Gutter Repair in Alabama

Local know-how

Pine straw, spring storms and Gulf hurricanes

Alabama gutters face some of the heaviest rainfall in the country. Mobile averages around 65 inches a year and Birmingham around 53. Spring brings severe storms, often with tornadoes, and the Gulf Coast faces hurricanes; Ivan in 2004 and Sally in 2020 both did major damage around Mobile Bay.

Pine straw falls year-round and knits into mats that block outlets, and humidity keeps fascia damp, so rot behind gutters is common. Oaks, sweetgums and hickories add autumn debris.

Huntsville has grown fast, with many new subdivisions and large roofs. Montgomery has historic homes in its older districts. Tuscaloosa was devastated by the April 2011 tornado outbreak, which hit much of north and central Alabama.

Red clay erodes under downspouts, especially on sloped lots around Birmingham, and manufactured homes across the state often need mini gutters sized for their narrow roof edges.

Birmingham's ridges and valleys

Birmingham sits in a valley between Red Mountain and Shades Mountain, and many neighborhoods, including Southside, Highland Park, Forest Park and the suburbs of Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills and Homewood, are built on steep slopes. Older homes there have deep porches, tall downspouts and gutters fastened to wood fascia that has softened over the years. Downspouts on hillsides should discharge into pipes or rock-lined channels so they do not erode lots or flood the house below.

Huntsville and the Tennessee Valley

Huntsville has grown into one of the largest cities in the state, driven by aerospace and defense. Madison, Harvest and the surrounding towns are full of homes built since 2000, often with large roofs and 5-inch builder gutters that overflow in spring storms. North Alabama sees more winter ice than the south and is one of the most tornado-prone areas in the country, with the April 2011 outbreak causing heavy damage across the valley.

Mobile, Gulf Shores and the coast

Mobile is one of the rainiest cities in the United States, and its historic districts, including Oakleigh, De Tonti Square and Midtown, have raised cottages and Victorian homes with deep eaves and live oaks overhead. Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Dauphin Island face direct hurricane exposure; Sally made landfall near Gulf Shores in September 2020. Coastal homes need aluminum or copper gutters, stainless hardware and close fastening.

Montgomery, Tuscaloosa and Auburn

Montgomery's Cloverdale and Old Cloverdale neighborhoods have homes from the 1920s and 1930s under oaks and magnolias. Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide's college town, and Auburn have older neighborhoods near campus with many rental properties, where gutters are cleaned less often than they should be. Magnolia leaves are large and leathery, and they block outlets quickly.

Strengthen Alabama Homes and Fortified roofs

Alabama pioneered the Fortified roof standard for wind resistance, and the Strengthen Alabama Homes program has offered grants to help homeowners upgrade their roofs. Alabama law also requires insurers to offer discounts for homes built to Fortified standards. Gutters and drip edge are part of the roof edge, and a contractor doing Fortified work can make sure the gutter is fastened in a way that does not compromise the roof.

Dothan, the Wiregrass and south Alabama

Dothan and the Wiregrass region are flat, sandy and hot, with peanut and cotton farms around them. Pine needles and oak leaves are the main debris, and summer storms and tropical systems bring heavy rain. Sandy soil washes out under downspouts quickly.

Hiring in Alabama

Alabama's Home Builders Licensure Board licenses residential builders and remodelers for jobs over a set value, and many cities require local business licenses. A certificate of insurance and an itemized quote are reasonable things to request. Homeowners from Huntsville to Mobile can reach a local installer with one call.

Alabama's rain by region

Rain in Alabama increases toward the coast. Huntsville and the north see around 55 inches a year, Birmingham and Montgomery a little less, and Mobile around 65 inches, among the highest totals of any US city. Summer brings daily thunderstorms in the south, and tropical systems can drop 10 or more inches in a day. Gutters across the state need capacity, and larger downspouts, 3x4 or bigger, are common upgrades.

Manufactured homes and mini gutters

Alabama has a large number of manufactured homes, particularly in rural areas. These homes often have narrow roof edges with little or no fascia, and standard gutters do not fit. Mini gutters, smaller troughs designed for mobile and manufactured homes, keep water off skirting and away from the ground beneath the home.

Lake Martin, Guntersville and lake homes

Lake homes on Lake Martin, Lake Guntersville, Smith Lake and Lake Wedowee often sit on wooded slopes. Downspouts there should not dump water onto the bank, where it erodes soil and muddies the water. Rock-lined channels and rain gardens are good options.

Spring tornado season

Alabama's tornado season peaks in spring, with a secondary peak in November. Storms often arrive at night and move fast. After a severe storm, check gutters for damage, look for limbs on the roof, and photograph damage for insurance.

Choosing gutters in Alabama

The common Alabama upgrade is a 6-inch trough draining into oversized pipe, with a fine screen where pines overhang. On historic homes in Mobile, Montgomery and Huntsville's Twickenham district, half-round and copper suit the architecture.

Hoover, Trussville and Birmingham suburbs

Hoover, Trussville, Pelham, Helena and Gardendale have grown fast with subdivisions on hilly, wooded lots. Many homes have walk-out basements on the downhill side, and downspouts on the uphill side need to carry water around the house rather than let it pool against the foundation wall. Red clay holds water and erodes under any concentrated flow.

Seasonal cleaning in Alabama

Pine needles fall year-round, so most Alabama homes need cleaning at least twice a year. A clean in late spring after pollen and catkins, and another in December after the hardwoods, suits most yards.

Huntsville's historic Twickenham

Huntsville's Twickenham district has one of the largest collections of antebellum homes in the state, with tall columns, deep cornices and built-in or copper gutters. Changes to these homes go through the city's historic preservation commission.

Florence, Decatur and the Shoals

Florence, Muscle Shoals and Sheffield sit along the Tennessee River in northwest Alabama, and Decatur lies further east on Wheeler Lake. Older homes in these river towns have brick walls, deep eaves and mature oaks overhead. Winters bring occasional snow and more frequent freezing rain, which coats gutters and loads them with ice. Many homes there drain onto sloping lawns that run down toward the river or lake.

Phenix City, Opelika and east Alabama

Opelika and Phenix City in east Alabama sit near the Georgia line, with pine and hardwood debris, red clay and summer storms.

Kudzu, vines and the roof edge

Kudzu and other fast vines climb downspouts and creep into gutters across much of Alabama in summer. Left alone they lift guards, hold debris and pull fasteners loose. Cutting vines back from the eaves once a year protects the whole system.