Gutter Replacement Cost Australia 2026: Per Metre and Whole House

Replacing gutters costs about $45 to $95 per linear metre in 2026 for the Colorbond profiles most Australian homes use, supplied, installed and with the old gutters taken away. For a typical single-storey house that works out to $3,000 to $6,000 once downpipes are included, while two-storey homes and jobs that need new fascia boards often land between $6,000 and $12,000.

Gutters are a quiet part of the house until they fail. When they rust through, sag or overflow, water ends up in the eaves, the wall cavity and the footings. The good news is that a well-installed steel gutter lasts 20 years or more, so this is a job most owners only pay for once or twice. All figures below are indicative 2026 prices including GST. Treat them as a starting point and collect at least three written quotes from licensed roof plumbers.

Cost per metre by gutter material

Most roof plumbers price new gutters per linear metre, with downpipes and extras listed separately. These rates include removing the old gutter, new brackets, stop ends, outlets and installation at single-storey height.

Colorbond quad is the default for brick veneer and project homes because it is cheap, strong and comes in every roof colour. Half-round suits Federation, Californian bungalow and Queenslander homes and is often specified in heritage areas. Aluminium costs a bit more but shrugs off salt air, which is why it is common on beachside houses. Copper is a heritage and architectural choice that weathers to a brown and then green patina.

Whole-house prices by home size

Here is what owners typically pay for a complete gutter and downpipe replacement in Colorbond, excluding fascia work.

Two-storey prices climb because of safety. Work at that height usually needs edge protection or scaffolding along the eaves, which can add $1,200 to $3,500 on its own depending on the length of the perimeter and how long it stays up.

Choosing a profile and material

Quad

The quad profile has a curved front and is the most common gutter in Australia. It holds a decent volume of water, is easy to source and is the cheapest Colorbond option. It is a sensible choice on most post-1960 houses.

Half-round

Half-round gutters suit older homes and are usually hung on external brackets rather than fixed straight to the fascia. They clean out easily because there are no internal corners for sludge to collect in. They cost a little more to install because of the bracket work.

Square line and fascia-integrated systems

Square line, sometimes called box-front, gives a crisp modern edge. Fascia-integrated systems combine a steel fascia and gutter in one, replacing timber fascia boards that rot. They cost more upfront but remove a future maintenance item, which makes them attractive when the existing fascia is already tired.

Box gutters

Box gutters sit inside the roof line, usually behind a parapet or between two roof sections. They are common on terraces and some architect-designed homes. They are also the gutter most likely to cause a serious leak, because when a box gutter overflows the water goes into the ceiling, not over the edge. They must be sized properly, have sumps and overflows, and be built to the stormwater plumbing standard, AS/NZS 3500.3. Expect a box gutter replacement to cost several times more per metre than an eaves gutter.

Material in coastal areas

Salt spray eats standard steel faster. If you live close to the surf coast, ask your roof plumber about Colorbond Ultra or aluminium. The extra cost is usually 10 to 25 percent and it can double the life of the gutter in harsh marine air.

Downpipes, fascia and the line items that add up

The gutter itself is often less than half the bill. These are the extras that show up on most quotes.

• Downpipes: $150 to $350 each installed at single-storey height, more for two-storey runs and offsets around eaves. Round 90 mm and rectangular 100 x 50 mm are the common sizes.
• Rainwater heads: $150 to $300 each. Useful on two-storey homes and as an overflow point on box gutters.
• Removal and disposal of old gutters: often built into the per-metre rate, otherwise about $3 to $8 per metre. Old steel gutters go to scrap metal.
• Fascia replacement: timber fascia costs about $40 to $90 per metre to replace and paint; steel fascia about $35 to $75 per metre.
• Edge protection or scaffolding: $1,200 to $3,500 for a typical two-storey perimeter.
• Gutter guards: $25 to $45 per metre for aluminium mesh if fitted at the same time.
• Stormwater changes: moving a downpipe or connecting to a new drain is plumbing work, often $300 to $1,200 depending on digging and pipe length.

