At Alamance Insulation and Gutters, we’re a leader in the insulation and home performance industries. Serving customers throughout North Carolina, from Greensboro, Burlington, Elon and Mebane to Durham and Raleigh, we can help with all your insulation and gutter needs, including installation and repair of copper gutters. We’re happy to stop by and give you a free quote!
How Much Do Copper Gutters Cost?
Cost is probably the number one question on the minds of folks researching information about copper gutters. Copper gutters look amazing, but at what financial cost? The short answer is: They are expensive – by most people’s standards. Here’s why:
- Time. Copper requires more time to install than other materials. After all, time is money. There are more steps involved with installing copper gutters than aluminum or galvalume, including soldering, fingerprint precautions, cleaning the materials after installation, etc. The time it takes to hand cut an outlet into a half round copper gutter is greater than the time it takes to use an outlet hole punch on aluminum gutters.
- Skills. Copper gutters, especially half round copper gutters, require a more expansive skill set than aluminum to properly install. Skilled workers don’t come cheap and cheap workers don’t come skilled – a played out saying that holds weight. Companies will usually send their journeymen to tackle the copper projects, not the apprentices. This cost is passed along to the building or homeowner.
- Materials. The materials cost of copper plays a large role in the total installed cost of copper half round gutters. Copper is a commodity and the prices fluctuate day-to-day, and material prices at the supply house go up and down monthly. Like most building products, though, the prices mostly just go up. Overall, materials account for about 1/3 of the total cost of installed copper gutters.
How long will copper gutters stay shiny?
Within days the shine will begin to fade. After a month or two, they will really start to develop streaking, discoloration, and browning. After a year or two, they will be a tarnished, mostly brown color. In many more years, they will turn green and black. Obviously this timeline is different for types of homes, locations, weather, and so on. The copper gutters on the front of a home may age dramatically faster than the gutters on the back of that same house because of differing exposures to the elements.