What wears out gutters in Adelaide
Storm damage
The September 2016 storms brought destructive winds and large hail across South Australia, and the damage reached into metropolitan Adelaide. Gutters sit right on the roof edge, so they take that kind of hit early. A run that's been bent loses its fall, and water starts sitting in it.
Old stone homes, old profiles
Much of early Adelaide was built in bluestone, and a period home may suit a period gutter. Lysaght describes its Ogee gutter as a scalloped profile suited to heritage homes, while Quad is its classic design for steel and tile roofs.
Mostly single-storey streets
Most Adelaide suburbs are single-storey detached houses. That keeps gutter work easier to reach and scaffold than on a two-storey home, so the job itself is often straightforward. The cost tends to be in the metres and the extras.
Bushfire areas in the Hills
In designated bushfire-prone areas, Ministerial Building Standard MBS008 adds building requirements. If you're replacing gutters in the Hills, ask whether ember guard should go on at the same time, and whether your block's rules affect the materials.
Patch or replace?
Patch when the problem is one joint, one corner or a single bracket and the rest of the run is solid. Replace when rust holes show up in several places, when water sits along the length, or when the timber fascia behind is rotting.
Replacement is the moment to get the materials right. BlueScope says galvanised gutters can corrode early under Colorbond roofs and glazed terracotta tiles, so it recommends Colorbond or Zincalume gutters instead. The building code also wants brackets no more than 1.2 m apart, which is worth checking on any quote.
If your old gutters look like cement rather than metal, stop. ASSEA lists asbestos cement gutters among old roofing products, so have them tested before anyone cuts or breaks them. Our guides to Colorbond gutters and gutter profiles cover the options.
Ask before you agree to new gutters
- Which profile and material are you quoting, and does it suit my roof and house?
- How many downpipes, and will you add any?
- Is there an overflow built in, so a blocked gutter spills outside?
- Will you check the fascia, and is any replacement priced separately?
- Are my old gutters metal, or could they be asbestos cement?
- Can I see your CBS licence card, and what workmanship warranty do you give?
What we'd do
If more than a couple of sections are rusting, we'd replace the whole run rather than patch, because the rest usually isn't far behind. Get the downpipes and overflows looked at in the same visit. In the Hills, we'd price metal ember guard at the same time, so it goes onto new gutters rather than being added later.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.
Getting it quoted
Tell us your suburb and what the gutters are doing. Where we have a licence-checked roofer or roof plumber for your area, they're the only one who gets your contact details. Where we don't, we'll let you know straight away. See our national gutter replacement page or the Adelaide hub for more.