The Short Answer
On our estimates, new uPVC gutters for a typical three-bed house (15 to 20 metres and three downpipes) cost £650 to £1,700 fitted. Per metre, uPVC is £30 to £70, aluminium £55 to £180 and cast iron £60 to £280.
The plastic itself is cheap: a 4-metre length of standard half-round gutter was £10.50 at Wickes in October 2026. You're paying for labour and safe access, which is why a small job costs nearly as much as a big one, and why gutters are best done alongside other work while the scaffold's up.
Gutter replacement calculator
Gutters are priced per metre, and the material changes the price more than anything else.
Estimated total
£1,060 to £1,860
| uPVC (plastic) gutters, 16m | £480 to £1,120 |
| 3 downpipes, about 5.5m each | £580 to £740 |
Gutter prices by material
| Material | Gutter, per metre fitted | Downpipe, per metre fitted | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| uPVC (plastic) | £30 to £70 | £35 to £45 | The budget choice on most modern homes |
| Aluminium | £55 to £180 | £75 to £90 | Powder coated; outlasts plastic |
| Cast iron | £60 to £280 | £120 to £190 | Period homes; lasts longest if painted |
| Smaller jobs | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Small repair (a leaking joint, a broken bracket, a slipped section) | £180 to £250 |
| Gutter clean, whole house | £90 to £420 |
| Realigning a sagging run, per metre | £15 to £30 |
| Leaf guards, per metre | £20 to £30 |
| Mobile tower, a week | £250 to £450 |
Repair or replace?
Don't ignore a leak. Historic England says leaking gutters and downpipes are often the cause of damp walls. Its advice: if the system is otherwise working, decoration and like-for-like repairs (replacing a broken section, say) may be all it needs; clear gutters and gullies regularly; and look again after extreme weather. Which? suggests checking your roof and gutters once a year.
My view: age alone isn't a reason to replace. If the gutters drain, don't leak and the brackets hold, keep them. Replace when the plastic is cracking along the run, joints keep leaking after repair, or the brackets have failed in several places.
Are your gutters big enough?
Gutters that overflow in heavy rain may simply be too small for the roof. Approved Document H sizes them by the roof area draining into them, adjusted for pitch: multiply the plan area of that roof slope by 1.29 for a 30° roof or 1.5 at 45°.
| Effective roof area, up to | Half-round gutter | Smallest outlet |
|---|---|---|
| 18 m² | 75mm | 50mm |
| 37 m² | 100mm | 63mm |
| 53 m² | 115mm | 63mm |
| 65 m² | 125mm | 75mm |
| 103 m² | 150mm | 89mm |
The same guidance says any overflow in extreme rain should spill clear of the building. If yours overflows onto the wall, ask the fitter about a bigger or deeper gutter, or an extra outlet, rather than a like-for-like swap.
What a good fit looks like
FloPlast, one of the biggest uPVC gutter makers, sets these rules in its fitting guide. They're easy to check from the ground or a ladder:
- A fall towards the outlet, 1 in 350 recommended (Approved Document H also says gutters should fall towards the nearest outlet).
- Brackets no more than 1000mm apart (400mm where heavy snow is common) and within 150mm of every corner and stop end.
- The outlet no more than 50mm below the level of the roof tiles.
- Downpipe clips no more than 1.8 metres apart.
At the bottom, Approved Document H says a downpipe should discharge into a drain or gully, or onto another gutter or a drained surface. Where it runs onto a lower roof or paving, a shoe should turn the water away from the building.
Choosing a material
uPVC is the budget choice on most modern homes. FloPlast guarantees its standard colours for 10 years and its cast-iron-style range for 20.
Aluminium costs more, comes powder coated, and Historic England notes it may outlast plastic.
Cast iron is traditional on period homes. Historic England says cast iron and lead, maintained and repainted, last far longer than modern replacements, and that the fixings on metal gutters need choosing with care to avoid corrosion where different metals meet.
My view: on an ordinary modern house, uPVC. If you want it to outlast you, or the house is period, aluminium or cast iron.
