The cost of gutter installation in Toronto can vary due to a number of factors. The first thing to define is the difference between gutters being installed on a new build home versus being retro-fitted on an existing home.
Where new construction is concerned; the typical scenario involves the repeat of a few home design models and a limited choice of colours being used. Also typical for new construction is the use of basic gauge aluminum materials and smaller sized gutters and downpipes.
There is a further distinction when discussing the cost of gutter installation on a new custom home build versus a subdivision in Toronto.
When subdivisions are constructed, the builder has typically made an agreement with a particular vendor based on a defined number of homes; perhaps hundreds or even thousands. The gutter installation vendor then can obtain his/her best price for materials from their aluminum manufacturer partner, based on literally thousands of feet of a few primary colours.
Where new construction sites are concerned, there is typically no finished landscaping to worry about and often boom equipment can be used to reach tricky access areas. Sections of gutters can be pre-fabricated as the design will repeat over and over throughout the subdivision.
The aluminum vendor places a low markup on every home with the idea of receiving a large volume of work. Some advantages also include not having to deal with individual homeowners or neighbours in terms of coordination and scheduling.
The subdivision builder usually seeks the lowest price among qualified aluminum vendor(s) who have the ability to deliver volumes of work in keeping with their build schedule. The affair can be viewed as somewhat of a large scale operation.
As of this writing; it is common for a subdivision builder to pay $7 to $10 per linear foot for basic gutter installation in Toronto.
The next category of new build gutter installation involves custom homes. Experienced custom home builders do not necessarily seek the lowest price for aluminum gutter installation, but there are many who do. The more custom the home, the less chance that a low price trading vendor will be selected.
Good custom home builders don’t want headaches from their clients. So they will often pay more than subdivision rates to help insure a more conscientious installation. Custom homes can have increased issues with access between neighbouring homes, unfinished build portions that must be re-visited by the aluminum installer, and time pressures for completion in order that the contractor may keep their schedules flowing to completion.
One can expect to pay $10- $15 per linear foot for one off custom homes in Toronto; using five inch “K” style aluminum gutters.
The next category of aluminum gutter installation in Toronto is the retro-fit and re-modeling segment of the market. This has been the bailiewick of AVENUE ROAD ROOFING® for almost five decades. In the retrofit market, each home can be very different in terms of it’s individual access characteristics, simplicity or complexity of design, the need for hydro line coverage, and the choice of various gutter materials that are available.
In recent times the aluminum gutter installation market in Toronto and throughout North America has been impacted by delays in aluminum coils supply as a result of three factors.
The first factor being that supply chain issues which have resulted from shipping containers being backlogged in major U.S. and Canadian shipping ports.
The second is high demand from the U.S. market where post Covid; the demand for building and infrastructure renewal, combined with rebuilding as a result of disasters in the Southern United States, has placed unprecedented demand on aluminum materials and building supplies in general.
The third factor is that demand for aluminum and other metals have driven prices up considerably with more increases slated for the fall.
These factors have recently impacted the costs of raw materials necessary for the manufacturing of gutters. Because there is great market demand in the construction industry generally, this has also impacted the labour market.
Gutter installation is a specialized trade requiring considerable experience and the ability to work at heights and in some precarious locations. As a result, the busy new construction market has attracted many in the trade to work on projects which are generally simpler to install, and which do not require lengthy commutes into the busy city environment. Combined with great overall demand in all genres of construction, labour rates for those enegaged in retrofit works has increased dramatically.
The process of retrofitting gutters requires that the existing guttering must be removed from the home and taken away for recycling. On retro-fit gutter projects, it is common to have to repair damaged wood fascia boards and or rotted roof rafter tails as part of the process.
On homes where there is limited access between houses, or where homes are located in close proximity to sidewalks or pedestrian routes such as alleys, roads, etc.; there can be the requirement to erect scaffolding or use boom equipment to reach hard to access areas.
In short; the retrofit gutter installer receives higher compensation due to the nature of the work,
As a result; the range of pricing for retrofit gutter installation is between $15 per linear foot to $30 per linear foot depending on the gauge, size and style of aluminum gutters that are selected. The choices of aluminum guttering comes in o.23 gauge (the lightest standard material), 0.27 gauge which is heavier thickness material for five inch capacity gutters, and 0.32 gauge for heavy duty large capacity six inch gutters.
When factoring the linear footage of gutters, one must allow one foot extra for every inside or outside corner joint as the material is required to fabricate a fourty-five degree miter at such junctions. Where a gutter has complex angles such as on a bay window or circular roof base such as a turret, additional
footage is factored to enable those joins to be made. Also to include when calculating total footage is the length of downpipes, as well as required leader pipes, elbow connections and pipe required to connect elbows back to wall surfaces.
As a general rule of thumb; (but not always completely accurate), whatever the total linear footage of gutter that is required on a home, the calculation will require fifty percent more to account for downpipes. As an example; if two hundred linear feet of gutter is required, than another one hundred feet of downpipe will be necessary.
A project estimator will also have to consider the effort required to access particular areas such as dormers on steep roofs, and whether hydro line coverage will be necessary to safely complete the work.
It is less expensive to secure guttering with spikes and furrels, but stronger to use hidden brackets which provide a clean appearance to the front of the gutter, and which typically do not come loose over time.
There are other material choices which can be used for gutter installation such as copper, leaded copper and steel. Such options are designed to last beyond fifty years and will require the added labour to conduct soldering of all relevant joints.
In the premium metal categories discussed, there are syles such as half round gutter, Ogee style, and custom fabrication which can contribute to higher installation costs.
As an example; copper gutters can begin at around $45 pert linear foot and go upward depending on factors discussed.
While seasoned gutter installers can make the job appear easy, there is much attention that is necessary to provide a gutter project which drains well, is secure for decades, and is aesthetically pleasing.
To learn more about all types of gutters, visit www.avenueroadroofing.com or contact us to receive an appraisal of your guttering requirements.
