Gutter guards are a great update to a home to help ensure the gutters keep flowing through all four seasons. Gutters are more important than you might think because they’re responsible for keeping water from dripping down right into the basement or foundation of your home. Guards are necessary for keeping leaves, pine needles, and more out of the gutters so they don’t become clogged. Even with regular cleaning, it’s hard to keep gutters clear without them. But before you commit to the installation process, you likely want to know exactly how long it will take. It varies from home to home, and there are a few specific factors that can help you figure out how long your installation process will take.
Prep and Setup
Whether the pros handle the job or you do it yourself, there will need to be clear access to all sides of your roof where the gutters are installed. If you have plants or decorations installed around the home, you may need to do some trimming or reorganization before the ladders come in. Soft, uneven, and unsteady ground needs some kind of reinforcement as well so the ladders are safe to use. This can contribute a few hours to the total project time, but rarely adds more than a day onto the process.
Size of the Home
The size of the home, and therefore its roof size and total feet of edges, will largely determine the time required for gutter guard installation. Smaller homes with fewer linear feet of gutter to cover will take far less time than larger homes with extensive gutters. Generally, homes under 1500 square feet take a day or less for installation. Larger homes of 2000 feet and greater usually take two days or more. Very large homes of 3000 to 4000 square feet may take most of a week to complete, but it’s likely to go faster because the installers will bring in a bigger crew. Of course, these estimates all assume professional installation, which goes much more quickly than homeowner DIY installation.
Complexity of the Roof’s Edges
The design of the roof itself can make both gutter and gutter guard installation take longer. If your roof has many valleys or overlapping edges for a modern design, the many short runs of gutter will take longer to cover due to the need for extra trimming. Roofs with long, continuous runs of gutter will take far less time to cover. While you may prefer the look of a highly architectural roof design, consider long-term details like the cost and time required for repairs and work like installing gutter guards.
Need for Repairs
Gutter guard installation time estimates also assume your gutters are in good shape. If any repairs are needed to the gutters or the soffit boards they attach to, this will add extra time to the installation process. Adding gutter guards to a damaged set of gutters won’t necessarily help them since the extra weight could pull them loose from rotten soffit boards. If the gutter guard installation team notes any damage, you’ll need to have it repaired before installation continues. They may be able to install guards on the undamaged part of the system and return later to complete the rest after repairs.
Number of Crew Members
The number of people working on the installation also influences how long it takes to complete. Most small homes are completed with a crew of two people so someone can stay on the ground to cut the guards and stabilize the ladder while the other installer attaches them to the gutters. For larger homes, crews of four to six do the same work in similar pairs around the structure. It’s rare to have more than six to eight people working on even the largest jobs, but it can be possible to hire extra workers to get the installation done as quickly as possible if you’re concerned about timing.
DIY Installation
Tackling the gutter guard installation all by yourself is a big project, but it may be possible if you have a smaller home with a simple roof edge design. It’s also far more feasible on single-story homes than any structures with two or more floors. Expect to spend multiple days on the guard installation rather than just a few hours, especially if you don’t have a helper that can stay on the ground to cut materials and hand you tools. For a quicker installation process, you’ll need to turn to professionals. Not only do they have the experience to get the job done faster and without common mistakes, but they’ll also bring all the stand-off ladders and other equipment for rapid installation without damage to your roof or gutters.
Choose K-Guard for gutter guard installation that is as quick and painless as possible. Let us protect your home by helping your gutters work properly while reducing the amount of work you need to do to keep them clean throughout the year.
