Two gutter quotes for the same house, $2,100 and $3,150. The cheaper one wins, unless it never mentioned taking the old gutters away, put four downspouts where the other put six, and left the rotted fascia board for a conversation on the day. Then it is not cheaper. It is shorter.
Nearly every thousand-dollar gap between gutter quotes is scope, not greed. The fix is to make both contractors describe the same job, and a written quote is where that happens.
The eight lines that decide the price
A quote worth comparing names all eight. Anything missing is a question, not a dealbreaker.
- Gutter size and profile. 5-inch or 6-inch, K-style or half-round. A 6-inch system drains roughly 40 percent more water and costs $1 to $3 more per foot.
- Aluminum thickness. .027 or .032. The heavier coil is 18 percent more metal and stiffer, and it rarely appears on a quote unless you ask.
- Downspouts: how many, what size, and where they end. This is the line that quietly separates a working system from a pretty one. Five feet from the foundation is the minimum.
- Removal and disposal. Included or extra. Say which.
- Fascia. Nobody knows what is behind the old gutters until they come off. A good quote prices the repair per foot in advance and says the work gets approved before it happens.
- Guards, on their own line. Bundled into a total, they make the gutters look expensive and the guards look free. Neither is true.
- Both warranties. The manufacturer covers the coating. The installer covers the work. Ask for the length of each and whether either transfers when you sell.
- Tax and total. South Dakota contractors owe 2 percent excise tax on the job and may show it separately.
The same line, written two ways
| What you often get | What you want instead | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Seamless aluminum gutters | 6-inch K-style, .032 aluminum, color to match | Thickness and size are the two things that change the price and the performance |
| Downspouts as needed | Five 3×4 downspouts, locations marked on a sketch | Count and size decide whether the system drains; vague wording lets it shrink |
| Haul away debris | Remove and dispose of existing gutters and downspouts, included | Removal is the line most often missing from the cheaper quote |
| Repair fascia if needed | Fascia replaced at $10 per foot, measured and approved before work | Turns an open-ended charge into a number you agreed to |
| Gutter guards included | Guards, micro-mesh, priced separately at $X per foot | Bundled guards hide what the gutters themselves cost |
| Lifetime warranty | Five-year workmanship warranty, plus the manufacturer finish warranty, both documents attached | The two cover different things, and one of them is the installer promise |
| Price: $2,900 | Price: $2,900 including 2% contractor excise tax | Tax left off is not a discount, it is a line you pay later |
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Three questions that flush out the difference
When two quotes still do not match, these usually explain it.
What is not included? Asked directly, most contractors will tell you. Removal, fascia, moving a downspout, hauling away a satellite dish bracket that has to come off the fascia.
What happens if you find rot? The answer you want is a price per foot and a phone call before the work happens. The answer you do not want is that it will be handled.
Why is your number different from theirs? Contractors know their competition. Asked plainly, the honest ones will point straight at the line the other quote is missing, or defend the reason theirs costs more.
What should make you slow down
A price that expires tonight. South Dakota gives you until midnight of the third business day to cancel a sale of $25 or more made in your home, so a discount that cannot survive until Thursday was never a discount.
A quote written from the curb. Gutter work is priced by the foot, and nobody knows your footage without measuring.
A large deposit, or cash only. Keep the deposit small, pay by check or card, and tie payments to finished work.
No proof of insurance. South Dakota does not license gutter contractors and does not require employers to carry workers compensation, so the certificates are the only check you get. The guide to choosing a gutter company covers what to ask for and how to verify it.
After you pick one
Get the contract with the company name and address, the start and finish dates, the payment schedule and the warranty terms. Ask for a lien waiver each time you pay: in South Dakota anyone who supplied labor or materials can file a lien against your house within 120 days of their last work, including a supplier you never met.
Then keep the paperwork. A workmanship warranty is only as good as your ability to find it in four years.
Questions about gutter quotes
What should a gutter quote include?
The gutter size, profile and aluminum thickness, the number and size of downspouts and where each one drains, removal and disposal of the old gutters, how fascia damage will be priced, guards as a separate line, both warranties, and the tax.
Why are two gutter quotes so far apart?
Almost always scope, not markup. One includes removal, or 6-inch gutters, or moving two downspouts, and the other does not. Put both on the same list of work and the gap usually shrinks to a few hundred dollars.
Should a gutter quote be itemized?
Yes, at least by line: gutters, downspouts, removal, fascia, guards, tax. A single lump sum tells you nothing about what happens when the crew finds rot behind the old gutters.
Is a verbal gutter quote binding?
Treat it as an estimate. Get the work and the price in writing before anyone starts, with the start and finish dates and the payment schedule.
How much deposit is normal for gutter work?
As little as you can manage. Pay by check or card rather than cash, and tie payments to finished stages rather than paying up front.
Can I cancel a gutter contract I signed at home?
Yes, on a sale of $25 or more. You have until midnight of the third business day, Saturday included, even if you invited the company over. Cancel in writing.
The short version
Make both contractors describe the same job in writing, ask what is missing, and get the fascia priced before anyone climbs a ladder. Do that and the cheapest quote is actually the cheapest.
Get a quote
Tell us about the job and the rough length of your gutters, and a local gutter contractor will call, text or email to set up a visit. The quote is free.
Related
- Choosing a gutter company: licensing, insurance and references
- Gutter cost in Sioux Falls, every job in one table
- How gutters are sized for local rain
- Gutter guard cost, and why it belongs on its own line