Columbus gutter companies: how to choose one

What this site is

This is a free local guide to gutters for homeowners in Columbus and the Franklin County suburbs. It is not a gutter company and does not install, repair or clean gutters. The guides explain what usually goes wrong with gutters here, what the fixes typically cost, and what to ask before you hire. When you call or request an estimate, your request goes to an independent local contractor partner who looks at the gutters, writes the quote and performs the work. You are never obligated to hire, and the prices on this site are typical market ranges, not quotes.

Three things that separate good gutter companies in Columbus

They look before they quote. A sound estimate comes from a ladder — the corners, the fascia behind the gutter, and where every downspout ends — not from the driveway with a tape. Ask what happens to the price if hidden rot turns up, and expect to be shown before anything changes.

They build for Columbus winters. Hidden screw hangers, not spikes, because ice pulls spikes out. Pitch that drains a run empty so it doesn't freeze solid. 3x4 downspouts where the roof needs them, because they don't plug with maple seeds and ice the way 2x3s do. And every downspout carried away from the foundation, because on Franklin County clay a wet basement is often a gutter problem before it's a waterproofing problem.

They tell you when you don't need them. If a $180 reseal fixes it, a good gutter company in Columbus will say so. If your gutters have five good years left, you should hear that too. If your trees don't justify guards, nobody should be selling you guards.

What to expect from any gutter contractor in Columbus

There are plenty of gutter contractors. Columbus homeowners can hold every one of them to the same list. Whoever you call, you should get:

• A written estimate with line items: gutter size and gauge, hanger type and spacing, downspout size and count, fascia repair per foot, guards per foot, extensions, haul-away.
• Proof of insurance before the crew arrives, sent by the contractor's agent on request.
• A crew that checks the fascia and the drainage, not just the gutter.
• Downspout extensions included, not sold as an add-on.
• A hose test before they leave, and workmanship terms in writing.
• No "sign today" price. Aluminum costs the same on Thursday as it did on Tuesday.

Looking for the best gutter company? Columbus has plenty of good ones, and that list is the test. Any company that passes it will likely do a good job. Any company that fails two of those points is installing the gutters you'll be replacing in eight years.

Licensing, insurance and permits

Registration and permit rules vary by city — check with the City of Columbus Building and Zoning Services or your suburb's building department before work starts. Dublin, Upper Arlington, Worthington, Westerville and the other suburbs each have their own building departments, and fascia or structural work at the roof edge is more likely to need paperwork than gutters alone. Exterior changes in historic districts such as German Village can need review, so check with the city's Historic Preservation Office first.

Insurance is a separate question, and it's the one that actually protects you. Ask every contractor for current general liability and workers' compensation certificates, sent by the contractor's agent, and check that the names and dates match. The Ohio Attorney General publishes a plain guide to hiring home-improvement contractors that's worth ten minutes, especially after a storm, when out-of-town crews start knocking on doors.

Watch-outs

Be wary of a deposit demanded before any materials are ordered on a small repair, a sit-down presentation that ends in a today-only discount, or a quote that won't list the gauge and hanger type. Roofing, foundation waterproofing and painting are separate trades; a gutter contractor who spots a roof problem — a missing drip edge, slipped slates, shingles that stop short of the gutter — should tell you so you can take it to a roofer.

How to compare two or three gutter companies

1. Describe the same problem to each one. Use the same words: which corner drips, which run sags, where the basement gets wet. Different descriptions get different quotes.
2. Be there for the visit if you can. Watch whether the estimator goes up a ladder, pushes on the fascia and walks to the end of every downspout.
3. Ask for line items. Gutter size, metal thickness, hanger type and spacing, downspout size and count, fascia per foot, extensions, haul-away.
4. Line the quotes up. Compare each line, not the totals. Most big gaps come from thinner metal, spikes instead of hidden hangers, or fewer downspouts.
5. Check the paperwork. Insurance certificates from the agent, the company's full legal name on the estimate, and the workmanship terms in writing.
6. Decide without a deadline. A price that holds for a reasonable time lets you sleep on it.

Questions worth asking on the phone

• How soon can someone look at it, and will that person be on a ladder?
• Do you handle repairs, or only full replacements?
• What hangers and what metal thickness do you normally use?
• Do you flush the downspouts and check where they discharge?
• Who do I call if a corner leaks after the first heavy rain?

A company that answers these plainly on the phone usually writes a clear estimate too.

Which trade to call

Not every wet wall or drip is a gutter job. Here's a rough sort:

When in doubt, start with the gutters and the downspout discharge. They're the cheapest part of the system to fix, and they're often the cause.

After a storm

Wind and hail bring door-knockers. Take your time. Photograph the damage yourself from the ground before anything is moved, check your policy or ask your agent what it covers, and get written estimates from local companies with a street address you can find. Be cautious about signing anything that assigns your insurance claim to a contractor, and about a large cash deposit before any work is scheduled.

Columbus and Franklin County, plus the edges of Delaware and Fairfield counties: Clintonville, Worthington and Westerville to the north; Dublin, Hilliard and Upper Arlington to the northwest and west; Grove City to the south; Bexley, Gahanna, Reynoldsburg and Pickerington to the east; German Village and the Near East Side downtown. The Dublin and Upper Arlington pages describe what's typical there.

Call, text or request an estimate. Estimates from the contractor partner are free and in writing, with no obligation.

How estimate requests are handled

Calls and requests through this site are handled by an independent local gutter contractor we work with in Columbus, who provides the written quote and performs the work. Prices on the site are typical Columbus ranges, not a quote.