HOW TO HIRE · TRADES & CONSTRUCTION

How to hire a guttering installer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Gutters need no approval in England and no licence applies; access, falls and drainage do. The checks and the questions.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a guttering installer in five steps

  1. Measure gutters and downpipesLength, number of downpipes and storeys.
  2. Choose the materialuPVC, cast iron, aluminium or steel, and the profile.
  3. Ask about accessTower or scaffold for upper floors.
  4. Agree the falls and outletsGutters set to fall to the downpipes, with outlets where water collects.
  5. Test before paymentWater through every run, no drips at joints.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Roofing needs no licence in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland; what governs the guttering is how the work at height is carried out, under the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and Northern Ireland's 2005 equivalent.

Ask how the guttering will be reached — scaffold, tower or platform — and see the access priced. hse.gov.uk →

Ladders for short jobs only

Under HSE's guidance a ladder is for short, low-risk tasks of up to half an hour at a time, angled one out for four up; a longer spell on the guttering calls for other access under the Work at Height Regulations.

For a day or more on the guttering, check the quote includes proper access. hse.gov.uk →

No approval needed (England)

gov.uk lists gutters and downpipes among the work that does not need building regulations approval in England; so the guttering needs no building control notification, though new downpipes should still discharge where the old ones did.

Ask where each new downpipe on the guttering will discharge. gov.uk →

Insurance and trader status

For the guttering, a trader should hold public liability insurance; check the insurer and the cover. Trader status matters: it brings the Consumer Rights Act 2015 into play, and under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 an off-premises or online booking usually has 14 days' cancellation, with any work you asked to start early charged for and personalised goods outside the right.

Request the current insurance schedule before the guttering, and look at the profile badges for trader status and ID.

VAT

VAT on guttering supply and fitting is charged at the standard 20%, and any business turning over more than £90,000 a year in taxable sales has to register, add it to the price and set it out on its own line.

Ask for the VAT number, and look for VAT as its own line on the guttering quote. gov.uk →

“Which guttering material and profile do you suggest?”

A good answer: A choice that suits the house — cast iron on a period home, uPVC on most others — with the price of each.

“How will you reach the guttering safely?”

A good answer: A tower or scaffold above the ground floor, priced.

“How will the falls be set?”

A good answer: Gutters set to fall evenly to outlets, checked with water.

“Are the fascias sound enough to fix to?”

A good answer: A look at the boards first; rotten fascias need replacing before new guttering.

“Where will the downpipes discharge?”

A good answer: Into the existing drains or gullies, not onto paths or the neighbour's ground.

“What guarantee covers the guttering?”

A good answer: A written workmanship guarantee and the product's guarantee.

Getting the quote right

  • Metres of gutter and number of downpipes
  • Material and profile named
  • Brackets, outlets and joints included
  • Access equipment
  • Who actually attends — the fitter working at the eaves, employed or subcontracted — and the business's VAT number, with VAT at 20% shown as its own line
  • Removal of the old gutters

Walk away if

  • Fixes new gutters to rotten fascias
  • Works on upper floors from a ladder all day
  • No water test
  • Downpipe left discharging onto a path
  • No written price
LOW
£400
TYPICAL
£800
HIGH
£1,600

What a guttering installer costs: £400–£1,600 per job

Guttering is priced per job by the metres of gutter and downpipe, the material and whether a tower or scaffold is needed. Guttering Installation price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Guttering installers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. SurveyRuns measured, fascias checked, drains located.
  2. AccessTower or scaffold set up for upper floors.
  3. RemoveOld gutters and downpipes taken down.
  4. FitBrackets set to falls, gutters and downpipes fitted.
  5. TestWater run through every length and the joints checked.

Fall
The slight slope that carries water to the outlet.
Outlet
Where the gutter joins the downpipe.
Downpipe
The vertical pipe taking water to the drain.
Profile
The shape of the gutter — half-round, square, ogee.
Gully
The ground-level drain a downpipe discharges into.
Stop end
The cap at the end of a gutter run.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the invoice and guaranteeWith the material and profile, for matching parts later.
Watch it in heavy rainNo overflow at corners or joints.
Keep it clearLeaves out of the outlets, especially near trees.
Review the jobOnly booked jobs can be reviewed on Locufy, so yours carries weight; if the guttering falls short, use the make-it-right step first and the provider is asked to fix it before the review is published.

STEP 1Give the roofer a written chance to fix itMost problems with the guttering are settled at this stage: say what is wrong, attach photos and set a fair deadline. If the guttering fell below reasonable care and skill, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 entitles you to have it redone or to pay less.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepRate the guttering under four stars and you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then the review goes up.
STEP 3Dangerous or unapproved workUnsafe work at height on the guttering can be reported to HSE, and a re-roof in England that was neither approved nor self-certified is a matter for building control. For a dispute about the guttering with the trader, Trading Standards is reached through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeIf the guttering is still not settled, you can claim without a solicitor: the small claims track takes claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a guttering installer: questions people ask

Nobody licenses gutter fitters in the UK; what the law controls is safe access, under the Work at Height Regulations.

gov.uk lists gutters and downpipes among the work that does not need approval in England.

£400–£1,600 a job, typically around £800. The metres of gutter, the material and access for upper floors decide it. There is a line-by-line breakdown in the Guttering Installation price guide, and the postcode box above brings up guttering installers in your area.

If they are rotten, yes; it saves putting the access up twice.

Blocked outlets, too few outlets, or gutters set without enough fall.

On a period house it may suit the building; it costs more and needs painting.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in trades & construction

How to hire: Fascias & SoffitsHow to hire: RooferHow to hire: Roof RepairHow to hire: ScaffoldingHow to hire: Flat RoofingHow to hire: Chimney RepairHow to hire: RenderingHow to hire: Damp ProofingAll 701 hiring guides →

Guttering installers near you

Guttering installers in LondonGuttering installers in ManchesterGuttering installers in BirminghamGuttering installers in GlasgowGuttering installers in BelfastAll guttering installers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. HSE — work at height: the law
  2. HSE — work at height myths (ladders and the 30-minute guide)
  3. HSE — types of ladder and using them safely
  4. Work at Height Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005
  5. gov.uk — building work, replacements and repairs to your home (England)
  6. gov.uk — competent person schemes: current schemes and the work they cover
  7. gov.uk — building regulations: when you do not need approval
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  9. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  10. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — the 14-day cancellation period
  11. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  12. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started within the cancellation period
  13. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track limit (England and Wales)
  14. Scottish Courts and Tribunals — making a claim under simple procedure
  15. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  16. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  17. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  18. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register