Heated gutters are ordinary gutters with heat cable run along the trough and down the downspout, so meltwater has a channel through the ice and somewhere to go. Adding cable to gutters you already have runs about $7.50 to $16.50 a foot installed in 2026, plus an outdoor GFCI outlet if there is none near the roof edge. Running 150 feet of cable around the clock from December through February costs about $230 to $280 at South Dakota’s average electric rate. It keeps water moving. It does not stop an ice dam, which starts with heat leaking out of the attic.
What are heated gutters?
The name covers three things that do the same job.
Heat cable in existing gutters. A cable lies in the bottom of the gutter and runs down inside the downspout, sometimes with a zigzag along the roof edge above it. This is the usual job.
Heated gutter guards. A guard sits over the gutter with cable underneath or built into it, so the cable stays in place and out of the leaves. The guard and the cable are usually priced separately.
New gutters with cable installed at the same time. This makes sense when the gutters are being replaced anyway.
Heat tape is the same idea under another name, with one catch. Tape sold for water pipes is made for dry, enclosed spaces. A gutter is wet and exposed, so the cable has to be one rated for roof and gutter de-icing. Raychem’s WinterGard line, for example, lists its Wet cable for wet areas and its standard cable for pipes in dry areas only.
Self-regulating or constant wattage cable?
| Self-regulating | Constant wattage | |
|---|---|---|
| Output | About 6 watts a foot at 40°F, more as it gets colder and wetter | About 5 watts a foot, the same whatever the weather |
| Cable cost | $2.30 to $5.30 a foot | $0.40 to $1.50 a foot |
| Switching | Usually on a thermostat or a snow and moisture controller | On until someone unplugs it, unless a timer is added |
| Where it goes | Gutters, downspouts and roof edges, installed by a contractor or electrician | Sold as plug-in kits, often clipped in a zigzag along the roof edge |
Self-regulating cable costs more up front. Its output drops where the cable is warm or dry, and it is usually paired with a controller, which is what keeps its running cost down. A constant wattage cable with no timer draws full power for as long as it is plugged in.
Get a free quote for your house
What do heated gutters cost in Sioux Falls?
Most of a heated gutter bill is labor, so the height of the roof and the number of corners move the price more than the cable does. A house with no outdoor outlet near the roof edge adds one more line.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Cable added to existing gutters, installed | $7.50 to $16.50 a foot |
| 100 feet, installed | $750 to $1,650 |
| 150 feet, installed | $1,125 to $2,475 |
| New gutters with cable, Sioux Falls estimate | $16.80 to $30.70 a foot |
| Heated gutter guards | $16.50 to $18.50 a foot, plus the cable |
| Outdoor GFCI outlet, installed | $140 to $320 |
| Thermostat or timer | $70 to $160 |
| DIY kit, 150 feet of cable and parts | $380 to $1,115 |
Labor runs about $7 to $13 a foot on a retrofit. The cheapest job is a short run on one problem spot, which is often all a house needs. Cable for a 40-foot gutter and a 15-foot downspout comes to about $410 to $910 installed at the per-foot rates above.
For the gutters themselves, gutter replacement prices in Sioux Falls run $12 to $18 a foot for seamless aluminum.
How much does it cost to run heat cable?
At South Dakota’s average residential rate of 14.29 cents a kilowatt-hour (March 2026), this is what cable costs to run around the clock.
| Cable | Per day | December to February (90 days) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 ft constant wattage, 5 W/ft | $1.71 | about $154 |
| 100 ft self-regulating, 6 W/ft | $2.06 | about $185 |
| 150 ft constant wattage | $2.57 | about $231 |
| 150 ft self-regulating | $3.09 | about $278 |
Self-regulating cable is rated at 40°F, and it draws more than that on a cold day sitting in meltwater. A controller that switches the cable on only when it is near freezing and there is snow or water around brings the bill down, by how much depends on the winter. A cable left on from the first snow to the April thaw costs more than the table shows.
Do heated gutters stop ice dams?
No. An ice dam starts on the roof, when heat escaping from the attic melts snow and the water refreezes at the cold edge. Cable melts a path through the ice in the gutter and keeps the downspout open, but the dam above it keeps building. The fix is in the attic, and how ice dams form on a Sioux Falls roof starts there.
The Minnesota Department of Commerce goes further. In its February 2019 ice dam advice it told homeowners: “Do not install heating cables. They will shorten the life of your roof and add to your energy costs.” Its answer is to seal and insulate the attic.
Cable earns its place where a spot keeps icing after the attic has been dealt with:
- a downspout on the north side that freezes solid every January
- a valley that dumps into one corner of the gutter
- a low porch roof under a taller roof
- the edge of a metal roof, where snow slides into a cold gutter
Who installs heat cable, and do you need a permit?
Some Sioux Falls gutter companies install self-regulating cable inside the gutter and downspout as part of a gutter job. Electricians install it too, and an electrician is the one who adds the outlet or circuit if the house needs one.
Two electrical rules apply. Outdoor 15 and 20 amp receptacles must have GFCI protection, which the City of Sioux Falls spells out in its homeowner electrical guide. A heat cable circuit also needs ground-fault equipment protection under the National Electrical Code, which trips at a different level than a standard GFCI. Some plug-in kits have that device built into the cord; a hardwired system gets it at the breaker.
Inside Sioux Falls the city issues electrical permits. A homeowner may do the wiring in a single-family house they own and live in, with a homeowner’s permit. Outside the city, ask the town who issues electrical permits. The South Dakota Electrical Commission runs the state’s homeowner wiring permit and requires it before any work starts.
Heat cable with gutter guards
Heated guard systems put the cable under the guard, which keeps leaves off it and holds it in place. If you are adding both, have them fitted on the same visit, and pick the guard first from the guard types that hold up in a Sioux Falls winter.
Are heated gutters worth it?
For a whole house, rarely. Sealing and insulating the attic fixes the cause and costs nothing to run.
For one trouble spot, often. A few hundred dollars of cable on the corner that ices every winter is cheaper than a water-stained ceiling or a gutter torn off by ice.
With new gutters going up, put the cable in on the problem runs at the same time. It is easier to plan the outlet and the downspout route before the gutters are hung.
Questions about heated gutters
How much do heated gutters cost in Sioux Falls?
Adding heat cable to existing gutters runs about $7.50 to $16.50 a foot installed, or $750 to $1,650 for 100 feet, in 2026. New gutters with cable run about $16.80 to $30.70 a foot.
How much electricity does gutter heat cable use?
About 5 to 6 watts a foot. At South Dakota’s average rate, 150 feet running nonstop costs about $2.60 to $3.10 a day, or $230 to $280 from December through February.
Do heated gutters prevent ice dams?
No. They keep a channel open for meltwater in the gutter and downspout. The dam forms higher on the roof from attic heat loss, and sealing and insulating the attic is the fix.
Is heat tape the same as heat cable?
For gutters, yes, as long as it is rated for roof and gutter de-icing. Heat tape sold for water pipes is made for dry spaces and should not go in a gutter.
Do I need an electrician for heat cable?
For a new outlet or circuit, yes, unless you are doing your own wiring in a house you own and live in, under a homeowner’s permit. The circuit needs ground-fault equipment protection, which some plug-in kits have built into the cord.
When should gutter heat cable be turned on?
Before the snow and ice build up, and only while it is near freezing with snow or water on the roof. A thermostat or a snow and moisture controller does this for you and cuts the running cost.
Get a quote
Tell us where the ice builds up, with a photo if you have one, and a local gutter contractor will call, text or email to set up a visit. The quote is free.