Roof plumbers typically charge $90 to $140 per hour for small repair work. On full replacements they quote the whole job, which is usually better value than an hourly rate.

Gutter replacement prices around Australia

This table assumes a standard single-storey house with 50 metres of Colorbond quad gutter and four downpipes.

Three replacement jobs, costed

All amounts include GST.

Single-storey brick veneer in Werribee, VIC

A 1990s three-bedroom house with 52 metres of rusted zincalume quad gutter and four downpipes. The fascia is sound. New Colorbond quad in a colour to match the roof.

Excluding downpipes, that is about $66 per metre, squarely in the middle of the Colorbond range.

Two-storey home in Castle Hill, NSW

A 2000s two-storey with 68 metres of gutter, six downpipes and two rainwater heads. Edge protection needed around the upper eaves.

Federation semi with a box gutter in Newtown, NSW

A semi-detached terrace with a leaking internal box gutter behind the front parapet, rotted timber under it, and a short run of half-round gutter at the back.

A short job, but a fiddly one. Box gutters are where you want the most experienced roof plumber you can find, not the cheapest.

Repair, patch or replace?

Not every rusty gutter needs replacing. A roof plumber will usually tell you which way to go based on a few signs.

• Patch it if there are one or two small rust holes or a leaking joint in otherwise sound steel. A patch and reseal costs $150 to $400.
• Replace a section if one run is badly rusted, often the one under a tree or at the low point of the roof. A single 6 to 10 metre run costs $500 to $1,200 installed.
• Re-bracket and re-fall if gutters hold water because the brackets have sagged. This costs $300 to $900 for a typical house and can add years of life.
• Replace the lot if rust is widespread, joints leak in several places, the gutters are undersized for the roof, or you are re-roofing anyway.

Timing matters. If the roof itself is near the end of its life, replace the gutters as part of a re-roof. Roofers fit gutters before the new sheets go on, and doing them together saves a second round of edge protection. Our roof replacement cost guide covers that bigger job, and the Colorbond roofing guide explains material choices that match your new gutters.

Who is allowed to replace gutters

Gutters and downpipes carry stormwater, and stormwater work is regulated. This is one job where the licence matters.

• Victoria: roof plumbing is a licensed plumbing class, regulated by the Building and Plumbing Commission, which took over from the Victorian Building Authority in 2025. A licensed or registered roof plumber must do the work and, above a set value, issue a compliance certificate. Ask for it.
• New South Wales: gutter and downpipe replacement is generally treated as residential building work, which needs a contractor licence once the job is worth more than $5,000 including labour and materials. Connections to stormwater drains are plumbing and drainage work. Check the right licence class and look up the tradie on the register at NSW Fair Trading.
• Queensland: roof drainage is regulated by the QBCC. Use a licensed plumber or roof plumber, and check their licence on the register at the QBCC website.
• Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the NT: licensing rules for roof plumbing and stormwater differ. Check with Building and Energy (WA), Consumer and Business Services (SA), CBOS (TAS), Access Canberra or the NT Building Practitioners Board before you hire.

A handyperson can clean gutters and help with removal and clean-up, but should not install new stormwater gutters and downpipes as the responsible tradie. If the job is done badly, overflowing gutters can damage the house and void warranties.

Approvals, standards and site safety

Like-for-like gutter replacement on a house usually needs no council approval. Exceptions are heritage-listed homes and heritage conservation areas, where changing the profile, colour or material can need consent. If your home is in a heritage area, call the council before you swap half-round for quad.

Gutters and downpipes should be designed and installed to AS/NZS 3500.3 and the National Construction Code. In practice, that means the gutter is sized for your roof area and local rainfall intensity, has enough downpipes, falls toward the outlets, and has an overflow path so that heavy rain spills outside rather than into the eaves. A good roof plumber does this without being asked. A cheap one simply copies what was there before, even if it never worked.

In bushfire-prone areas, check whether your home has a bushfire attack level. That can affect what leaf guards and materials are acceptable. In cyclone regions of Queensland, WA and the NT, bracket spacing and fixings are more demanding.

