Quick answer
Gutter installation cost in Tacoma, WA: Published third-party data puts seamless aluminum gutter installation in Tacoma at $6.40 to $11.10 per linear foot, and a typical single-family home here carries 150 to 200 feet of gutter, so a full replacement runs roughly $960 to $2,220 before tax. Two-story access, 6-inch gutters, extra downspouts, rotted fascia and gutter guards push it higher, sometimes past $4,000. Two quotes on the same house usually differ because they priced different scopes, so compare line by line. Call (253) 777-1572 or get a free written quote.
Real numbers first
Where Tacoma gutter prices actually come from
Gutter companies in this market rarely publish pricing, which is why searching for it lands you on national lead sites. So start with the public data, then look at what moves your house up or down.
Published third-party figures for Tacoma put gutter installation at $5.30 to $11.70 per linear foot across all materials, narrowing to $6.40 to $11.10 for seamless aluminum. That works out to about $640 to $1,110 for 100 feet of gutter and $1,280 to $2,220 for 200 feet. A national home services cost guide for Seattle lands in the same neighborhood: $691 to $1,757 per project, averaging $1,223, with labor at $50 to $100 an hour.
Those ranges are wide on purpose. A rancher in South Tacoma and a two-story craftsman on the North Slope are not the same job, even in identical material. Treat the published numbers as a reality check, not a quote. Material and labor costs move, and only a measured roofline gives you a real figure.
Linear feet is the base of every number, and it is not the same thing as square footage. A compact two-story can have less gutter than a sprawling rambler with several roof planes, dormers and a covered porch. Every extra roof plane adds an end cap, a corner and often another downspout. Measure the roofline, not the house.
Do not forget sales tax
One line belongs in every budget and is missing from most online estimates. Washington applies retail sales tax to labor as well as materials on work like this, and Tacoma’s combined rate is 10.5 percent, about $189 on an $1,800 job. Rates vary by address across Pierce County, so confirm yours with the Washington Department of Revenue rather than assuming. If one bid includes tax and another adds it at the end, they are not comparable yet.
What changes the total
The seven things that move your number
Two homes with the same footage can land hundreds of dollars apart. Almost all of the difference comes from these.
| Cost driver | Why it moves the price | What to ask your contractor |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Linear feet of roofline | The base multiplier, plus every corner, end cap and outlet that comes with extra roof planes | What total footage did you measure? |
| 2. One story or two | Height is the biggest labor variable. Second-story work means longer setups and a slower pace | Does access, a hillside or tight side yard change the price? |
| 3. 5-inch or 6-inch gutter | 6-inch costs more per foot and pairs with larger 3×4 downspouts | Why this size for my roof planes? |
| 4. Downspout count and size | Moving from 2×3 to 3×4 raises cost, and seven outlets cost more than four | How many outlets, what size, and where does the water end up? |
| 5. Fascia and wood repair | New gutters cannot hang on wood that will not hold a screw | Did you check the fascia by hand, and is repair priced? |
| 6. Tear-off and haul-away | Removing the old system is real labor and a real dump fee | Is removal and disposal in this number? |
| 7. Gutter guards | Priced on top of the gutter, not instead of it | What guard, and what does it cost as its own line? |
Height, hillsides and big trees
Ground-level ladder work moves fast. Second-story work means staging, longer setups and more care, and at $50 to $100 an hour that time lands right in your total. Add mature firs crowding the eaves, tight side yards or a sloped lot, and access alone can shift a quote by several hundred dollars.
Gutter size and downspouts
A 6-inch K-style trough holds about 2.0 gallons per foot against roughly 1.2 for 5-inch, and it belongs on 3×4 downspouts. In Tacoma it is often the right call rather than an upsell, mainly on large or steep roof planes and under heavy fir debris, and plenty of houses do fine on 5-inch. Our 5-inch vs 6-inch breakdown shows how we decide. Downspouts are where most quote differences hide. The four-downspout version of a house is cheaper than the seven-downspout version, and it is also the one that overflows in November. Carrying water away from the foundation through underground drainage is a separate line again.
The surprise under the old gutter
Soft fascia is the most common surprise on a Pacific Northwest gutter job. Gutters that have overflowed for years often hide rotted wood, and you cannot hang a new system on boards that will not hold a fastener. A good contractor puts a hand on the fascia before quoting. A cheap quote often just does not look. See our fascia board repair page for what that work involves.
Price by material
Gutter cost per linear foot in Tacoma, by material
Here is what each material works out to on a 175-foot home, using the published per-foot ranges.
| Material | Installed cost per linear foot | On a 175-ft home | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl | $4.20 to $7.40 (Tacoma data) | $735 to $1,295 | Cheapest up front. Sectional, not seamless, so more joints to leak. We do not put plastic on rooflines. |
| Seamless aluminum | $6.40 to $11.10 (Tacoma data), $4 to $7 (Seattle guide) | $1,120 to $1,943 | The Tacoma default, formed on site to one continuous length per run |
| Galvanized steel | $8 to $9 (Seattle guide) | $1,400 to $1,575 | Stronger against ladders and falling limbs. Cut ends can rust over time. |
| Copper | $25 to $30 (Seattle guide) | $4,375 to $5,250 | Historic and high-end homes. Develops a patina and lasts for decades. |
| Gutter guards (add-on) | $3.50 to $9.50 (Tacoma data) | $610 to $1,660 | Quoted on top of the gutter, not instead of it |
Why seamless aluminum is the default here
Most leaks start at joints, and a sectional gutter is full of them. Seamless gutters are formed on your driveway from a coil, cut to the exact length of each run, so the only joints are at the corners and outlets. For a system that has to carry rain from October through March, fewer joints means fewer places for months of steady water to find. Steel and copper have their place too. Galvanized gutters stand up to impact under big trees, and copper gutters suit historic homes where the look matters.
