A gutter installer forms one-piece aluminum or steel gutters on a machine parked at the curb, then hangs them and their downspouts on homes and new builds. They measure each run, set the fall toward the outlets, and leave the yard clean before the truck moves to the next house.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, structure and exterior contractors · BLS, May 2025
As a Gutter Installer, you will fabricate, install, and repair gutters to ensure proper water drainage and protection for residential and commercial properties. Your work directly impacts the company's reputation for quality and customer satisfaction by ensuring installations are both efficient and durable.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Fabricate gutters using materials such as aluminum and steel to match project specifications.
Install gutters and downspouts according to company standards and client requirements.
Perform repairs on existing gutter systems to maintain functionality and appearance.
Utilize tools such as gutter machines, ladders, and safety harnesses to complete installations safely.
Communicate effectively with clients to explain installation processes and address concerns.
Ensure all installations meet local building codes and safety regulations.
Maintain accurate records of work completed for billing and quality assurance purposes.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review daily job assignments and prepare necessary materials and tools.
Travel to job sites and conduct pre-installation inspections.
Measure and cut gutter materials to precise lengths required for each project.
Install gutters and downspouts, ensuring secure attachment and proper alignment.
Conduct quality checks post-installation to verify functionality and aesthetics.
Clean up job sites after installations, ensuring no debris is left behind.
Report daily progress and any issues encountered to the Installation Manager.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Installation accuracy rate ≥ 95%.
Customer satisfaction score (CSAT) ≥ 4.7/5.0.
Callback rate for repairs ≤ 5%.
Average installation time per job ≤ 4 hours.
30/60/90-day ramp expectations: Achieve 60% of KPI targets by 30 days, 80% by 60 days, and 100% by 90 days.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent.
Valid driver’s license with a clean driving record.
Proficiency in using hand and power tools relevant to gutter installation.
Strong understanding of safety protocols and building codes.
Ability to read and interpret blueprints and technical drawings.
Good physical stamina and ability to work at heights.
6. Preferred Experience
1-2 years of experience in gutter installation or related construction work.
Familiarity with CRM software for tracking job progress and customer interactions.
Certification in OSHA safety standards.
Experience with custom gutter fabrication.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds regularly.
Comfortable working outdoors in various weather conditions.
Ability to climb ladders and work at heights for extended periods.
Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves and safety glasses.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Some overtime may be required during peak seasons (spring and fall).
Occasional weekend work may be necessary to meet project deadlines.
Work is primarily outdoors, with exposure to varying weather conditions.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Competitive hourly wage with potential for overtime pay.
Performance-based bonuses tied to quality and efficiency KPIs.
Health insurance, retirement plan, and paid time off.
Payouts contingent on maintaining high CSAT and low callback rates.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we pride ourselves on our commitment to quality craftsmanship and customer satisfaction. We foster a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement, empowering our employees to grow and succeed. Join our team and contribute to a company where your skills and dedication make a difference.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
The gutter gets formed in the driveway minutes before it goes up, and it goes up along the roof edge, where the wires feeding the house often arrive.
Long runs go up on two ladders
A one-piece run can span the whole front of a house, so plan for two installers to lift it from two ladders. OSHA's construction ladder rule bars carrying any load that could throw a climber off balance. It also calls for at least one hand on the ladder going up or down, and footing that's stable and level unless the ladder is secured. Agree on how the run gets up before it leaves the machine. Source: 29 CFR 1926.1053: Ladders (Cornell LII).
Aluminum and the service line
Aluminum gutter conducts electricity. Before ladders go up, find where the overhead service line reaches the house. OSHA's construction electrical rule has the employer check for live lines before work starts and tell the crew where they are. Nobody works close enough to touch one unless it's de-energized and grounded or guarded. The ladder rule adds nonconductive side rails, such as fiberglass, wherever the climber or the ladder might come into contact with exposed energized equipment. Source: 29 CFR 1926.416: Electrical safety, general requirements (Cornell LII).
The machine on the trailer
Englert's data sheet for one 5-inch machine lists drive rollers turned by chains and sprockets, a guillotine shear, emergency stop switches at the entry and exit ends and output of about 45 feet a minute. OSHA's construction tool rule says exposed chains, sprockets and other moving parts must be guarded. Train new installers on the maker's manual, and have them wear gloves around coil edges and keep hands away from the exit end. Source: 29 CFR 1926.300: Hand and power tools, guarding (Cornell LII).
A slope you can't see from the street
A gutter that looks level from the lawn still has to fall toward each outlet, or water sits and spills over at the low spot. Have installers snap a line on the fascia before the first hanger goes in and set outlets where the roof sheds the most water. Ask them to press-test the fascia first, and to photograph and report soft or rotten wood rather than hide it behind new metal.
Spring, fall and the builder's schedule
The template plans overtime in spring and fall. Builder work runs on its own clock, since gutters wait for the roof and the fascia trim, and one late roofer can shuffle a whole week. Wind matters too: a long metal run held up on two ladders catches every gust, so set a wind limit and stick to it.
