Downspouts run roughly 5 to 12 dollars a linear foot installed, or on the order of 50 to 150 dollars for each on an average house. The count matters as much as the length, because every outlet is a cut in the gutter, an elbow set and a bracket fixed to the wall. Underground drainage is a separate, larger line.
Gutter Answers connects you with licensed local companies. We are not a contractor and do not perform the work ourselves.
Because downspouts, not gutter length, decide whether the run actually drains.
For how outlets sit inside the whole price, see what drives a gutter quote.
Carrying water away below ground costs more than a splash block, and it is worth understanding before you accept it.
| Drainage option | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Splash block at the base | A few dollars each |
| Above ground extension | $10 to $30 per downspout |
| Buried pipe to daylight or a drain | Trenching, priced by the foot |
Buried drainage protects the foundation but adds digging, which is where the cost sits.
A rough rule is one outlet for every 30 to 40 feet of gutter, more on a roof that sheds a lot of water fast. An installer who wants fewer than that is worth questioning.
To see how downspouts are fitted with the run, read how gutters are installed.
Downspout count is the line most often trimmed to win a bid, and it is also the one with a published basis. SMACNA sets standard downspout dimensions in Table 1-3 of the Architectural Sheet Metal Manual, 7th edition, and derives the rainfall load from Table 1-2 of the same chapter. Ask the company which figure it used for your area. A run with too few outlets will back up at the corners in heavy rain no matter how neatly the gutter itself was formed.
Roughly 5 to 12 dollars a foot, or about 50 to 150 dollars each, more where water is carried away below ground.
A rough guide is one for every 30 to 40 feet of gutter, with more on roofs that shed water quickly. Too few and the gutter overflows.
Yes. Burying pipe to move water away from the foundation adds trenching, priced by the foot, on top of the downspout itself.
Yes. An outlet can be cut into a sound run and a downspout fitted, which is a common fix for a gutter that overflows because it has too few.
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