Guards: the add-on people argue about
Guards are not a small line. Under Douglas fir and big-leaf maple, plenty of Tacoma homeowners decide the math works. Others put the money toward a 6-inch gutter and clean twice a year. Both are defensible. We work through the payback in are gutter guards worth it in Tacoma.
And cleaning, for comparison
Cleaning is a different budget. The same published Tacoma data puts gutter cleaning at $0.60 to $1.10 per linear foot, roughly $70 to $240 for a typical home: about $70 to $170 single story and $90 to $190 two story. Real local minimums often start above those averages, and homes under heavy fir and maple need two visits a year, not one. Scope details are on our gutter cleaning page.
Comparing bids
Why two quotes on the same house can be $1,200 apart
When two contractors walk the same roofline and come back far apart, it is almost never greed. They quoted two different jobs.
- Tear-off and haul-away. One bid includes removal and disposal. The other assumed you would handle it, or will add it later.
- Gutter size. A 5-inch quote and a 6-inch quote are not comparable, and neither are 2×3 and 3×4 downspouts.
- Downspout count. Four versus seven changes material, labor and whether the system keeps up in a Puget Sound downpour.
- Fascia left as “TBD.” Rotted wood that is not priced does not disappear. It becomes a change order once the old gutter is down.
- Thickness and hanger spec. A .032 gutter on hidden hangers every 24 inches costs more than .027 on spikes every 36 inches, and it stays straight in year four.
- Tax and disposal. In the total for one bidder, added at the end by the other.
The cheapest quote is very often the one missing the most scope. To compare bids fairly, ask every contractor for the same six things in writing: total linear feet, gutter size, downspout count and size, hanger type and spacing, whether tear-off and fascia repair are included, and whether sales tax is in the number shown. Once those match, a price difference is real information.
How we quote your house
- Measure the roofline.Every run, corner and roof plane, not the square footage of the house.
- Place the downspouts.Based on where the water actually goes, including valleys and the far end of long runs.
- Hands on the fascia.We check the wood before promising anything will hang on it.
- Recommend a size.Often that is 5-inch, and we say so when it is.
- Write the scope.Tear-off, guards, wood repair and tax each on their own line, so you can hold anyone else to the same scope.
- No surprises later.If something we find changes the price, you hear it before we start, not after.
We will not publish a flat price for your house, because that price does not exist until someone has looked at it. What we will do is give you a written scope that makes comparison easy. See our gutter installation service or ask for a visit anywhere from Tacoma to Puyallup and Federal Way.
Want a written, line-by-line gutter quote? Call (253) 777-1572
Get a Free EstimateA tip from the crew: summer is the easiest time to get gutters replaced in the South Sound. The dry months are the best window for installs, fascia repair goes faster on dry wood, and you are not competing with every storm call in October.
Frequently Asked Questions
Published third-party data puts seamless aluminum in Tacoma at $6.40 to $11.10 per linear foot. With a typical 150 to 200 feet of roofline, that is roughly $960 to $2,220 before tax. Two-story access, 6-inch gutter, extra downspouts, fascia repair or guards push it higher.
Published figures put installed gutter in the Tacoma and Seattle area at about $4.20 to $7.40 per foot for vinyl, $6.40 to $11.10 for seamless aluminum, $8 to $9 for galvanized steel and $25 to $30 for copper. Guards add $3.50 to $9.50 per foot.
On the right house, yes. A 6-inch K-style holds about 2.0 gallons per foot against roughly 1.2 for 5-inch and pairs with larger 3×4 downspouts. It earns its cost on large or steep roof planes and under heavy fir debris. Many Tacoma homes do fine on 5-inch.
Published Tacoma data puts cleaning at $0.60 to $1.10 per linear foot, about $70 to $240 total, roughly $70 to $170 single story and $90 to $190 two story. Local minimums often start higher, and homes under heavy fir usually need two visits a year.
Usually because they priced different jobs. Check tear-off and haul-away, gutter size, downspout count and size, hanger type and spacing, fascia repair and sales tax. Once those six match, a price difference tells you something real.
Yes. Washington applies retail sales tax to labor as well as materials on work like this. Tacoma’s combined rate is 10.5 percent, about $189 on an $1,800 job, and rates vary by address across Pierce County, so confirm yours.
Free estimates
Ready for a gutter quote you can actually compare in Tacoma?
Free, no-pressure written estimates from local Solutionists. We measure every run, check the fascia by hand, and break out tear-off, guards, wood repair and tax as their own lines, then form your seamless gutters on site.
The Brothers That Just Do Gutters · Tacoma · (253) 777-1572 · Serving Tacoma, WA and the South Sound
Licensed, Bonded & Insured · Washington Contractor License #BRTHRBT745J1