Stop calling roofers for gutter guards, that's not their job

Had a customer last month who paid a roofer $400 to install gutter guards on her house in Decatur. Two weeks later the gutters overflowed in a heavy rain because the guards were installed wrong and leaves got trapped under them. She called me to fix the wiring on her attic fan and mentioned it. I took a look and the roofer had used cheap mesh guards that don't even work with her type of gutter. Here's the thing - roofers know roofs, not gutter systems. You need a dedicated gutter company for guards, not the guy who replaces shingles. Anyone else gotten burned by hiring the wrong trade for a job that seems related but isn't?

3 comments

3 Comments

caseyrivera20d ago

Wait, did you read that article in the trade journal last month about how nearly 40 percent of gutter guard failures come from roofers installing them? I saw that and it made total sense to me after seeing what happened at my neighbor's place. Roofers are great at what they do, but gutters are a whole different animal with specific pitch requirements and hanger spacing. It's like asking a dentist to do heart surgery just because they both work on mouths. You really have to match the installer to the specific job or you end up paying twice.

jenny_carr5220d ago

Right? That stat is wild but makes so much sense lol.

black.patricia20d ago

Wait, isn't that like getting a plumber to fix your electrical wiring because both involve pipes? Just because you're comfortable on a roof doesn't mean you know your way around a gutter slope. I bet half those failures are just from people thinking "close enough" is good enough.