Should I replace my gutters when I replace my roof?
Short answer. Replace them at the same time if they are sectional and leaking, dented by hail, undersized, near the end of their life, or hung on rotting fascia. Keep them if they are seamless, sound and the right size, and have the roofer protect them or detach and reset them. Either way, do not replace gutters before the roof, because the new drip edge needs to lap over the gutters' back edge.
Reasons to replace with the roof
- Sectional gutters leaking at joints every 10 feet.
- Hail dents along long stretches, which may be covered if a storm claim includes them.
- Undersized gutters that overflow in normal rain, especially below steep or large roof planes.
- Rotted fascia behind them, which has to be repaired anyway once the gutters are off.
- Mismatch. Faded or off-color gutters can look dated next to a new roof and fresh drip edge.
Reasons to keep them
- Seamless aluminum in good shape, correctly pitched and sized.
- Recently installed gutters with years of life left.
- A budget that is better spent on the roof itself, such as decking repairs or better ventilation.
If you keep them
Ask how they will be handled: left in place and protected, or taken down and reset. Old gutters can bend during removal, so get in writing who replaces any that are damaged. Make sure the new drip edge still reaches into them once the roof is done.
Why never before the roof
New gutters installed first have to be worked around during tear-off and risk dents from debris and ladders, and the new drip edge cannot be properly fitted over them. If you are planning both, do them together or roof first. See signs you need a new roof, gutter sizing, seamless gutters and guards and roof replacement cost in Georgia.