How much gutter installers make
The closest BLS group for gutter installers is sheet metal workers. Sheet metal workers who work for foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors earned a median of $24.90 an hour ($51,790 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $61,800 median for sheet metal workers in all industries. About 16,060 of the 119,770 sheet metal workers in that survey work for structure and exterior contractors.
Hourly with overtime, plus bonuses tied to quality, speed, customer scores and callbacks, as the template sets out. O*NET lists rain gutters and downspouts among sheet metal workers' tasks, but the group also takes in duct and shop fabrication work, so treat the figures as a guide.
Structure and exterior contractors
$51,790$51,790 median Middle half $46,070–$66,610 10th–90th $38,450–$86,870
All industries
$61,800$61,800 median Middle half $47,830–$81,610 10th–90th $38,630–$105,650
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Structure and exterior contractors
$38,450
$46,070
$51,790
$66,610
$86,870
All industries
$38,630
$47,830
$61,800
$81,610
$105,650
BLS doesn’t publish pay for gutter installers on their own. These figures cover foundation, structure and building exterior contractors, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Sets and climbs extension ladders with a partner and a long load
Reads a roof to place outlets and downspouts
Snaps a slope line and hangs straight, tight runs
Cuts, crimps and fastens downspouts and elbows neatly
Spots soft fascia and reports it before hanging
Talks with homeowners about where downspouts will drain
Teach these on the job
Running your gutter machine and loading coil
Mitering inside and outside corners and sealing end caps
Your hanger style and spacing
The guard products you sell and how each one attaches
Your job app, photos and material counts
Installers run a portable gutter machine from a trailer or truck bed, plus extension ladders with stabilizers, a chalk line, a level, snips, a crimper, a drill-driver, a rivet gun and sealant for corners and end caps. In the ad, name the gutter sizes and profiles you hang, whether you sell guards, and whether installers drive the machine truck.
Gutter installer interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Handling rotted fascia
You take down the old gutter and find the fascia board is soft and rotted along one side. What do you do?
A strong answer: Stops, takes photos, tells the supervisor so the homeowner can approve a repair and doesn't hang new gutter on rotted wood.
Behavioral · Learning from callbacks
Tell me about a gutter you installed that leaked or overflowed afterward. What caused it?
A strong answer: Names the cause, such as a poorly sealed miter or too little slope, and what they changed.
Start with the template's figures as a rough bar. After a spring and a fall, reset them from your own jobs, and count a two-story home with many corners apart from a simple ranch.
Installation accuracy rate ≥ 95%
Jobs that pass the master installer's walk with the right slope, sealed corners, tight hangers and downspouts that carry water away from the house, out of all jobs this installer hung.
Customer satisfaction score (CSAT) ≥ 4.7/5.0
Homeowner survey scores for houses this installer worked, read alongside comments about cleanup, dents, ladder marks on siding and how downspout spots were explained.
Callback rate for repairs ≤ 5%
Return trips for leaks, spills at a low spot or loose hangers that trace back to the install, as a share of finished jobs. Storm damage and clogs don't count.
Average installation time per job ≤ 4 hours
Hours from arrival to cleanup, logged in the job app and grouped by stories and corner count. Use it to plan the day, never to hurry a two-ladder lift.
30/60/90-day ramp expectations
At each ramp checkpoint, review the numbers above with the master installer and pick the next task the new hire takes on alone, like corner miters or running the machine.
Career path
Laborer / helperLoads coil, carries runs, cleans up and learns downspouts.
Gutter installerForms and hangs gutters and downspouts on homes and new builds.
Lean a ladder on a shop or garage wall and watch the setup and the climb. Then hand over a short run, a few hangers and a downspout: have them snap a slope line, hang the run, cut an outlet, and crimp and fasten an elbow. Pour a bucket of water in the far end and see where it goes. Pay them for the hour.
How much does a gutter installer make?
Sheet metal workers who work for foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors earned a median of $24.90 an hour ($51,790 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $46,070 and $66,610 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Can a new installer run the gutter machine?
Yes, once they've been trained on that machine's manual. Walk them through loading and threading coil, cutting with the shear, and every emergency stop, then let them run pieces while a master watches. Keep every guard in place, and make it a rule that nobody reaches toward the rollers while the machine is plugged in.
Should gutter installers also put on gutter guards?
If you sell guards, your installers will likely fit them on new and existing gutters. Guard products fasten in different ways, so train on each guard maker's instructions. Put guard work in the ad, since some candidates have only hung gutters.
What should a gutter installer job ad describe?
Say whether you work for homeowners, builders or both, which profiles you form, and how tall the houses run. List the tasks from the template: lifting up to 50 pounds, climbing ladders and working outdoors in any season. In place of the template's stamina line, describe the work itself, such as raising a long run into place from two ladders with a partner.
