Columbus 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, with a screwdriver in the fascia and a walk to where each downspout ends — not from the driveway with a tape measure. The price you're given is the price you pay, unless we open up a corner and find rot we couldn't see, in which case you see it before we touch it.

We build for Columbus winters. Hidden screw hangers, not spikes, because ice pulls spikes out. Pitch that drains a run empty so it doesn't freeze solid. 3x4 downspouts as standard because they don't plug with maple seeds and ice the way 2x3s do. And every downspout carried away from the foundation, because on Franklin County clay a wet basement is a gutter problem before it's a waterproofing problem.

We tell you when you don't need us. If a $180 reseal fixes it, that's what we sell you. If your gutters have five good years left, we say so and see you in five years. If your trees don't justify guards, we won't install them.

What to expect from any gutter contractor in Columbus

There are a lot of gutter contractors Columbus homeowners can call, and the good ones work the same way. Whoever you call — us included — you should get:

• A written estimate with line items: gutter size and gauge, hanger type and spacing, downspout size and count, fascia repair per foot, guards per foot, extensions, haul-away.
• Proof of insurance before the crew arrives, on request.
• A crew that checks the fascia and the drainage, not just the gutter.
• Downspout extensions included, not sold as an add-on.
• A hose test before they leave.
• No "sign today" price. Aluminum costs the same on Thursday as it did on Tuesday.

If you're trying to find the best gutter company Columbus 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 installing the gutters you'll be replacing in eight years.

Licensing and insurance in Ohio

Ohio doesn't license gutter contractors. The state's contractor licensing board covers HVAC, electrical, plumbing, hydronics and refrigeration, and nothing else, so no gutter company in Columbus can show you a state license because there isn't one. The City of Columbus does require contractors to register with its Department of Building and Zoning Services before pulling permits; we're registered, though ordinary gutter repair and replacement doesn't need a permit. The thing that actually protects you is insurance: general liability and workers' compensation through the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. We'll send both certificates before the crew arrives, and you should ask every contractor for the same. The Ohio Attorney General publishes a plain guide to hiring home-improvement contractors that's worth ten minutes.

What we don't do

We don't do roofing, foundation waterproofing or painting. When we see a roof problem — a missing drip edge, slipped slates, shingles that stop short of the gutter — we'll tell you and you can take it to a roofer. We don't take deposits on repairs, and we don't do sit-down presentations.

Where we are

Based in Columbus, working across Franklin County and the edges of Delaware and Fairfield counties: Clintonville, Worthington and Westerville to the north; Dublin, Hilliard and Upper Arlington to the northwest and west; Grove City to the south; Bexley, Gahanna, Reynoldsburg and Pickerington to the east; German Village and the Near East Side downtown. Area codes 614 and 380. Our Dublin and Upper Arlington pages describe what's typical there.

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