Gutters are the cheapest part of your roof system and the most-ignored — until they overflow, rot your fascia, and pond water at the foundation. I audit gutter sizing, pitch, hanger spacing, downspout capacity, and where the water actually goes when it hits the ground. Includes a before/after photo appendix of typical NM cleanups and repairs so you know what good work looks like.
Gutter sizing (5" vs 6") vs actual roof drainage area math
Pitch and hanger-spacing audit — is your gutter back-pitched from settling?
Downspout capacity vs SMACNA per-square-foot standard
Fascia rot probe at every gutter section
Splash-block, extension, and foundation grading audit (IRC R401.3)
Before/after photo appendix of typical NM cleanups and repairs
Full-perimeter gutter walk with pitch verification (¼" per 10 LF minimum). Hanger spacing and fastener condition audit — spike-and-ferrule vs hidden hanger scoring. Gutter-drainage-area math: sq. ft. of roof per downspout vs SMACNA capacity. Fascia and sub-fascia rot probe at every gutter section, with moisture-meter readings. Downspout elbow, extension, and discharge-point audit — is water leaving the foundation? Site grading assessment at every discharge location (positive grade 5' out per IRC R401.3). Before/after photo appendix showing typical NM cleanups (cottonwood, monsoon silt) and fascia repairs. Written scope with per-run recommendation: clean, re-pitch, resize, or replace.
Homeowners with recurring overflow, ice damming at eaves, or fascia paint bubbling. Homeowners with a wet crawlspace, slab crack, or foundation-corner efflorescence. Buyers under contract who want drainage vetted before closing. Homeowners planning gutter guards who want the underlying system scored first (guards don't fix bad pitch). Property managers with recurring monsoon-season overflow complaints across a portfolio.
Verbal Walk — $99 Standard Gutter + Drainage Report — $349 Detailed w/ Before/After Photo Appendix + Grading Plan — $549 Multi-Building or Commercial — Custom Most gutter + drainage inspections are $349–$549. Compared to $400–$1,200/side to replace rotted fascia — or a $6,000 foundation repair from bad grading — this is cheap.
Three usual causes: undersized gutter (5" K-style can't handle a NM monsoon burst off a big pitched slope — needs 6"), backpitch (gutter slopes the wrong way from a settled fascia), or a hidden clog in the downspout elbow. I diagnose which one with a water test and give you the right fix — not just 'clean your gutters.'
Overflow sheets water back behind the gutter onto the fascia board and up under the shingle drip edge. In NM's freeze-thaw cycle that water gets into the wood, freezes, expands, and rots the fascia from behind — you don't see it until the paint bubbles. By then you're looking at $400–$1,200/side to replace fascia, sub-fascia, and sometimes the last course of decking.
Most NM homes discharge downspouts within 2 feet of the foundation and slope grade toward the house — the exact recipe for a wet crawlspace or slab crack. Code (IRC R401.3) wants water carried 5+ feet away with positive grade. Splash blocks, buried extensions, or French drains all work; I score which one fits your yard.
Yes — the report includes a photo appendix of typical NM gutter cleanups (cottonwood fluff, monsoon silt, roof grit), fascia rot repairs, and re-pitched runs so you can see what 'done right' actually looks like before you hire anyone.
Step, counter, cricket flashing audit.
SMACNA sizing + downspout audit.
Bid + scope compared line-by-line.
Hail/wind + NOAA event correlation.
I've watched too many neighbors sign contracts they didn't understand for roofs they didn't need. That stops with a written report they own.