{
  "title": "Gutters Overflowing — Roofer, Gutter Company, or Handyman?",
  "description": "Who actually handles overflowing, sagging, or leaking gutters (hint: usually not a roofer), what cleaning, repair, and replacement honestly cost, and when overflow becomes a basement problem.",
  "category": "home",
  "vertical": null,
  "tldr": "Overflowing gutters are a cleaning problem until they're a water problem: $200–$400 gets them cleaned, $218–$396 repairs sags and leaks, and full replacement runs $2,320–$4,222 — call a gutter company for all three, not a roofer. Water overshooting into the basement or behind siding is why you care. Fascia rot behind failed gutters is a carpenter; leaks at the roof edge itself are the roofer's drip edge.",
  "who_to_call": [
    {
      "who": "Gutter company",
      "when": "Cleaning, sagging, detached sections, leaking seams, replacement — this is their whole trade, priced accordingly",
      "not_for": "The leak is coming from the roof edge above the gutter — that's roofing territory"
    },
    {
      "who": "Handyman",
      "when": "One sagging bracket, a disconnected downspout, a single-story cleaning — small jobs gutter companies may minimum-charge",
      "not_for": "Multi-story work you're tempted to do from a leaning ladder — the falls, not the gutters, are the actual danger"
    },
    {
      "who": "Roofer",
      "when": "Water gets behind the gutter or under the first shingle course — drip edge and roof-edge problems that wear a gutter costume",
      "not_for": "Plain cleaning or gutter repair — many roofers decline it, and those who accept charge roofer rates"
    },
    {
      "who": "Carpenter",
      "when": "The fascia board behind the gutters is soft or rotten — years of overflow do this, and new gutters can't anchor into rotten wood",
      "not_for": null
    },
    {
      "who": "Drainage contractor",
      "when": "Gutters work but water still pools at the foundation — the problem moved underground to downspout drains and grading",
      "not_for": null
    }
  ],
  "costs": [
    {
      "item": "Gutter cleaning (two-story, ~150 linear ft)",
      "range": "$200–$400 (typical ~$300)",
      "source": "Fixr",
      "source_url": "https://www.fixr.com/costs/clean-gutters"
    },
    {
      "item": "Gutter repair",
      "range": "$218–$396",
      "source": "Fixr",
      "source_url": "https://www.fixr.com/costs/gutter-repair"
    },
    {
      "item": "Gutter replacement, whole house",
      "range": "$2,320–$4,222",
      "source": "Fixr",
      "source_url": "https://www.fixr.com/costs/install-gutters"
    }
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How often do gutters actually need cleaning?",
      "a": "Twice a year is the standard rhythm — after leaf-fall and after spring seed drop — plus after any big storm if you have overhanging trees. The overflow test costs nothing: during steady rain, walk the house. Water sheeting over the edge anywhere means that section is blocked or pitched wrong."
    },
    {
      "q": "Are gutter guards worth it?",
      "a": "They reduce cleaning frequency; they don't end it — fine debris still accumulates, now under a cover that makes cleaning harder. Be wary of guard systems sold door-to-door at four-figure prices as 'never clean again': the honest math compares the guard's cost against ~$300 cleanings you'll partially still need."
    },
    {
      "q": "My basement gets damp but the gutters look fine. Related?",
      "a": "Very often. Check where downspouts discharge: against the foundation is the classic cause. Extensions ($20 DIY) or buried drain lines route water away. If gutters overflow AND the basement takes water in the same storms, fix the gutters first — it's the cheapest end of the water chain. Standing water already inside is a different page: basement flooding."
    },
    {
      "q": "The gutter pulled away and took some board with it. Who fixes that?",
      "a": "Two trades in sequence: carpenter (or handyman) replaces the rotten fascia board, then the gutter company rehangs on sound wood. Gutter crews screwing new gutters into rot is how the same failure happens again next season — if they don't mention the wood's condition, ask."
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "label": "Fixr: Gutter cleaning cost",
      "url": "https://www.fixr.com/costs/clean-gutters",
      "accessed": "2026-08-11"
    },
    {
      "label": "Fixr: Gutter repair cost",
      "url": "https://www.fixr.com/costs/gutter-repair",
      "accessed": "2026-08-11"
    },
    {
      "label": "Fixr: Gutter installation cost",
      "url": "https://www.fixr.com/costs/install-gutters",
      "accessed": "2026-08-11"
    }
  ],
  "updated": "2026-08-11",
  "url": "https://whodoicallfor.com/home/gutters-overflowing/",
  "json_url": "https://whodoicallfor.com/home/gutters-overflowing.json",
  "recommended_call": null
}