How many gutter installation bids should I compare?

Key facts

• FTC home improvement advice says to get multiple estimates and that "A written estimate should include a description of the work to be done, materials, completion date, and the price."

  Source: FTC consumer advice on hiring a home improvement contractor, read 14 October 2026.

• FTC home improvement advice says: "And ask for an explanation if there’s a big difference among the estimates."

  Source: FTC consumer advice on hiring a home improvement contractor, read 14 October 2026.

• The Florida Building Code, Residential, in its section for one- and two-family dwellings and private garages, reads: "When gutters and leaders are placed on the outside of buildings, the gutters and leaders shall be constructed of metal or approved plastic for outdoor exposure with lapped, soldered or caulked joints and shall be securely fastened to the building with a corrosion resistant fastening device of similar or compatible material to the gutters and downspouts."

  Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, eighth edition, chapter 9 roof assemblies, read 14 October 2026.

• The Florida Building Code, Residential, says of shingle roofs: "Provide drip edge at eaves and gables of shingle roofs."

  Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, eighth edition, chapter 9 roof assemblies, read 14 October 2026.

• EPA's Soak Up the Rain page, marked as no longer updated, says: "Downspouts are often directed onto a paved surface, such as a driveway, which sends water directly into the street when it rains."

  Source: EPA Soak Up the Rain: Disconnect / Redirect Downspouts, read 14 October 2026.

• EPA's Soak Up the Rain page, marked as no longer updated, cautions: "Note: Downspout disconnection may not be appropriate for all locations. Consider local regulations and where the water will be directed to avoid property damage, unsafe conditions or other potential problems."

  Source: EPA Soak Up the Rain: Disconnect / Redirect Downspouts, read 14 October 2026.

Why do bids for one job differ?

Compare gutter installation bids as line items, because companies can measure and build the same roofline differently: total linear footage, one-piece runs formed on site or joined sections, aluminum, vinyl or copper, the gauge or thickness of the metal, the number of downspouts, and whether disposal of the old gutters is included.

Section R903.4.2 of the 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, eighth edition, covering one- and two-family dwellings and private garages, reads: "When gutters and leaders are placed on the outside of buildings, the gutters and leaders shall be constructed of metal or approved plastic for outdoor exposure with lapped, soldered or caulked joints and shall be securely fastened to the building with a corrosion resistant fastening device of similar or compatible material to the gutters and downspouts." Ask each bidder to name its gutter and downspout material, how its joints are sealed, and which hangers and fasteners attach the gutter, so you can tell whether two bids describe the same system.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, eighth edition, chapter 9 roof assemblies, read 14 October 2026.

FTC home improvement advice adds: "And ask for an explanation if there’s a big difference among the estimates." For gutters, ask whether a gap comes from footage, downspout count, guards, fascia repair or haul-away, and get the answer added to the written scope.

Source: FTC consumer advice on hiring a home improvement contractor, read 14 October 2026.

When is a comparison less useful?

Check the fascia boards and roof edge before you collect more gutter installation bids. If the wood behind the gutter is soft or the roof is due for replacement, another estimate cannot settle who repairs the fascia, and a start date set before the roof edge is decided may mean taking new gutters down again.

The first sentence of section R905.2.8.5 of the 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, eighth edition, reads: "Provide drip edge at eaves and gables of shingle roofs." On a shingle roof, ask each gutter bidder whether its gutter will sit under or behind the existing drip edge, and whether any roof-edge work is in its written scope or left to a roofer.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, eighth edition, chapter 9 roof assemblies, read 14 October 2026.

How can I ask several companies the same questions?

Start from a single marked-up roofline drawing that every gutter company receives: each run labeled with its length, inside and outside corners circled, downspouts numbered with an arrow showing where water goes, and old gutters flagged for removal. Identical drawings and photographs make the replies line up.

1. Runs: give each run's length and ask each bidder to show where any joints will fall.
2. Downspouts: number each one and say whether it should end at a splash block, an extension, a rain barrel or an underground pipe.
3. Hangers: ask which hanger type and spacing the bid uses and what each hanger fastens into.
4. Guards: say whether you want gutter guards offered as a separate line item.
5. Old gutters: ask who takes them down and who handles disposal.

EPA's Soak Up the Rain page, which EPA marks as general information that is no longer being updated, observes: "Downspouts are often directed onto a paved surface, such as a driveway, which sends water directly into the street when it rains."

Source: EPA Soak Up the Rain: Disconnect / Redirect Downspouts, read 14 October 2026.

The same page cautions: "Note: Downspout disconnection may not be appropriate for all locations. Consider local regulations and where the water will be directed to avoid property damage, unsafe conditions or other potential problems." Mark the discharge point you want for every downspout, including any spot near a walkway or a neighbor's lot, and ask every bidder to quote the same extensions.

Source: EPA Soak Up the Rain: Disconnect / Redirect Downspouts, read 14 October 2026.

Should I ask whether a quotation has a charge?

Ask each gutter company whether measuring the roofline and inspecting the fascia carry a charge of their own or sit inside its written estimate, and keep that answer with the written scope, so a walk-through to measure is never mistaken for agreement to install.

Cleaning out the old gutters is performed work, not an assessment, so ask whether it is a separate job. If a bid assumes some old sections, downspouts or hangers will be reused, ask the company to list each reused part in the written scope so you can compare it with bids that replace everything.

What should my request include?

Photograph every eave from the ground, then each corner, each downspout outlet, close views of the fascia and the soil or paving where water lands, and write a scope listing run lengths, material, downspout count, guards, ladder access and haul-away of old gutters.

Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.

Source: InstaBids process and privacy, read 14 October 2026.

What should I do when written bids arrive?

Read each written gutter bid against your roofline drawing: confirm footage, material, downspout count and every discharge point, then look at the start date, any fascia repair line and haul-away. Treat a blank hanger, joint or extension line as an open question for that company rather than an omission to guess about.

FEMA's Ready.gov hurricane guidance lists, under the heading Strengthen your Home: "De-clutter drains and gutters, bring in outside furniture and consider hurricane shutters." Ask each bidder how its gutters and any guards are cleared of debris, and whether a later cleaning visit is part of its offer or a separate job.

Source: FEMA Ready.gov hurricane preparation, read 14 October 2026.

Use the downspout plan as the tie-breaker. If one bid drops a downspout, moves one to a different corner or ends it on a paved surface you marked for an extension, send your drawing back to that company and weigh its bid only after the corrected version returns.

Next: How InstaBids works, Florida hiring checklist.

InstaBids is in an early pilot in Broward and Palm Beach counties. InstaBids is new in your area, so finding contractors can take longer, and a request may get no bids.

Source: InstaBids process and privacy, read 14 October 2026.
Source: Pilot FAQ, read 14 October 2026.

Sources for the facts on this page

Sources checked: 14 October 2026.

• FTC consumer advice on hiring a home improvement contractor, July 2022; checked 14 October 2026.
• 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, eighth edition, chapter 9 roof assemblies, checked 14 October 2026.
• EPA Soak Up the Rain: Disconnect / Redirect Downspouts, an EPA page marked as no longer being updated; checked 14 October 2026.
• FEMA Ready.gov hurricane preparation, checked 14 October 2026.
• InstaBids process and privacy, live-page excerpts reviewed 14 October 2026.
• Pilot FAQ, live-page excerpt read 14 October 2026.

Parent: InstaBids home.