Most gutter installations are done by professionals in one day.
An experienced do-it-yourselfer with help may have a similar time frame.
Please do not ask me to guess what the hobbyist or average homeowner looking to save a buck will do.
Imagine the difficulty of trying to forecast how long it will take a newbie who is taking it step by step with an open book.
Then something comes up that is not in the sequence and step four is something else and all of a sudden we are trying to predict how much time a novice will be spending scratching his head or undoing what he or she has already done.
Hopefully you are chuckling at this point, but I am not making fun here.
I have just heard too many horror stories.
For the do-it-yourselfer, consider the time frame for the pros and make your own best guess from there.
Most gutter contractors can generally give a very accurate estimate over the phone based on the total number of feet of gutters to be installed.
Even if work on soffits or fascia boards is required, most jobs are completed in one day.
If you find your installer calling you and delaying his arrival by a day or two, do not panic.
Weather and unanticipated issues can delay the arrival of your contractor.
The general rule is, once the job is started, a real pro will not move on to another job until yours is completed.
Occasionally that puts a crimp into the schedule, but in the end, it works to the benefit of the customer.
A competent gutter company can help you determine if there are other underlying problems that might have to be repaired and can even direct you to provide insights over the phone.
In the end, if it is a tear down, that is, the removal of the old gutters, sometimes the problem is not visible until the existing gutter is removed.
The problems found this way are usually minor as larger problems have manifested in other numerous ways.
There are things you can observe that can give you and your gutter contractor clues.
Is water pooling and freezing in the winter? Do any of the gutters leak in heavy rains or form icicles in the winter? Leaks can cause mold, rot, water in the basement and any of a number of problems that should be repaired even if new gutters are installed, otherwise consequential damage could continue to get worse despite the repair of the gutter system itself.
Some of the things that a qualified gutter company will look at are your soffits, fascia boards, etc.
Our website has free videos that answer some of these questions if you care to take a look.
Knowledge and a little research of the type that lead you to this article can empower you to anticipate what you may be dealing with before your gutter contractor shows up.
This in itself can be comforting; especially if it's the first time you hire a contractor.
Also, by being an educated consumer about the overall gutter system, those "pain in the butt" surprises can be minimized.
We all hate "surprises" that end up costing us more money and you want to eliminate that kind of uncertainty as much as you can by being informed which is exactly what you are doing here.
All things being equal, your gutter installers should be in and out the same day.
If they are reputable, do not be alarmed if they actually go quicker than you anticipated.
They do this day after day.
For you it may be a new experience, for them, even the unexpected is routine.