Should You Replace Your Gutters When You Get a New Roof?
I hear this question on almost every roofing estimate I do. The homeowner is standing in their driveway, looking up at shingles that are clearly done, and they ask: “While you’re up there, should we just do the gutters too?”
Short answer? Not always. But sometimes? Absolutely.
The real answer depends on what shape your gutters are in, what kind of gutters you have, and whether your roof replacement is going to mess with the existing gutter system. Let me walk through what we tell homeowners here in McHenry County, because the advice isn’t as simple as some roofers make it sound.
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Why Some Roofers Push New Gutters Every Time
I’ll be straight with you — some roofing contractors in the Crystal Lake area will tell you that you have to replace your gutters with a new roof. That’s not true. But it’s an easy upsell, and a lot of homeowners don’t know any better.
Here’s what IS true: during a roof replacement, your roofers need to work around the gutter system. On some jobs, the drip edge needs to be replaced, and that means the gutters have to come off and go back on. If your gutters are 20+ years old and showing their age, taking them off, messing with them, and reinstalling them is a gamble. They might not go back on cleanly. The hangers might strip out. Old sealant at the joints might crack.
So when a roofer says “you should just do both,” they’re not always being shady. Sometimes they’re right. But you should understand why before you write the check.
When Your Gutters Actually Need Replacing
Walk around your house and really look at your gutters. Not a glance — a real inspection. Here’s what tells me gutters are done:
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Visible sagging. If your gutters are pulling away from the fascia board, the hangers have failed. We see this constantly on homes built in the 90s around Crystal Lake and Lake in the Hills. The original spike-and-ferrule hangers loosen over time, especially after carrying ice loads through 20+ Illinois winters.
Cracks or splits at the seams. Sectional gutters have joints every 10 feet. Those joints are held together with sealant and rivets. After 15-20 years, the sealant dries out and the joints start dripping. A few drips might not seem like a big deal, but that water is landing right next to your foundation. Every single time it rains.
Peeling paint or rust stains on the fascia. This means water has been getting behind your gutters for a while. The fascia board underneath might already be rotting. If we pull off damaged gutters and find soft, punky fascia, that board has to be replaced before new gutters go up — and that adds cost.
Standing water or pools near the foundation. This one’s serious. Your gutters exist for one reason: to move water away from your house. If you’re seeing water pooling at the foundation after rainstorms, your gutter system is failing. On the heavy clay soils we have throughout McHenry County, that pooled water doesn’t drain. It sits there. And over years, it causes basement problems that cost 5-10 times what new gutters would have cost.
When It Makes Sense to Do Both at Once
Even if your gutters aren’t completely shot, there are good reasons to bundle the two projects together.
You save on labor. We already have scaffolding set up. We already have a crew on your roof. Adding gutter work to a roofing job is more efficient than scheduling a separate gutter crew two months later. That efficiency translates to lower cost for you — typically $200-$500 less than having gutters done as a standalone project.
The drip edge gets done right. When we install a new roof, we install new drip edge along the eaves and rakes. That drip edge tucks under the shingles and over the back edge of the gutter. When old gutters go back up over new drip edge, the fit isn’t always perfect. New gutters with new drip edge = clean integration, no gaps, no water getting behind things.
Financing makes it easier. A lot of our customers use financing or their tax refund for a roof replacement. If you’re already financing $12,000-$18,000 for a new roof, adding $1,500-$3,000 for gutters barely moves the monthly payment. And you’re getting everything done at once instead of dealing with another project next year.
Warranty alignment. When we install both the roof and gutters, everything is under one warranty from one contractor. No finger-pointing between your roofer and your gutter company if something goes wrong at the roof edge. We’ve seen that happen with other contractors’ work, and the homeowner always loses.
When You Can Skip New Gutters
Not everyone needs new gutters with their roof. Here’s how I evaluate it on site:
If your gutters are seamless aluminum, less than 15 years old, and hanging level, they’re probably fine. We can carefully work around them during the roof replacement, install new drip edge, and put everything back together. Seamless gutters in good shape have no joints to fail, so there’s less to worry about.
If your gutters need minor repairs — a couple of loose hangers, one downspout that disconnected — we can handle that during the roofing job at minimal extra cost. No need to replace the whole system for a $75 repair.
That said, if your gutters are borderline, I’ll tell you. I’d rather have an honest conversation now than have you calling me in two years when those old gutters start leaking onto your brand-new fascia work.
What About Gutter Guards?
If you’re replacing gutters anyway, this is the time to think about gutter guards. Adding guards to brand-new gutters is cheaper and cleaner than retrofitting them later. Our GutterShutter system integrates the guard right into the gutter — it’s one piece, so there’s nothing to come loose or get wedged with debris.
For homes with heavy tree cover — and there are a lot of those in the older neighborhoods around Crystal Lake — gutter guards eliminate the twice-a-year cleaning that most people either forget about or pay $150-$250 per visit for. Over 10-15 years, the guards pay for themselves.
Our Recommendation
Here’s what we tell every homeowner who asks: let us inspect your gutters when we come out for the roofing estimate. It takes five minutes. We’ll tell you honestly whether they need replacing, whether they need minor repair, or whether they’re fine as-is. No pressure, no upsell. We’d rather you trust our judgment on one project and come back for the next one.
We’ve been doing this for 21 years across McHenry County. Over 7,000 projects. We know what failing gutters look like, and we know the difference between “replace now” and “you’ve got another 5-8 years.” That kind of honesty is why we have 311 five-star Google reviews.
Getting a new roof? Call or text (815) 356-9020 for a free roof and gutter assessment, or request one online. We’ll give you an honest recommendation — even if the answer is “your gutters are fine.”
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