The short answer
Repair guttering when the fault is local: a loose bracket, a single weeping joint, a blockage or one cracked length. Replace it when the whole run is old, brittle, rusted, sagging in several places or leaking at joint after joint. Material, age and how many separate faults there are decide the answer, and a survey with photos shows you which side of the line your gutters are on.
A small, local fault suits a repair. A run failing in several places is usually better replaced. The choice turns on age, material and how many joints have given up.
Faults that suit a repair
A repair makes sense when one part has failed and the rest of the run is sound. A bracket that has pulled out of the fascia board, can be refixed or replaced. A joint that weeps can be resealed. A blocked outlet, or a section that has been knocked out of line, can be cleared and reset.
What does a local repair involve?
First the run is cleared, so the fall and the joints can be seen. A joint is then cleaned and sealed, or a bracket is added or moved. A single cracked plastic length can be sawn out and replaced, as long as the same profile is still made. Our answer on gutters leaking at a joint explains when a seal holds and when it does not.
The test for a repair is simple. If the fault would be gone after one or two small jobs, and the gutters on either side are firm and unbroken, repair is normally the sensible buy. The faulty section is photographed, so the fault is clear to you before any work begins, and you can judge whether the fix is proportionate.
Signs the whole run has had its day
Replacement becomes the sensible route when the problems are spread along the run. Cast iron that has rusted through in several places, plastic that has gone brittle and chalky, and aluminium that has dented and split are examples. So are gutters that sag between brackets even after the brackets are tightened, because the profile itself has weakened.
How do I know if the joints are the problem?
Count the drips. One weeping joint is a repair. Joint after joint dripping after rain tells you the seals have aged together, and resealing each one is chasing a problem along the length. The same goes for a fascia that has gone soft behind the run: refixing gutters into rotten timber does not last, and the board needs attention first.
Old gutters often have another problem, which is that they were sized for a smaller roof. If the run overflows even when clear, a replacement lets you fit a larger profile. Our answer on why gutters overflow explains how to tell when size is the cause.
How material changes the answer
Cast iron is heavy and long-lived, and it can often be repaired. Joints can be resealed, rust treated and painted, and brackets replaced. A full replacement costs more, so it is worth keeping a cast iron run that is still sound, particularly on an older house where the look matters. Plastic, meaning uPVC, cannot be patched in the same way once it has turned brittle, and new lengths may not match the old colour or profile.
Should I match the old gutters or change style?
Where the house is listed or sits in a conservation area, a visible gutter's material can matter for consent. Check with Somerset Council's planning team before changing it. Elsewhere you are free to choose. An aluminium run formed on site in one length has far fewer joints, which removes the usual weeping point, and our answer on seamless gutters in aluminium weighs it up.
Age alone is not a verdict. A well-kept gutter can outlast a neglected one many years its junior, so look at condition before you look at the date it went up. Ask whether the brackets, the joints and the timber behind them are still sound.
What the cost guides say
Published costs show the scale only, since they are national averages and not a price for your house. MyJobQuote puts guttering replacement at around £1,000 to £1,600 as a typical UK range (Oct 2026). Capping fascias and soffits with new boards averages around £800 in the same guide (Sep 2026).
What decides the price on my house?
Eaves height, and the tower or scaffold needed to reach it, come first. After that come the length of run, the material, the number of corners and downpipes, and the state of the timber behind. A bungalow with a short run is a far smaller job than a tall terrace with a back extension and two downpipes.
Ask whether any quote includes VAT and access equipment. The sensible next step here is a survey of your own run: the faults are photographed, the repair-or-replace decision is explained with the pictures in front of you, and the written price follows as one total. Read more on the gutters, soffits and fascias page.
More on deciding for your gutters
Is it worth repairing old cast iron gutters?
Often, yes, if the run is sound apart from a few joints or brackets. Cast iron can be cleaned, resealed and repainted for a long further life. If it has rusted through in several places or cracked from frost, renewal is the more practical route. A survey shows which side of that line yours is on.
Can I replace part of a gutter run?
Yes, when the profile and material are still available and the rest of the run is sound. The new section needs the correct fall and joint fittings. Colour and profile may not match an old plastic run, so on a visible elevation it can look odd, and a full run on that side is sometimes the neater result.
The full picture: Gutters, soffits and fascias in Taunton · More short answers