder allowances.
- 07
Gutter guards, fascia repair and drip edge, rework broken out as alternates so you can bid them or leave them off.
- 08
Same-day turnaround on most residential gutter replacements, 48 hours on commercial sheet metal packages.
Deliverables
What's included in your estimate package
Every deliverable is formatted so it can go straight into a proposal, a purchase order or an owner report.
Estimate workbook
Quantities, unit costs, labor hours and totals organized by CSI division, with subtotals, markups and a bid summary tab.
Marked-up plans
Color-coded takeoff drawings showing exactly where every measured quantity came from.
Material procurement list
Consolidated material quantities with waste factors applied, ready to send to suppliers for quotes.
Labor hours by task
Crew-based labor hours and productivity rates so you can check the schedule against the estimate.
Assumptions and exclusions log
Every clarification, allowance and exclusion documented so your proposal scope is defensible.
Bid summary sheet
A proposal-ready one-page summary with overhead, profit, bonds and contingency applied.
Clients
Who relies on our estimates
From single-trade subs to national developers, every client gets the same measured-twice standard.
Reviews
What contractors say after their first bid with us
What general contractors, subcontractors and developers say after bidding with our numbers.
“Squares, underlayment, flashing lengths, fastener counts, even the ridge vent. The waste factors were right for the roof pitch. Bid-ready out of the box.”
Greg Lindqvist
Estimator, Summit Roofing Co. · Kansas City, MO
“Lumber lists, finish schedules and allowances in a format our clients actually understand. The assumptions log alone has saved us from two scope disputes.”
Luis Herrera
Project Manager, Sierra Ridge Homes · Phoenix, AZ
“Change-order pricing came back the same day with quantities tied to the original contract set. The owner approved without a single question.”
Rob Castellano
Senior PM, Castellano Construction Management · Newark, NJ
FAQ
Gutter Estimating FAQs
Do you size gutters, or just measure what is drawn?
We measure what is drawn and flag it when the roof area draining to a run exceeds what the drawn size will handle. Sizing follows the SMACNA Architectural Sheet Metal Manual tables for roof area, rainfall intensity and slope, and when a 5-inch K-style gutter is undersized for the drainage area we price the 6-inch alternate alongside the base so you can raise it with the owner before bid day.
How do you price seamless gutter when I run my own machine?
We list each run by continuous length and total the coil footage by profile, size, gauge and color so you can apply your own coil cost per foot. Waste is carried at the run level for miters and overlaps rather than as a blanket percentage, and if you want we leave material unpriced and deliver labor hours and accessory counts only.
Can you estimate gutters from photos when there are no drawings?
Yes. For replacement work we build the takeoff from elevation photos, a satellite roof measurement report or your field sketch, scaling eave lengths from known dimensions such as door widths or siding exposure. Every length derived this way is flagged in the assumptions log, and we recommend a field verification of total footage before coil is ordered.
How is labor handled for tall or hard-to-reach eaves?
Each run is tagged with its eave height and access condition from the elevations. Runs under 20 feet are priced as ladder work, taller eaves and runs over obstacles as lift work with boom or scissor lift rental carried by the day, and steep-slope or occupied-building conditions get a productivity adjustment. The hours appear by access type so you can check them against your crew.
Do you include gutter guards, fascia repair and underground drain lines?
Gutter guards are measured as their own linear foot line whenever the scope or specification calls for them. Fascia replacement, fascia wrap and drip edge are listed as a separate alternate because they are often discovered at tear-off. Underground downspout drain lines to daylight or a storm connection are quantified by trench length and pipe size when they appear on the site or plumbing drawings.
How fast do gutter estimates come back?
Single-family replacement and new-construction gutter packages are usually returned the same day or within 24 hours. Multifamily communities with many buildings and commercial box gutter or scupper scopes with custom sheet metal are typically delivered in 48 hours, and we confirm the date when you send the plans.
Related
Related estimating services
Most projects need more than one trade. Bundle them into a single upload and we price the whole scope together.
Ready for a gutter estimating quote?
Upload your plans and get a fixed quote within 2 business hours. Most estimates are delivered in 24–48 hours.