Should I get gutters?
Short answer. For most Georgia houses, yes: gutters are a modest cost compared with the foundation, crawl space, fascia and landscaping damage that uncontrolled roof runoff causes, and home inspectors routinely flag their absence. The exceptions are houses with deep overhangs, ground sloping well away and a durable drip strip, where watching a heavy rain may show you do not need them.
What guttering is
Gutters, sometimes called guttering, are the troughs along the roof eaves that collect rain and send it through downspouts to chosen discharge points. Without them, every foot of eave drops water straight down along the house.
The case for getting them
- Foundation and crawl space. Water concentrated at the drip line soaks clay soil beside the walls. Controlling it is one of the cheapest ways to keep a basement or crawl space dry.
- Trim and siding. Fascia, soffit, door frames and the bottom of siding last longer when not splashed and soaked.
- Landscaping and walkways. No trenches in the beds, no mud on the steps.
- Resale. Buyers' inspectors note missing gutters and the moisture problems that follow, which can become a negotiation point.
The case against
- Upfront cost.
- Maintenance: cleaning a couple of times a year or more under trees.
- Poorly installed gutters can cause their own problems: overflow, ice weight in the mountains and fascia rot.
If you decide yes
Go with seamless aluminum sized to your roof, hidden hangers into solid fascia, downspouts placed where water can actually drain away, and drip edge at the eave. If your roof is due for replacement soon, do the roof first so the gutters are hung against new drip edge. For more, see gutter sizing and seamless gutters and roof anatomy explained.