Price of a
zinc gutter.

We went through all the lines in our 2024-2026 quotes that mention a gutter, a rainwater downpipe or a zinc-work package: they cover 15 projects in Savoie and Haute-Savoie. None prices the gutter by the metre. Zinc-work always appears as a single item, within the roofing package of a re-roofing, an added storey or an extension.

Two houses fall outside the range, at €12,000 and €22,500 excl. VAT: these are much larger roofs, where the gutter length and the number of downpipes follow the area. The 10% rate applies to a dwelling completed more than two years ago; for new build, or for an extension that increases floor area by more than 10%, VAT is 20%.

A price per linear metre, shown on its own, overlooks most of the bill: end caps, outlets, bends and brackets, downpipes down to the ground, fascia cladding and, above all, access at height. We prefer to publish what we actually charge, with its breakdown, rather than a per-metre figure that would match none of our projects.

To compare two proposals, check that they describe the same thing: the number of downpipes, the connection at the foot of the downpipe, the removal and disposal of the old zinc-work, the cladding of fascias and verges, the scaffolding. Two quotes that do not list the same items cannot be compared on their totals.

Eaves length and number of downpipes. A simple two-pitch house needs two gutters and a few downpipes; a hipped roof, a stepped roof or one on several levels multiplies the angles, outlets and connections.

Height and access. A gutter is fitted from scaffolding or a cherry picker. When the roof covering is redone at the same time, this access is already paid for by the roofing job: this is the case for all the packages recorded above.

Trim and cladding. Our quotes almost always combine the gutters with cladding of the fascias in sheet metal, galvanised or anthracite. It is a line that protects the edge timbers and changes the look of the façade.

Special features. A flat roof is not treated like a pitched roof: coping on the parapet, flashings, a water box on the façade and a downpipe take the place of hanging gutters.

Our quotes provide for zinc for the gutters. Gutters in zinc, copper and stainless steel, together with their metal angle brackets and outlets, are defined by standard NF P 36-402; PVC gutters fall under standard NF P 36-410. For supported box gutters, the Fédération française du bâtiment recalls minimum thicknesses of 0.65 mm for zinc and 0.50 mm for copper.

None of our quotes contains a PVC or aluminium gutter: we therefore give no price for these materials, rather than copying one from elsewhere.

Gutters, box gutters and downpipes are sized according to NF DTU 60.11 part 3, in its August 2013 version, which incorporates European standard NF EN 12056-3. The calculation starts from the rain falling on the horizontally projected area: it is the plan area of the roof that counts, not its developed area. The intensity used in mainland France is 3 litres per minute per square metre. Where a wall rises above the roof, the standard proposes adding a flow equal to half the area of that wall, to allow for wind-driven rain.

Installation, for its part, falls under DTU 40.5, which sets a minimum fall of 5 mm per metre for gutters and box gutters. At 3 mm per metre or less, a gutter is regarded as flat and is calculated differently. A gutter that overflows in every storm is often too small, laid to too little fall, or served by too few downpipes: this is what we look at first during the visit.

In Savoie and Haute-Savoie, a gutter receives more than just rain. Snow sliding off a roof weighs on a hanging gutter, and ice can block an outlet or a downpipe for several days. These constraints are dealt with at the design stage: position of the gutter relative to the eaves, number and strength of brackets, snow guards on the roof covering when the pitch and exposure justify them.

This is one of the reasons we price zinc-work only after going up to look at the roof, and never from a simple surface area.

If the roof covering is due to be redone in the coming years, that is the moment to replace the zinc-work: it is fitted under the same scaffolding, instead of paying twice for access at height. Our re-roofing guide details the other items on such a job. Conversely, a leak at a joint or a torn-off bracket on a sound gutter can be repaired without replacing everything: we will tell you after the visit.

Zinc-work also affects the façade: a leaking downpipe stains the render and dampens the base of the wall. The steps and overall budget are in our guide façade renovation.

In a dwelling completed more than two years ago, replacing gutters falls under the 10% VAT rate; our guide on VAT on renovation work sets out the conditions and the certificate to be provided. For new build, it is 20%.

A like-for-like replacement needs no permission. Changing the material or colour alters the external appearance of the house: it is one of the cases where a prior declaration (déclaration préalable) may be required, and in a protected area the opinion of the ABF heritage architect is added. The work is carried out by our salaried roofers and zinc workers, who shape and fit the zinc-work on our projects themselves.