If the gutters are near the end of their life, yes, and in that order: roof first, gutters second, inside the same few weeks.
The reason is not convenience. The two systems meet at the same three inches of roof edge. Fitting them in the wrong order is how that edge ends up wrong.
Why the roof goes first
A roofer works from the edge inward. Shingles, underlayment and drip edge all land on the first few inches above where the gutter hangs.
New gutters fitted before the roof are in the way of that work. They also collect torn shingle, nails and debris for the length of the job.
Fitting them after means the trough goes on against a finished edge, with the flashing already where it belongs.
What a roof job does to gutters that are already there
Tear off is rough on a gutter. Shingles come down over the edge, and the trough underneath takes the weight of every bundle that misses the tarp.
Hangers loosen. A gutter that was pitched correctly in the spring can be off by the time the dumpster leaves.
Debris is the other half. Nail fragments and shingle grit settle into the trough and into the downspouts, and a plugged elbow shows up at the next storm.
The part where the two jobs overlap
Drip edge is the roofer’s. It is a metal strip along the roof edge that sends water off the deck.
Gutter apron flashing is the gutter installer’s. It tucks under the shingle and over the back of the trough, so water cannot travel down behind the gutter onto the fascia.
Plenty of houses have the first and not the second. That gap is one of the most common reasons a fascia board rots under a roof that is doing its job.
When your gutters can wait
If the trough is aluminum, sound, correctly pitched and draining without spilling, a new roof does not condemn it.
What to look at is the metal and the fastenings. Aluminum that is straight, unsplit and firmly attached has plenty of life left in it, whatever the roof above it is doing.
Two things change that answer. Steel gutters at any age, because they corrode from the inside, and any trough that was already leaking at the joints before the roofer arrived.
When doing them together saves money
Both crews need the same access. Scaffolding, ladders and a clear perimeter get set up once instead of twice.
The fascia is the other saving. It is visible and reachable for the few days between the old gutter coming off and the new one going on. That is the only easy window to replace a rotted board.
Waiting a year means paying for that access twice and, if the fascia is soft, discovering it with a brand new roof already on.
Who does which part
We only do gutters. Roofing, siding and windows are somebody else’s trade. That means we are not quoting you for a roof, and we have no reason to say you need one.
Your roofer handles the deck, the underlayment, the shingles and the drip edge. We handle the trough, the hangers, the downspouts and the gutter apron flashing.
Ask both of us who is fitting what at the roof edge. That is how the apron and the drip edge avoid falling between two contractors.
How to line the two jobs up
Book the roof first and give us the finish date. We schedule from that, not before it.
Ask your roofer to take the old gutters down as part of tear off if they are coming off anyway. It saves a second visit and gets the trough out of the way of their work.
Then have the fascia looked at while it is bare. If it needs work, that is the week to do it.
Read what goes on the house on our gutter installation and replacement page, or call (866) 488-7776 and we will schedule around your roofer.
