How to Install a Rain Gutter | Ask This Old House

This Old House general contractor Tom Silva helps a homeowner install a rain gutter, downspout, and rain barrel. (See below for a shopping list, tools, and steps.)

Shopping List for Installing a Rain Gutter:
- Aluminum gutter
- Aluminum downspout
- Aluminum elbows, end caps, mounting straps, and downspout outlet
- Gutter hanging brackets, for securing the gutter to the house
- Sheet metal screws, used to fasten together the gutter and downspout parts
- Gutter sealant, for creating waterproof connections between gutter parts
- Two 2-inch-thick concrete pavers, used to create a solid base for the rain barrel
- Rain barrel and diverter, used to collect rainwater

Tools List for Installing a Rain Gutter:
- Chalk line
- Tape measure
- Drill/driver
- Level
- Caulk gun
- Crimping tool
- Hacksaw and tin snips
- Hammer and cold chisel (or hole saw), used to cut a hole in the gutter
- Ladder

Steps for Installing a Rain Gutter:
1. Snap a chalk line across the fascia, creating the proper pitch toward the downspout end.
2. Measure the fascia to determine the length of the gutter.
3. Apply gutter sealant to an end cap, then press the cap onto one end of the gutter.
4. Secure the end cap to the gutter with a crimping tool.
5. Use a hacksaw and tin snips to cut the gutter to length.
6. Use a hammer and a cold chisel (or a hole saw) to cut a round hole in the gutter for a downspout outlet.
7. Apply gutter sealant to the flange of the downspout outlet, then screw the outlet to the hole in the gutter.
8. Temporarily screw the gutter to the fascia, positioning it about 2 inches below the chalk line.
9. Install hanging brackets onto the gutter, positioning one in front of each rafter.
10. Raise the gutter to the chalk line and fasten each hanging bracket by screwing through the fascia and into the rafter tail.
11. Set two 2-inch-thick concrete pavers on the ground directly below the downspout outlet.
12. Set a rain barrel on top of the concrete pavers.
13. Use a hacksaw to cut and assemble the downspout and elbows.
14. Screw the upper end of the downspout to the downspout outlet protruding from the gutter.
15. Fasten the downspout to the house with mounting straps.
16. Install a diverter in the downspout, positioning it even with the top of the rain barrel.
17. Attach a short length of downspout to the underside of the diverter.
18. Connect the diverter's flexible hose to the port on the side of the rain barrel.

About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.

Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House:

How to Install a Rain Gutter | Ask This Old House

[elijahspears]

Anyone who can accurately and precisely cut a hole in thin aluminium gutter material with a chisel, such as this man, is my hero.

[luisbernal]

I’m a gutter guy who professionally installs and got a few things to say is the hangers should have been installed before hand so we wouldn’t have to install it while the gutter was up. Second is he hung it really low on the left side. If it’s too low and during heavy rain it’s going to shoot over the gutter.

[PixelationMusic]

A 9 minute video that doesn't waste any time and tells you the basics. Love it.

[CaptalD]

I’m 15 and had to opportunity to do work taking off and replacing rain gutters, downspouts, and all the gravy. Ever since then I feel like I’ve found a cheat code to earning some nice money

[sparkyobrian]

my Grandparents gutters had a Y or split downspout with a tip can to allow the first few min of rain to flush some of the dirt away before it tipped to fill the cisterns.

[ladyewo]

I really appreciated the tip of using the end cap to set the nail to snap the chalk line. I was going to wrestle with the gutter itself to do this step. Using the end cap really simplifies this step. Thank you. 🙂

[benjaminharvey]

My father-N-law has a 5 and 6 inch gutter machine and has been running gutters scenes early to mid 90s. I’ve worked with him just about every spring summer and fall for the past six years and we have never ever run a gutter that way. We run are high as possible in hopes of staying behind the drip edge. We also live in Michigan so there’s plenty of ice and snow and we have never had a gutter ripped off from that. Usually trees and roofers are number one destroyer of gutters🤫

[rodnichalet]

I installed a gutter after watching this great video and it worked perfectly. The whole project was about 130$. Saved me a lot of money since I was planning on hiring a contractor. The only portion of the video that I did not follow was that I placed and spaced the hidden screws 24" apart on the ground and not up there while on the ladder. Thank you so much for this informative video!

[jonjohnson]

Back edge of Gutter should be installed under the drip edge so you don’t have water running behind you gutter.... if the drip edge is to short to get the proper slope you’ll need to add slip flashing

[ridingblues]

He went over the pitch real quick. That is an important part of the installation. Usually about 1/4" drop per 10 feet

[chorchamroeun]

Good video but the gutter need to be behind the drip edge so water does not get behind gutter causing fascia board, soffit, and rafter to rot. The hanger screw also need sealant to prevent water get into fascia board. Learned it hard way.

[bdrienne]

This video took all the intimidation out of the prospect of installing additional gutters on my house. Tom's Boston accent is music to my homesick ears💛

[pablogutierrez]

A no nonsense approach. Very thorugh, precise and concise. Good presentation. Thank you.

[xitingxie]

I think this video is awesome . Although I would not install the gutter by myself after watching it, but it helps me a lot to talk to the pro in detail to make sure they're doing right job.

[jasonstockman]

I've been hanging gutters for almost 25 years this video is exactly how not to hang a gutter

[Elsa-qyhr]

Understanding the pitch, the grade, the slope is SOOOO important 👍

[quiteactually]

Thank you Tom, and for the guidance below, as I just installed a seamless gutter on my porch remodel. Three seamless gutter places said that the job was too small, so I found a place that comes to Cape Cod once per week. Guy made up the lengths that I asked for, gave me everything that I needed, and even punched the outlet for the downspout for me, looks great against new pvc facia boards!

[Hugo-zmwd]

He is going to be there all day if he installs like this

[w.sanchez]

Very good job! You don't need to install the gutter little down to install the hangers just do it before to put the gutter up and then just adjust into the right position.

[thangknowa]

I like to mark where the rafters are on the top edge of the roof with a piece of chalk. First rain washes it off.