Gutters and box gutters in Cincinnati
A gutter's job is to get water off the roof and away from the house. On a lot of older Cincinnati houses the gutter is built into the roof edge behind the cornice, and when its lining fails, water goes into the wall instead of down the downspout.
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Hanging gutters vs. box gutters
Hanging gutters are the familiar aluminum or steel troughs fastened to the fascia board. They are cheap to replace and easy to inspect.
Box gutters, also called built-in gutters, are wooden troughs built into the roof edge and lined with metal. They are hidden behind the cornice, so the first sign of a failure is often peeling paint or a stain on the inside of an exterior wall. Fixing one means relining it, rebuilding the wood, or in some cases closing it over and hanging a new gutter, a change that a historic district may need to approve.
Published prices
| Job | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| New gutters, installed | $1,400 to $3,000, $1,582 for 150 ft | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| Gutters per linear foot, aluminum | $14 to $20 | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| Gutters per linear foot, copper | $29 to $40 | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| Gutter repair | $218 to $396 | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
National ranges from Fixr. Box gutter relining is priced job by job; ask for the price per foot and what the lining is made of.
Permits
Gutters and downspouts, along with the flashing and trim around them, are on the same no-permit list. If the city has designated the property or building as historic, you need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Urban Conservator (513-352-4848) before work starts, even if no permit is needed.
Questions to ask
- Is the problem the gutter itself or the roof edge above it?
- For box gutters: what would relining cost, and what would rebuilding cost?
- What metal will you use? A single metal for gutters and flashing avoids corrosion where two metals touch, the Park Service notes.
Questions people around Cincinnati ask
How do I know if I have box gutters?
Look at the roof edge from the street. If there is no trough hanging off the fascia but there are downspouts, the gutter is likely built in behind the cornice. Older brick and frame houses in the city's prewar neighborhoods often have them.
Do I need a permit to replace gutters in Cincinnati?
Gutters and downspouts, along with the flashing and trim around them, are on the same no-permit list. If the city has designated the property or building as historic, you need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Urban Conservator (513-352-4848) before work starts, even if no permit is needed.
What do new gutters cost?
National surveys put new gutters at $1,400 to $3,000, with $1,582 for 150 linear feet. Per foot: $6 to $11 per linear foot for vinyl, $12 to $20 for galvanized steel, $14 to $20 for aluminum, and $29 to $40 for copper (Fixr).