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How to quote gutter replacement

Nobody replaces gutters because the gutters are old. They replace them because something is leaking, and the leak has usually been getting into the fascia for years. Price the gutter, then price a rate for the fascia you cannot see yet — because on a house old enough to need new gutters, some of it is gone.

The quote, already started

⚠️ These are starting numbers, not market rates. Put your own in.

Your quoteLine total
Subtotal$0.00
GST (10%)$0.00
Total$0.00
Deposit (20%)$0.00
Balance on completion$0.00

What the job actually is

  1. Measure the run in lineal metres, and count corners, stop ends and outlets.
  2. Work out the downpipes from the catchment area and the local rainfall, not from habit.
  3. Check the fascia and the roof edge from a ladder before you quote, not after.
  4. Set up the access — ladders, a scaffold, or a harness and anchor, depending on the height.
  5. Take the old gutter down and clear the brackets.
  6. Repair or replace any fascia that has gone, at the rate already agreed.
  7. Fix new brackets at the spacing and fall the profile needs.
  8. Cut, join and hang the new gutter, silicone the joins and stop ends.
  9. Fit outlets, downpipes and any leaf guard.
  10. Flush the whole run with a hose, then take the old iron away.

Materials

  • Gutter in the profile and colour agreed, by lineal metre plus offcuts.
  • Brackets at the spacing the profile calls for.
  • Stop ends, corners, joiners and outlets — counted, because they are where the leaks come back.
  • Downpipes, elbows and shoes — the gutter and downpipe calculator works the flow out from catchment and rainfall and tells you how many the roof actually needs.
  • Fascia, if any of it has to be replaced.
  • Silicone, rivets and screws rated for the location — coastal is not the same as inland.
  • Leaf guard, if it is in the price.

Downpipe count is the one figure people guess. It is a function of the roof area draining into that run and the rainfall intensity where the house is — the roof area calculator gives the catchment from plan size and pitch. Two downpipes where the roof needs four is a gutter that overflows in the first real storm, and the customer will remember who put it there.

What the price assumes

  • The fascia is sound. This is the assumption most likely to be wrong on an old house, which is why it needs a rate beside it.
  • The roof edge and the tiles or sheets at the edge are in reasonable condition.
  • The height is what you measured, and the access it needs is what the quote priced.
  • Downpipes discharge to the existing stormwater, which is clear and takes the flow.
  • No asbestos in the eaves or the soffit.
  • The gutter is a standard profile in a stocked colour.
  • Nothing has to be moved — no solar, no aerial, no air conditioner in the way.

Extras that come up

  • Fascia replacement, which is the big one and should already have a rate on the quote.
  • Rotten or rusted roof edge, or tiles that have to come up to get at it.
  • Blocked or collapsed stormwater, found the first time you flush it.
  • Extra downpipes where the existing count was never enough.
  • Leaf guard, if it was excluded.
  • Two-storey or difficult access that needs a scaffold rather than a ladder.
  • Asbestos eaves, which stops the job until somebody licensed deals with it.
  • Painting the new fascia, which is a painter and not you.
💡 Put a per-metre fascia rate on the quote before you start, even when the fascia looks fine. You cannot see behind a gutter until it is down, and on a house old enough to need new gutters some of the fascia is soft. A rate agreed while everyone is calm turns a bad discovery into a signed line; a rate discussed on the day turns it into an argument with your ladder still up.

Things nobody charges for, and should

  • The ladder work to quote it. A gutter quote from the ground is a guess, and the look costs you half an hour.
  • Disposal. Old gutter is bulky, sharp and awkward, and the tip charges for it.
  • Cleaning out what is in the old gutter before it comes down — years of leaves and grit that end up on the lawn otherwise.
  • The flush test at the end, which is the only way you know the stormwater is clear.
  • Silicone, rivets and consumables, which on a long run add up.
  • Height-safety setup and pack-down, which is time whether or not you charged for it.
⚠️ Working at height and asbestos are both regulated, and the rules differ by state and territory. Fall-protection duties, and the licensing and handling requirements for asbestos in eaves and soffits, are set by each state's work-health-and-safety regulator. Confirm what applies where you work before you price a job. Never leave height safety off a quote to make it look cheaper — it is a duty, not a line item you can trade away.

A worked example

A single-storey brick house, 46 lineal metres of gutter with six corners, four downpipes, fascia sound apart from two metres at one corner, ladder access throughout, old gutter taken away. Roofer registered for GST.

LineQtyRateTotal
Set up ladders, edge protection and site protection1 job$380.00$380.00
Remove existing gutter, clear brackets and clean out46 lm$14.00$644.00
Supply and install gutter, brackets and stop ends46 lm$58.00$2,668.00
Corners, joiners and outlets10 ea$46.00$460.00
Supply and install downpipes and elbows4 ea$165.00$660.00
Fascia repair — agreed rate, as found2 lm$88.00$176.00
Flush test, clean down and remove old iron1 job$320.00$320.00
Subtotal$5,308.00
GST (10%)$530.80
Total inc GST$5,838.80
Deposit (20%)$1,167.76
Balance on completion$4,671.04

These are starting numbers, not market rates. Put your own in. Every figure above comes from the line items in the builder at the top of this page.

Start this quote in Yamate — the lines, not the prices →

The app fills in the same line descriptions and leaves every amount blank for you. Your prices, not ours.

Yamate keeps your rates and your standard lines, so the next one of these is a few taps rather than a blank page — then turns the accepted quote into the invoice without retyping it.

FAQ

How many downpipes does a house need?

It depends on the roof area draining into that gutter run and the rainfall intensity where the house is — not on a rule of thumb. The gutter and downpipe calculator works the flow out from catchment and rainfall, and the roof area calculator gives the catchment from plan size and pitch.

Should fascia repair be on a gutter quote?

As a rate, yes, even when the fascia looks fine. You cannot see behind a gutter until it is down, and on a house old enough to need replacement some of it is usually soft. A rate agreed up front turns a discovery into a line rather than a dispute.

How is gutter replacement priced?

Usually by the lineal metre for the gutter, with corners, outlets and downpipes counted separately, plus access and disposal as their own lines. A single per-metre rate that quietly includes some of those is a rate that is wrong on most houses.

Does gutter replacement need scaffolding?

It depends on the height and the work, and the duty is set by your state's work-health-and-safety regulator rather than by preference. Whatever the answer is, it belongs on the quote as its own priced line so the customer is comparing like with like.

Work out the materials first

More like this

General information for Australian tradies, not legal, building or financial advice. The rates on this page are starting points rather than market prices, and every figure is an estimate based on what you type in. Height-safety duties, asbestos handling, licensing and deposit rules are set by each state and territory — check yours before relying on this page.