Working at heights is the main safety risk. Licensed roof plumbers will use ladders correctly for short tasks and edge protection or scaffolding for longer or higher work. If your house has fibro eaves or an older fibro roof, assume it may contain asbestos until tested. Drilling, cutting or breaking those materials needs care and, above the limits set in your state, a licensed asbestos removalist.

Getting quotes you can compare

Ask every roof plumber to quote the same scope, in writing, covering:

• Profile, material and colour of gutter, and the size and number of downpipes
• Price per metre and total price including GST
• Removal and disposal of old gutters
• Whether brackets, fall, overflows and sealing are included
• Edge protection or scaffolding, and who supplies it
• Any fascia repair, with a rate per metre for rotten boards found once the old gutter is off
• Licence number, ABN and public liability insurance
• A workmanship warranty and the manufacturer's material warranty
• For Victoria, confirmation a compliance certificate will be issued

Watch for big deposits. In NSW, the deposit on residential building work is capped at 10 percent. In Queensland and Victoria, the cap is 10 percent for contracts under $20,000 and 5 percent at $20,000 or more. Other states have their own rules, so confirm with your regulator. Be wary of a quote that does not mention downpipes, a price far below the others, cash-only offers, and anyone who cannot give you a licence number.

Lifespan and looking after new gutters

Colorbond gutters typically last 20 to 30 years in a suburban setting and less right on the coast. Zincalume lasts closer to 15 to 20 years. The biggest killer of steel gutters is not weather but wet leaf sludge left sitting against the metal, which keeps the coating damp and starts rust from the inside.

A clean once or twice a year, more under gum trees, is the cheapest way to protect a new install. Our gutter cleaning cost guide has current prices. Rinse off salt build-up on coastal homes during dry spells, and keep the bottom of downpipes clear so water does not pool against the slab.

What happens on installation day

A typical single-storey replacement runs like this. The crew arrives early, sets ladders or edge protection, and pulls the old gutters off in sections, cutting them down for the scrap bin. With the fascia exposed, they check for rot and loose nails and tell you if any boards need replacing before going further. That is the moment a quote can change, so it helps if the rate for fascia repair was agreed in writing beforehand.

Next, they run a string line to set the fall, usually somewhere around 1 in 500 or steeper toward each outlet, and fix brackets along it. Gutters go up in the longest lengths possible to cut down on joins, with corners and stop ends riveted and sealed. Downpipes are fitted last and connected to the existing stormwater risers. A good crew finishes by running a hose along each length to prove the fall, then cleans up offcuts and swarf, the tiny steel filings from cutting that leave rust spots on Colorbond roofs if they are not swept off.

Expect some noise, ladders against the walls and restricted access around the house for a day or two. Move cars, outdoor furniture and pot plants away from the eaves.

Ways to bring the price down

• Match the job to the roof. If your roof has five or more years of life left, replace the gutters now and move on. If it is close to the end, wait and do both together to share the edge protection.
• Keep the downpipes if they are sound. Downpipes rust more slowly than gutters because they drain dry. Reusing good ones can save $600 to $1,500.
• Stick with standard profiles and colours. Quad in a stock Colorbond colour is cheaper and faster to source than special profiles or custom folds.
• Book outside storm season. Roof plumbers are flat out after big storms. Late winter and early spring are usually easier to book.
• Prepare the site yourself. Clearing garden beds, moving furniture and trimming shrubs along the walls saves the crew time. It will not halve the bill, but it helps.

Where Yakka fits on a gutter job

Installing new gutters and downpipes is licensed roof plumbing work, and it should be quoted and done by a licensed roof plumber. Yakka Labour does not replace that. Where the platform helps is on the labour around the job: a labourer to carry materials to the back of a tricky block, strip and stack old gutters for scrap, or clean up the site afterwards. You can browse tradies listed under guttering to compare options.

Many owners also book a gutter cleaner near them a year after the install, then on a regular schedule. It is cheap insurance for a job you only want to pay for once.