Short answer: A gutter pulling away from the house is usually failed spikes or hangers, which cost $150 to $400 to fix. If the fascia board behind it is soft or rotten, add $300 to $800 for fascia replacement. Do not reattach a gutter to rotten wood; it will pull out again within a season. Ready for quotes? Compare local pros →
In this guide
This is the gutter problem I flag most often on inspections, and it is the one homeowners most often try to fix with a few new screws. Sometimes that works. Here is how to tell what you are actually dealing with and what each outcome costs.
Why gutters pull away
- Spike-and-ferrule fasteners have worked loose. Common on gutters over 15 years old. Wood expands and contracts around the spike until it slides out.
- Hangers are too far apart. They should be every 24 inches, or 18 inches in snow country. Many installs use 36.
- The fascia board is rotten. Years of overflow soak the wood behind the gutter. Screws will not hold in it.
- Ice and snow load. Ice dams add hundreds of pounds and bend the gutter down and out.
What should this cost you?
Answer four questions and get a fair price range for your home.
How to check the fascia
Press a screwdriver into the fascia board just behind the gutter every few feet. Sound wood resists. If the tip sinks in, or the paint is bubbled and the wood is dark, the fascia needs replacing before the gutter can be re-hung.
Repair cost
| Repair | Low | Average | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Replace spikes with hidden hangers (per hanger) | $5 | $8 | $12 |
| Re-hang one 20 to 40 ft run | $150 | $250 | $400 |
| Replace fascia board (per foot, painted) | $8 | $15 | $25 |
| Fascia replacement, one side of house | $300 | $550 | $800 |
| Re-hang plus fascia, one run | $450 | $800 | $1,200 |
| National average | $180 | $350 | $900 |
Repair or replace the gutter?
If the gutter itself is straight, not corroded and under 20 years old, re-hang it. If it is bent, has multiple leaking seams or is steel with rust-through, replacement at $8 to $15 per foot for seamless aluminum is the better spend.
Can you fix it yourself?
Replacing a few hangers on a single-story home is a reasonable DIY job: about $40 in hidden hangers and an afternoon. Fascia replacement involves removing the gutter, cutting and priming new board and often dealing with soffit damage. That is a job for a carpenter or gutter company.
Frequently asked questions
Reattaching a gutter with new hidden hangers costs $150 to $400 per run when the fascia is sound.
Not immediately, but every heavy rain sends water down the fascia and toward the foundation. Fix it within a few weeks, sooner in winter.
The fascia is the flat board that runs along the edge of the roof, directly behind the gutter. It supports the gutter and closes off the ends of the rafters.
What should this cost you?
Answer four questions and get a fair price range for your home.