How much do gutters cost for a whole house in Chicago?

Angi reports an average of about $1,600 for gutter installation in Chicago, with most projects between $851 and $2,424. In our sample estimate, 140 feet of 6-inch aluminum gutter with five two-story downspouts works out to roughly $1,320 to $2,360 before guards.

What do aluminum gutters cost per foot in Chicago?

Angi lists aluminum gutters at about $7 to $12 per linear foot in Chicago. Vinyl is listed at $5 to $8, galvanized steel at $7.50 to $8 and copper at $30 to $34 per foot.

Do I need a permit for new gutters in Chicago?

Usually not for gutters alone. Angi says a permit is only needed if the project involves structural changes or is part of a larger project such as a roof replacement, and the Department of Buildings lists repairs that do not cut into walls, roofs or structural members as work that needs no building permit. Suburbs have their own rules.

How much do gutter guards cost in Chicago?

Angi reports $911 to $2,081 for most Chicago guard projects, with an average of about $1,105, or about $6 to $15 per foot installed.

What does the law require in a gutter contract in Illinois?

For home repair contracts over $1,000, the Illinois Home Repair and Remodeling Act requires a written contract and the state’s “Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights” pamphlet before you sign.

Gutter Installation Cost in Chicago (2026 Guide)

Chicago gutter prices in brief

Most gutter installation projects in Chicago cost between $851 and $2,424, and the average is about $1,600, according to Angi’s local cost page. By the foot, Angi’s range runs from $5 to $34, with aluminum at about $7 to $12. Gutter guards add $911 to $2,081 on a typical project (average about $1,105), or about $6 to $15 per foot.

These figures blend small jobs, such as one side of a garage, with full systems. A whole two-story house with long downspouts and hardware chosen for winter normally sits in the upper half of the range.

Published prices for Chicago

Project	Published range
Gutter installation, typical project (Angi)	$851 – $2,424 (average about $1,600)
Gutter installation per linear foot, all materials (Angi)	$5 – $34
Vinyl gutters per linear foot (Angi)	$5 – $8
Aluminum gutters per linear foot (Angi)	$7 – $12
Galvanized steel gutters per linear foot (Angi)	$7.50 – $8
Copper gutters per linear foot (Angi)	$30 – $34
Installer labor (Angi)	$50 – $150 per hour
Upgrade from 5-inch to 6-inch gutters, national (HomeGuide)	about $1 – $2 more per foot
Downspouts per linear foot installed, national (HomeGuide)	about $2 – $4
Gutter guards, typical project (Angi)	$911 – $2,081 (average about $1,105)
Gutter guards per linear foot (Angi)	about $6 – $15

Published figures for orientation only, not quotes. The installer who measures your home gives you the actual price.

How Chicago compares with other Midwest cities

Angi publishes local averages for other cities in the region too. Here they are next to each other:

City	Typical range (Angi)	Average
Chicago	$851 – $2,424	about $1,600
Indianapolis	$731 – $1,890	about $1,288
Detroit	$657 – $1,898	about $1,254
Minneapolis	$676 – $1,596	about $1,130
St. Louis	$811 – $2,649	about $1,715

Of the 21 city averages in our gutter cost guide, the Chicago figure of about $1,600 is the second-highest.

Sample estimate: a two-story house with five downspouts

To turn unit prices into a budget you need two lengths: the feet of eave that get a gutter and the total feet of downspout. On a two-story house each downspout is about 20 feet long, so downspouts are a bigger share of the job than on a ranch. How to measure your home for new gutters explains the steps.

An illustration, not a quote: 140 feet of gutter and five 20-foot downspouts.

140 feet of aluminum gutter at Angi’s Chicago range of $7 to $12 per foot: about $980 to $1,680
6-inch gutters instead of 5-inch, at $1 to $2 more per foot: about $140 to $280
100 feet of downspout at $2 to $4 per foot: about $200 to $400
Guards on 140 feet at $6 to $15 per foot: about $840 to $2,100

Gutters and downspouts together come to roughly $1,320 to $2,360 in this example, and to roughly $2,160 to $4,460 with guards. Removal of the old system, fascia repairs and any work on underground lines are not included. Buildings with flat or low-slope roofs drain through scuppers and roof drains rather than a long eave gutter, so these per-foot figures do not carry over. See gutters and scuppers for flat and low-slope roofs.