Listed buildings and conservation areas
On a listed building, Historic England says wholesale replacement in uPVC is not generally acceptable, partial replacements should match the original profile and material, and listed building consent or planning approval may be needed. Ask the council before changing anything. If you're upsizing gutters, check the drains below can take the extra flow: altering drains needs building regulations approval.
Asbestos, nests and access
- Asbestos cement. HSE lists asbestos cement gutters and downpipes among the places asbestos turns up in houses built or refurbished before 2000. Careful removal without breaking it up doesn't need a licensed contractor, but it does need the right precautions, so mention it when you get quotes.
- Nests. It's an offence to take, damage or destroy a wild bird's nest while it's in use or being built. Check the eaves before work in spring and summer.
- Access. HSE says ladders are only for short, low-risk work. So I'd expect a quick repair on a bungalow from a ladder, and a tower or scaffold for a whole house.
Get guttering quotes
A few details about your gutters so fitters can quote without a wasted visit.
Free, no obligation. We're paid by MyJobQuote when a tradesperson buys your job, never by you.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to replace guttering on a house?
On our estimates, £650 to £1,700 for a typical three-bed with 15 to 20 metres of uPVC and three downpipes, fitted.
How much is guttering per metre?
Fitted, on our estimates: uPVC £30 to £70, aluminium £55 to £180, cast iron £60 to £280 a metre.
How much is 4 metres of guttering?
To buy, very little: a 4-metre length of standard uPVC half-round gutter was £10.50 at Wickes in October 2026. Fitted with brackets and access, it's mostly labour.
Should I replace 20 year old gutters?
Not just because of their age. FloPlast's standard guarantee is 10 years, so 20-year-old plastic is out of guarantee, but if it drains and doesn't leak, keep it. Replace when it's cracking, leaking at many joints or the brackets are failing.
Why is guttering so expensive?
Because you're paying for labour and safe access at height, not plastic. The gutter itself costs a few pounds a metre.
Do roofers replace guttering?
Yes, and so do plumbers. If your fascias need doing too, I'd use a roofer and do both at once.
Why do my gutters overflow?
A blockage (Historic England says clear gutters and gullies regularly, and grilles on gullies stop leaves getting in), a lost fall where brackets have failed, or a gutter too small for the roof. Approved Document H sizes gutters by roof area; a bigger or deeper gutter, or an extra outlet, fixes that.
Do gutter fitters need scaffolding?
Not always. HSE says ladders are only for short, low-risk work, so a whole house usually means a tower (£250 to £450 a week) or scaffold, while a quick repair may not.
How we priced thisView sources (11, 7 official)
Rules come from the legislation and official guidance, read at source. Prices are our estimates: we check them against trade price data, retailer shelf prices and specialists' price lists, then build them up from their parts so the totals add up. Below are the sources behind the page; the trade price guides we only compare against aren’t listed. Where sources disagreed, we've said so. More on our method.
- OfficialApproved Document H: Drainage and waste disposal (2015 edition), GOV.UK. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- IndustryRainwater step by step installation guide: guttering and downpipe, FloPlast. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- IndustryRainwater systems brochure 2026, FloPlast. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialUpgrades or alterations to rainwater goods (23 July 2024), Historic England. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialInspection, maintenance and repair of rainwater systems (23 July 2024), Historic England. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialDiagrams showing where asbestos can occur in buildings, Health and Safety Executive. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialIntroduction to asbestos safety; Non-licensed work with asbestos, Health and Safety Executive. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialWildlife and Countryside Act 1981, section 1: protection of wild birds, their nests and eggs, legislation.gov.uk. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialSafe use of ladders and stepladders: when to use a ladder, Health and Safety Executive. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- IndustryHow much do roof repairs cost? (Which? Trusted Traders survey, November 2025), Which?. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- IndustryMasonry paint, PVCu guttering, fascia boards, facing bricks and roof insulation (shelf prices), Wickes. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
