Gutter Replacement Costs UK — What to Charge to Replace Guttering in 2026

Signs the Guttering Needs Replacing

Most enquiries start with a symptom rather than a request to replace the lot. Knowing how to read the condition on a survey tells you whether it's a repair, a partial run, or a full replacement — and a full replacement is where the money is. Look for these on every quote visit:

• Leaks at the joints: uPVC gutter unions and rubber seals perish after 15–20 years. A few leaking joints can be reseated, but if every union is weeping, the run is past saving.
• Sagging or pulling away from the fascia: Usually means the brackets have failed or the fascia behind has rotted. If the fascia is soft, the gutter cannot be re-fixed reliably — it becomes a combined job.
• Cracks and splits: Old uPVC and especially cast iron crack with frost and UV. Once a section is brittle, patch repairs do not last.
• Overflowing in heavy rain: Can be a blockage, a fall (gradient) problem, or undersized gutter. If it overflows when clean, the run needs re-setting or replacing.
• Staining and damp on the wall below: Tell-tale green or black streaks under a joint show a long-standing leak. Often signals the fascia and soffit need attention too.

When you see failed unions, a rotten fascia and damp staining together, quote the full replacement. Bodging individual joints on a tired run is a callback waiting to happen, and the customer ends up paying twice.

Gutter Materials and Price Per Metre

The material the customer chooses is the single biggest driver of your supply cost and the look of the finished job. Quote at least two options on most jobs — a standard uPVC price and an upgrade — so the customer self-selects up. The figures below are typical supplied (materials only) costs per linear metre of gutter, before labour and access.

uPVC (Plastic)

The default choice for the vast majority of UK homes. Cheap, light, quick to fit and available everywhere in black, white, brown, grey and anthracite. Half-round and square (ogee) profiles suit most properties. The downside is lifespan — expect 15–25 years before UV and frost make it brittle. Supplied cost is roughly £6–£15 per metre including unions, brackets and stop-ends.

Aluminium

Increasingly popular on contemporary and higher-end homes. Often seamless (rolled on site from a coil), so there are no joints to leak. Powder-coated, won't rust, and lasts 30+ years. Heavier to handle and needs more setup. Supplied cost is around £20–£40 per metre, and seamless on-site rolling carries a premium because of the machine and skill involved.

Cast Iron

The right choice for period, listed and conservation-area properties where uPVC would look wrong or fail planning conditions. Heavy, requires painting and maintenance, but lasts decades and has the correct heritage profile. Modern cast aluminium is often used as a lighter, lower-maintenance lookalike. Genuine cast iron supplied cost is £45–£90 per metre and the weight makes the labour and access harder too.

Galvanised Steel

Less common on domestic work but used for larger spans, industrial-style aesthetics and some agricultural or commercial properties. Strong and rigid, but the zinc coating eventually corrodes at cut edges and joints if not maintained. Supplied cost sits at roughly £15–£30 per metre.

Labour: Per Metre or Per Day

There are two ways to price the labour, and most experienced operators carry both in their head and quote whichever protects them on a given job. For straightforward uPVC runs, a per-metre labour rate of £8–£15 per metre works well. For anything with awkward access, multiple downpipes, or fascia work, price per day instead.

A two-person team will typically strip and replace the guttering on an average semi in half a day to a full day, and a detached in one to one-and-a-half days once fascias and downpipes are included. Day rates for a two-person team run £300–£500 per day depending on region, with the South East and London at the top end.

The mistake operators make is pricing the gutter run only and forgetting the time spent rigging access, stripping the old material, cutting in downpipes and clearing away. On a small job the access and setup can be more than half the labour — never price by gutter length alone on a two-storey property.

Typical Full-House Replacement Costs

These are all-in figures for replacing the guttering on a whole property in standard uPVC, including labour and ladder or tower access but excluding fascia replacement and full scaffold. Adjust upward for aluminium or cast iron, for fascia and soffit work, and for any property needing full scaffolding.

Terraced House

Often only the front and rear runs are accessible and owned by the customer — the party sections are shared. Shorter total length, but rear access can be tight and may need a tower. Typical all-in cost: £400–£800.

Semi-Detached House

The most common job. Front, rear and one gable end of guttering, usually two to three downpipes. Typical all-in cost: £600–£1,200.

Detached House

More gutter, more downpipes, often a more complex roofline with bays, dormers and porches. Typical all-in cost: £1,000–£2,000, and more again for large or architecturally complex homes in premium materials.