Winter is the real cost driver

O’Hare’s 1991–2020 normals show 36.89 inches of precipitation and 36.7 inches of snow a year, according to the Illinois State Climatologist. Rain alone is not hard on gutters. Ice is. When snow melts on the warmer upper roof and refreezes at the cold eave, the weight sits in and on the gutter for weeks. Three items in a quote decide whether a new system comes through that:

Hangers and spacing. Hidden hangers screwed into solid wood hold far better than spikes driven into old fascia. Angi’s spacing guide recommends no more than 3 feet between hangers in general and about 2 feet where heavy snow and rain are common. Closer spacing means more hangers and a little more labor, and in Chicago it is money well spent. See gutter hangers explained.
Fascia condition. Screws only hold in sound wood. Soft boards have to be replaced first, and that is extra, so ask for a per-foot price before the work starts. See fascia repair before new gutters.
Guard design. A guard that sits in line with the roof lets snow slide off. One that forms a flat shelf collects it. Ask each bidder how the product handles snow load.

Gutters neither cause nor cure ice dams; attic insulation and ventilation do most of that work. Read ice dams and gutters and snow load and gutters before you pay for heat cables or other add-ons.

Downspouts: the sewer connection changes the layout

Many older Chicago homes have downspouts piped straight into the sewer, because city code required it for decades. The City now explains that when sewers are full during heavy storms, that water has nowhere to go but into basements, and it encourages owners to disconnect downspouts and send roof water onto lawns and gardens. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District has backed this with a free rain barrel program for Cook County residents who disconnect, and it notes that roofs make up about 41% of the county’s impervious surface.

For a budget this means two things. First, a replacement quote should state whether each downspout stays connected or is cut and redirected, and where the water goes afterward. Second, a disconnected downspout needs an elbow and an extension that carries water away from the foundation and clear of walks, where it would freeze in winter. These parts are cheap next to the gutters, but they are easy to leave out of a low bid. Details: disconnecting downspouts from the sewer and downspouts and icy walkways.

Labor, permits and paperwork

Angi reports that Chicago installers charge between $50 and $150 an hour. That is a wide band, and it is one reason two quotes for the same house can be far apart. Height, roof pitch and how easily ladders can be set up all affect how long a crew needs.

On permits, Angi’s Chicago page says a gutter-only job does not need one unless it involves structural changes or is part of a larger project such as a roof replacement, and it puts a roofing permit at $50 to $300. The Department of Buildings’ own list of work that needs no building permit includes repairs that do not cut into walls, roofs or structural members. Structural repairs and work on low-slope roofs do need a permit. Suburbs set their own rules, so check with your village hall if you live outside the city. See permits and HOA rules.

Illinois adds a consumer rule that covers most gutter jobs. Under the Home Repair and Remodeling Act, a contractor must give you a written contract and the state’s “Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights” pamphlet before you sign a home repair contract over $1,000. If a bidder skips that step on a job of this size, treat it as a warning sign.

What a complete Chicago quote lists

Total linear feet, gutter size, material and thickness
Number, size and length of downspouts, and where each one discharges
Hanger type and spacing in inches
Removal and disposal of the old gutters
Fascia repair, priced per foot
Guard product and how it is fastened, if guards are included
Warranty on workmanship, in writing

Line the quotes up item by item before you look at the totals. How to compare gutter quotes shows how.

Timing and ways to save

Book before the leaves drop. Installers are busiest in fall and after storms, so a late-summer order gives you more choice of dates. See the best time of year to install gutters.
Bundle with a roof. If the roof is due, hang the gutters right after it. The fascia is exposed and one setup serves both. See new roof, new gutters?
Spend on hangers and downspouts first. They decide how the system gets through winter. Color and profile upgrades can wait.
Add guards only where trees overhang the roof. In the sample estimate they add $840 to $2,100 to a job of $1,320 to $2,360.

For prices on your own home, one call connects you with an independent installer who serves your ZIP code. Our Chicago page lists the communities covered, and there are separate pages for Naperville, Skokie and Evanston.

Gutter installation cost in Chicago (2026 guide)