Gutter Installation in Detroit, MI

Local know-how

Gutters in Detroit: what local homeowners should know

Metro Detroit’s bungalows, colonials and ranch homes date mostly from the 1920s to the 1970s, and many still carry old sectional gutters that leak at every seam. Seamless replacement is one of the most common exterior projects in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties.

Michigan winters bring snow, ice and freeze-thaw cycles, and the region has also seen serious basement flooding after intense summer storms. Gutters and downspouts that carry water away from the foundation are an important first line of defense.

Snow, storms and a flooded summer

Detroit averages about 33 inches of precipitation and 44.9 inches of snow a year (NWS Detroit, 1991–2020 normals). Winter brings freeze-thaw cycles that open seams and loosen old spike hangers; summer brings thunderstorms that can overwhelm the whole drainage system.

In late June 2021, more than 6 inches of rain fell in a few hours in parts of metro Detroit. Thousands of basements in Detroit and some suburbs filled with water and sewage, and sections of I-94 were closed for days because pumps could not keep up. Gutters cannot prevent a flood like that, but every downspout that sends roof water into the combined sewer adds to the load, and every downspout that dumps water against a basement wall adds to the risk.

Downspout disconnection in Detroit

Detroit residents are required by state law to disconnect downspouts leading to the combined sewer system, according to the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD). DWSD applies an automatic 25% drainage-charge credit to residential parcels to account for disconnected downspouts, and warns that homes without disconnected downspouts may lose some or all of that credit in the future. DWSD estimates that disconnecting costs about $40 for most houses when done yourself.

When you replace gutters, have the installer route each downspout to an extension or splash block that discharges onto a lawn or planted area that drains away from the foundation, and cap the old sewer standpipe. Our guide to disconnecting downspouts covers the details.

Typical costs in metro Detroit

These are published cost figures for orientation only, not quotes. City averages include smaller jobs such as partial runs; a full seamless system on a large or two-story home usually lands at the upper end of the range or above. The installer you are connected with measures your home and gives you the actual price.

More detail: gutter and gutter guard cost guide.

Michigan license rules

In Michigan, anyone who contracts with a homeowner for residential construction or remodeling work worth $600 or more, including labor and materials, must be licensed by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) as a Residential Builder or a Maintenance & Alteration (M&A) Contractor. The M&A license is issued by trade, and gutters is one of the listed trades. Ask for the license number and look it up with LARA before you sign.

Permit rules for gutters are set by each city’s building department. Ask the installer whether your job needs one in Detroit, Dearborn, Livonia, Troy or your suburb.

Older homes and lead-safe work

Much of Detroit’s housing, from bungalows and colonials to the big brick homes of historic neighborhoods, was built long before 1978, and old paint on fascia and trim often contains lead. The U.S. EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule applies to paid work that disturbs painted surfaces in pre-1978 homes: when more than 20 square feet of exterior paint is disturbed, the work must be done by a certified firm using lead-safe practices. Replacing rotted fascia behind old gutters can cross that threshold, so ask whether the installer’s firm is lead-safe certified.

Choosing gutters and guards for a metro Detroit home

• Seamless replacement for leaking sectional gutters on bungalows and colonials: gutter replacement.
• Hidden hangers for snow and ice: see ice dams and gutters.
• Disconnected downspouts with extensions: downspouts and drainage.
• Guards under maples and oaks: gutter guards.

Independent installers take calls from across metro Detroit, including Detroit, Dearborn, Livonia, Farmington, Southfield, Royal Oak, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, Troy, Rochester, Sterling Heights, Warren, Utica, Clinton Township, Macomb, St. Clair Shores, Mount Clemens, New Baltimore, Pontiac, Waterford, Clarkston, Lake Orion, Novi, Brighton, Ann Arbor, Belleville and Port Huron.

Sources

• National Weather Service Detroit: Monthly normals 1991–2020
• Michigan Public: Flooding strands vehicles, soaks basements across metro Detroit (June 2021)
• Detroit Stormwater: Downspout disconnection (DWSD drainage credit)
• Angi: How much does gutter installation cost in Detroit, MI?
• Angi: How much does gutter guard installation cost in Detroit, MI?
• HomeGuide: Seamless gutters cost
• Home Builders Association: Michigan residential builder and M&A contractor licensing
• U.S. EPA: Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule