Gutters Overflowing — Roofer, Gutter Company, or Handyman?

Updated 2026-08-11

Short answer

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 — and when

Call this	When	Not for
Gutter company	Cleaning, sagging, detached sections, leaking seams, replacement — this is their whole trade, priced accordingly	The leak is coming from the roof edge above the gutter — that's roofing territory
Handyman	One sagging bracket, a disconnected downspout, a single-story cleaning — small jobs gutter companies may minimum-charge	Multi-story work you're tempted to do from a leaning ladder — the falls, not the gutters, are the actual danger
Roofer	Water gets behind the gutter or under the first shingle course — drip edge and roof-edge problems that wear a gutter costume	Plain cleaning or gutter repair — many roofers decline it, and those who accept charge roofer rates
Carpenter	The fascia board behind the gutters is soft or rotten — years of overflow do this, and new gutters can't anchor into rotten wood	—
Drainage contractor	Gutters work but water still pools at the foundation — the problem moved underground to downspout drains and grading	—

Why three trades ping-pong this one

Gutters hang on the boundary between roofing (above), carpentry (behind), and drainage (below) — so overflow calls get deflected in every direction. The reality of who does what: gutter companies clean, repair, and replace gutters, cheaper than anyone else because it’s their volume business. Roofers own everything above the gutter lip — many decline plain gutter work outright (a documented refusal pattern). Carpenters own the fascia board gutters hang from. Drainage contractors own where the water goes after the downspout. Route by which layer failed, and nobody shrugs.

Triage by what you see

Water sheeting over the edge in rain, gutters quiet otherwise → blocked or badly pitched. Cleaning first ($200–$400 for a typical two-story). If overflow continues with clean gutters, the run is pitched wrong or undersized — gutter company, repair pricing ($218–$396).

Sagging runs, separated seams, a section hanging → repair territory, same trade, same price band. Sagging usually means brackets pulled loose — and if they pulled because the fascia behind them is soft, the carpenter enters first. Probe the board with a screwdriver: sound wood is a rehang; punky wood is a two-trade job.

Water stains BEHIND the gutter, or on the fascia/soffit → water is getting past the roof edge above the gutter — failed drip edge or first shingle course. That’s the roofer, and it explains the “my gutters leak but they’re clean” mystery. The parts glossary shows exactly where drip edge sits.

Gutters fine, foundation wet anyway → follow the downspouts. Discharging at the foundation wall is the single most common self-inflicted basement problem. Extensions are a $20 fix; chronic pooling wants a drainage contractor before it wants a flooded basement.

Replacement math, and the scam-check

Whole-house replacement runs $2,320–$4,222 typical — aluminum for most homes, vinyl cheaper, copper the luxury outlier. That’s the number to hold against high-pressure quotes: we’ve debunked a real $25,000 gutter quote with this exact table, and even a large home in the most expensive material can’t honestly reach it. Door-to-door gutter-and-guard sales after storms follow the same playbook as storm-chaser roofers: unsolicited, urgent, and priced for your panic rather than the work.

The part nobody prices: the ladder

Gutter cleaning is one of the most common sources of serious homeowner ladder falls — it’s routine work at exactly the height that breaks bones. The $200–$400 professional cleaning is partly paying someone with standoffs, harness habits, and practice. If you DIY: stable ground, ladder standoff, never lean past your belt buckle, and never work the ladder alone on a two-story. The gutters are replaceable.

What it typically costs

Service	Typical range	Source
Gutter cleaning (two-story, ~150 linear ft)	$200–$400 (typical ~$300)	Fixr
Gutter repair	$218–$396	Fixr
Gutter replacement, whole house	$2,320–$4,222	Fixr

Common questions

How often do gutters actually need cleaning?: 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.
Are gutter guards worth it?: 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.
My basement gets damp but the gutters look fine. Related?: 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.
The gutter pulled away and took some board with it. Who fixes that?: 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.

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