Should I replace gutters when I replace my roof in Fargo?

In most cases yes, if the gutters are more than about 15 years old, pulling away, or undersized. They have to be detached for the drip edge and fascia work anyway, so bundling avoids duplicate labor.

Can rotted fascia be repaired during a roof replacement?

Yes. Once the gutters are off, rotted fascia is easy to see and replace before the new drip edge goes on, which is faster than reopening a finished roof edge later.

Should You Replace Your Gutters When You Replace Your Roof in Fargo?

Caleb Cook

11 minutes ago

3 min read

Yes, in most cases you should replace your gutters when you replace your roof in Fargo-Moorhead, as long as the gutters are more than about 15 years old, pulling away from the house, or too small for your roofline. Dodd Roofing and Exteriors has to detach gutters to reach the fascia and drip edge during a tear off anyway, so doing both at once avoids paying for the same labor twice and lets us fix hidden rot before the new shingles go on.

Why does a roof replacement affect your gutters at all?

Gutters hang from the fascia board, and the fascia sits right at the edge of the roof deck. When a crew installs new drip edge and underlayment along the eaves, the old gutter is either in the way or gets knocked around by tear off debris and ladders. Many older gutters bend, loosen, or crack when they are detached and put back. If the system is already tired, reinstalling it takes nearly as much effort as installing new, and you end up with an old gutter on a brand new roof.

What does the fascia look like once the gutters come off?

This is the part homeowners rarely see. In Hawthorne, Roosevelt, and older Moorhead neighborhoods, wood fascia has spent decades with ice and meltwater sitting against it, and it is common to find soft or rotted sections behind the gutter. Newer homes in south Fargo, West Fargo, and Horace usually have better fascia, but spike style hangers can still have worked loose after years of freeze and thaw. Replacing rotted fascia after the new roof is finished means pulling the finished edge apart again. Doing it during the roof job is faster and keeps the new drip edge properly seated.

Do Fargo winters change which gutter you should choose?

They do. Fargo gets around 50 inches of snow in a typical winter, and the weight of ice and snow sliding off a roof is what pulls most gutters loose. Hidden hangers spaced closely hold up better than old spikes, and seamless aluminum avoids the seams that leak and freeze first. Six inch gutters carry roughly 40 percent more water than five inch, which helps during fast spring melts when downspouts are still partly frozen. Gutters do not cause ice dams, which come from heat escaping through the attic, and our article on ice and water shield requirements in Fargo explains the roof side of that problem. A gutter that is pitched and anchored correctly will shed meltwater instead of holding a ridge of ice against your fascia.

When does it make sense to keep your existing gutters?

If your gutters are less than ten years old, hang straight, drain fully, and the fascia behind them is solid, there is no reason to replace them just because the roof is changing. We can detach and reinstall them with new hangers and fresh sealant at the end joints. The same goes if you plan to replace siding soon, since waiting and doing that side of the house together may be the better sequence. If your gutters are already sagging, read what causes it in our post on gutters pulling away from the house in Fargo before deciding between repair and replacement.

How does bundling affect timing, insurance, and financing?

Shingles need warm enough weather to seal, so full roof replacements in Fargo wind down once temperatures stay low, usually by late October or early November. Gutter work is less sensitive to temperature than shingle sealing, so a gutter only job can often be done later in the season. If a hailstorm damaged the roof, the gutters and downspouts were probably hit too, and those dents are often handled in the same claim, so photograph them before anything is removed. Bundling also lets you finance both under one plan, and you can see the options on our financing page. For more homeowner topics, browse our homeowner guide library.

How do you get a gutter and roof quote in Fargo?

Ask for gutter size, material, hanger type, downspout count, and fascia repair terms to be written on the same estimate as the roof, with any extra fascia priced per linear foot so there are no surprises. Dodd Roofing and Exteriors offers free inspections across Fargo, West Fargo, Horace, and Moorhead, and we will tell you plainly whether your gutters can stay or should go. Call (701) 831-0710 to schedule.