Downpipes

Downpipes are quoted as a separate element because their number and length vary so much. A standard semi has two or three; a detached can have four or more. Each downpipe needs brackets, a shoe or connection to the drainage gully, and sometimes a hopper at the top.

• uPVC downpipe, supplied and fitted per run: £40–£90 each
• Aluminium downpipe, supplied and fitted: £90–£180 each
• Cast iron downpipe, supplied and fitted: £150–£350 each

Always confirm where the water currently goes. If a downpipe discharges to a gully that's blocked or to a soakaway you can't see, flag it on the quote rather than inheriting a drainage problem you didn't cause.

Fascias and Soffits — The Bundled Upsell

On most replacement jobs the fascia behind the gutter is also tired — and you can't fix a gutter reliably to a rotten fascia. This is why so many jobs are sold as a combined fascia, soffit and guttering package. It's also the single biggest reason a £600 gutter quote turns into a £2,500 job, so set the expectation early.

Replacing fascias and soffits in uPVC (typically capping over or replacing the timber, fitting new board and a continuous vented soffit) adds roughly £40–£70 per metre supplied and fitted. For an average semi that's often £1,500–£3,000 on top of the guttering, and for a detached £2,500–£5,000+.

Because the scaffold or tower is already up and the team is already on site, bundling fascia, soffit and gutter together is more efficient than three separate visits — and it's a genuine saving you can pass on while still improving your margin. Quote each element as a clear line so the customer sees the value and can choose the scope.

Access: Ladders, Towers or Scaffold

Access is where gutter jobs are won and lost on price. Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, ladders are only acceptable for short-duration, low-risk work — and a full gutter strip-and-replace usually isn't that. Get the access method right and built into the quote, because it's often the largest single cost on a two-storey job.

• Ladders / ladder stand-off: Acceptable only for quick, localised work on a single-storey or easily reached run. Built into your day rate, no separate hire cost.
• Mobile access tower: The workhorse for most domestic gutter jobs. Hire is roughly £40–£90 per week, or you carry your own. Lets the team work safely with both hands and move along the elevation.
• Full scaffold: Needed for high, complex or long-duration jobs, or where fascia and soffit work means the team is up there for days. Expect £600–£1,500 for a typical two-storey domestic scaffold, more for a detached or restricted site.

Quote access as a separate, visible line. It stops you being undercut by operators who balance on a ladder all day, and it gives you a straight answer when a customer asks why your number is higher than the bloke down the road.

What Affects the Price

Two properties with the same gutter length can carry very different quotes. Walk the job and weigh these factors before you commit a number:

• House size and gutter length: More linear metres means more material, labour and downpipes. Measure both elevations — don't price off the front only.
• Number of storeys: Single-storey is tower-friendly and quick. Two and three storeys push you toward full scaffold and longer setup.
• Roof shape and roofline complexity: Bays, dormers, valleys, porches and corners all add cutting, joints and time. A simple two-pitch roof is far quicker than a multi-faceted one.
• Material choice: uPVC is the baseline; aluminium and cast iron multiply your supply cost and handling time.
• Whether fascias and soffits are replaced: The biggest swing factor. Gutter-only is a small job; a full fascia, soffit and gutter package can be several times the price.
• Access constraints: Tight side returns, conservatories, outbuildings and boundary proximity all add to scaffold cost and setup.
• Region: London and the South East run materially higher on labour and access than the North and the Midlands.

Quoting Tips — Check Before You Price

The fastest way to lose money on guttering is to quote off a photo or a phone call. Before you give a figure, confirm:

• Fascia condition: Probe behind the gutter. Soft, rotten timber means the job is bigger than it looks — flag it and price accordingly.
• True gutter length: Measure every elevation you're responsible for, including gable ends, not just the front run.
• Number and route of downpipes: Count them and confirm where each discharges.
• Material and colour to match: Especially on terraces and semis where it should match the neighbour.
• Access and scaffold needs: Decide ladder, tower or scaffold on site and cost it before quoting.
• Drainage at ground level: Note any blocked or failed gullies so they're excluded or priced separately.

A short written survey note with your quote — fascia condition, measured lengths, downpipe count, access method — sets you apart from the operator who just texts a number, and protects you when the scope is questioned later.

Quick Reference: Gutter Replacement Prices UK 2026