St. Louis gutter companies: what to expect from us

How we work

Three rules cover most of it.

We look before we quote. Every estimate is done from a ladder — the corners, the fascia behind the gutter, and where every downspout ends — not from the driveway with a tape. The number on the estimate is the number on the invoice unless we find rot we couldn't have seen, and then you see it before we cut anything.

We size for the storms we get. Forty-one inches a year sounds mild until two of them arrive in an hour on a May afternoon. That means 3x4 downspouts as standard, 6-inch runs on big roofs, an extra downspout on long runs, and extensions on every job, because a wet basement in St. Louis is nearly always a downspout problem first.

We tell you when you don't need us. If a $180 reseal fixes it, that's what we'll sell you. If your copper half-rounds need three seams soldered and nothing else, we won't quote you a replacement.

What to expect from any gutter company in St. Louis

There are plenty of gutter contractors St. Louis homeowners can call, and the good ones work in similar ways. Whichever you pick, us included, expect:

• A written estimate with line items: gutter size and gauge, hanger type and spacing, downspout size and count, fascia per foot, guards per foot, haul-away, and where the downspouts drain.
• Proof of general liability and workers' compensation insurance, sent before the crew arrives.
• A fascia check and a drainage check, not just a look at the gutter.
• Downspout extensions included, not sold as an extra.
• A hose test before they leave.
• No "today-only" price. Aluminum costs the same on Thursday as it did on Tuesday.

If you're looking for the best gutter company St. Louis has, that list is the test. Any company that passes it will do a good job. Any company that fails two of those points is hanging the gutters you'll be replacing in ten years.

Licensing, insurance and permits in Missouri

Missouri has no state license for gutter, roofing or general home-improvement contractors. A company that says it's "licensed" here has a municipal business license, which is a tax receipt, not a competency check. What protects you is insurance, so ask for the certificate and call the agent on it if you like. The Missouri Attorney General's office publishes consumer guidance on hiring home-repair contractors after storms, which is when most of the bad ones show up.

Permits are set town by town. The City of St. Louis, and each of the roughly 90 municipalities in St. Louis County, has its own building code office and its own view on whether gutter and fascia work needs a permit — most don't require one for like-for-like gutter replacement, some do for fascia and soffit, and the city's local historic districts can require review for exterior changes. We ask before we start.

What we don't do

Roofing, foundation repair, basement waterproofing or painting. We'll point out a roof problem when we see one from the ladder — a missing drip edge, shingles that stop short of the gutter — and you can take that to a roofer. We don't sell guards to people whose trees don't justify them, and we don't take a deposit on repairs.

Where we are

Based in St. Louis, working across the city and St. Louis County — Kirkwood, Webster Groves, Clayton, University City, Florissant, Ballwin, Chesterfield, Wildwood — St. Charles County including St. Charles and O'Fallon, and Belleville and the Metro East. Area codes 314 and 636. Our Kirkwood and Chesterfield pages describe what's typical in those places.

Call, text or request an estimate. Estimates are free and good for 30 days.