If water is leaking off of your roof or you find water in your basement, you may need to pursue gutter repair to remedy the situation. Do you dread the spring rains because your gutters leak and cause problems? You may think that you need to completely replace them (and this is sometimes the case) but you may be able to have a gutter repair company fix them for a much less. These types of repairs can often be completed quickly and without interrupting your family routine or schedule.
If you think you may need to have a gutter repair completed on your home, you will want to begin exploring your options so that you can make a well informed decision. Companies that offer installation typically offer repairs as well, so you will want to make sure your search is broad enough to include them in your search.
Compile a list of possible companies by polling your friends and neighbors, looking in the phone book or doing a quick search online. Your friends and neighbors will be able to offer a little more insight than an advertisement will, as they might have personal experience with the companies that they recommend. Many times, you can gather information from the company’s website or phone book advertisement, but you will not want to make your decision based solely on this information.
Give each gutter repair company a call and ask them for an estimate. They will send a representative to your home, and he will evaluate the current condition of your gutters and make recommendations for repairing them. In extreme cases, a replacement may be necessary. The representative should offer you an estimate in writing and should be able to answer any questions that you have about the process and any fees involved.
Once you have compiled the estimates, you can check the reputation of each business by looking at online review sites and calling the Better Business Bureau. You might also want to ask each company to provide a list of references that you can personally check, as this may be the best way to find out what to expect in terms of quality and workmanship.
After you have narrowed your choices down, pick the one that you like best and give them a call to schedule your gutter repair. Remind them that you have a written estimate, and verify that they will come within a certain percentage of this estimate. Most of the time, the final bill should be within ten percent of the written estimate provided before the service began.
It is important not to neglect having this work done once you notice the problem. When water does not properly drain away from your home, it can cause damage to your basement and foundation. The gutters help keep this from happening because they carry the water off of the roof and away from the walls of your home. Chances are good that if you have noticed a problem, it has been occurring for a while and should not be ignored.
You can check out our Gutter repair page for more info.