If you are replacing a roof on a Reading or Berks County home, decide what will happen to the gutters before work starts. Keeping the old system, temporarily removing it, and installing new gutters are different scopes. None should be left to an assumption between the homeowner, roofer, and gutter installer.
The aim is to avoid paying for work twice or discovering after the roof is finished that an attachment, roof-edge detail, or downspout route still needs attention. Use the planning sequence below to coordinate the jobs without treating gutter replacement as automatically necessary.
First decide whether the existing gutters are staying
Ask the roofer whether the proposed roof work requires gutters or downspouts to be removed. Then request an assessment of the existing gutter system if you are unsure about its condition. If the system will stay but has leaks, loose sections, or attachment problems, review the separate Pennsylvania gutter repair scope before dates are set. A sound gutter may be a candidate for retention, while damaged sections, failed attachments, or an unsuitable layout may make replacement worth discussing.
Do not compare a price to leave gutters in place with a price that includes removal, disposal, and a complete new system. Those are different jobs. If gutters are to be reused, get agreement on who removes them, where they will be stored, and who reinstalls and checks them.
Assign one owner to each roof-edge detail
The gutter meets several other components at the eave. Before scheduling installation, have the contractors explain how the finished roof edge, drip edge, fascia, and gutter will meet on your home. The detail needs to work as a whole so runoff enters the gutter rather than bypassing it. See our guide to positioning gutters below the drip edge in Pennsylvania.
Ask who is responsible for correcting fascia or other roof-edge deterioration if it is discovered. A new gutter does not repair the surface supporting it, and replacing a roof does not necessarily include every fascia or soffit repair. Keep those boundaries visible in each proposal.
Gutters Marketplace LLC’s Pennsylvania soffit and fascia service page describes the related service. Use the property-specific scope to confirm the exact work needed; do not assume it is part of a gutter installation price.
Agree on the sequence before choosing dates
The following is a coordination outline, not a fixed construction schedule. The contractors should confirm the actual order for the roof system, access requirements, and condition of your property.
| Stage | Decision to confirm |
|---|---|
| Before roof work | Which gutters stay, which are removed, who handles them, and where temporary roof runoff will go. |
| Before gutter installation | Whether the relevant roof edge and fascia are ready, final details are agreed, and any required preparation is complete. |
| At handover | Who checks gutter attachment, flow toward outlets, downspout routes, cleanup, and any remaining separate work. |
If roofing dates change because of weather or concealed repairs, tell the gutter installer before they arrive. A tentative date should not be treated as confirmation that the roof edge is ready.
Plan for rain between the two jobs
Ask how roof runoff will be managed if a period without gutters is expected. Point out entrances, basement window wells, planting beds, and places where water already collects. Do not move water toward a neighbor’s property or create a trip hazard with a temporary arrangement.
Discuss who provides any temporary measure and who removes it. If grading, buried drainage, or waterproofing is necessary, that may require a separate qualified professional rather than a change to the gutter alone.
Preserve or revise the downspout plan deliberately
Mark the existing downspout locations before removal. If a route works well and connects to an existing drain, identify whether the new proposal retains it. If a downspout will move, ask where it will terminate and which elbows, extensions, or connections are included.
Reconnecting to a buried pipe is not the same as inspecting or repairing that pipe. Put the boundary in writing so a blocked underground line is not mistaken for unfinished gutter work.
Document handover between contractors
Keep a short record of the agreed gutter runs, color and specification, downspout locations, excluded work, and the contact responsible for each stage. Photos before removal and after completion help preserve the layout and visible condition without making claims about hidden damage.
Request the applicable workmanship and product warranty documents from each contractor. If you have questions about how one trade’s work affects another warranty, ask the responsible contractor or manufacturer rather than relying on an informal promise.
Check the roof-to-wall corner before the gutter hides it
A lower roof ending beside a taller wall deserves its own discussion. Water following that junction needs a route away from the wall and into the gutter. PNNL’s Building America guidance explains the roles of step flashing along the junction and kick-out flashing at its lower end. The diverter must connect properly with the roof and wall drainage layers; its visible presence alone does not establish that the assembly is sound.
PNNL also warns against a shortcut that slips a diverter into a slit without properly integrating the concealed layers. Correcting an existing defect can involve siding and sheathing as well as roofing. Discuss that access while the roof work is being planned, rather than expecting the gutter crew to cure it by repositioning the gutter afterward. The roofer and any siding specialist should determine the appropriate detail for the actual materials and condition.
A practical question for the planning meeting is: “At this specific corner, who will show that water leaving the flashing lands inside the finished gutter?” Mark the location in a photograph and give it an identifier, such as rear porch corner A. Ask which contractor checks it before it is concealed and which contractor confirms the final gutter position. This identifies an interface between two jobs without making the homeowner responsible for designing the flashing.
Make roofing debris removal a separate handover item
GAF’s guidance on gutters during roof replacement notes that serviceable gutters can sometimes remain in place with protection. It also calls for the roofing contractor to clear gutter debris and check operation once the new roof is installed. A clean lawn does not demonstrate that the gutter channels and outlets were included in cleanup.
Ask the proposal to identify who handles the gutters after tear-off and who checks the outlets before the job is handed over. If guards or covers obscure the channel, discuss the necessary access in advance and identify who is responsible for removing and reinstalling them using the product’s instructions. Do not assume a roofer’s cleanup allowance includes dismantling an unfamiliar guard system or replacing damaged parts.
For your completion record, distinguish “debris removed” from “drainage checked.” Request photographs or a written note showing the accessible areas checked, the downspout outlets observed, and any section that could not be reached. A limited check should be described as limited. Keep any separate concern about an underground drain on the unresolved-work list rather than recording the whole drainage system as tested.
A worked example of a useful contractor handoff
Consider a hypothetical Berks County home with a porch roof against a two-story wall. The front gutter is being retained, while the porch gutter will be replaced. The homeowner also wants an existing guard reused. This is an example of coordination, not a diagnosis or a required schedule for every home.
Before work begins, the parties label those three items separately. The roofer’s scope identifies protection and cleanup of the retained front gutter. The porch corner is assigned for roof-and-wall flashing review. Guard removal, storage and reinstallation have a named owner. The gutter installer receives the agreed outlet location and is told which roof-edge work must be complete before measuring or fitting the replacement.
If opening the porch corner reveals deterioration, the agreed handoff pauses at that location. The homeowner receives photographs, a description of the newly exposed condition and a revised scope to review before additional work proceeds. The gutter appointment is rescheduled if necessary. This avoids treating an unready roof edge as a completed prerequisite merely because the original calendar date has arrived.
At completion, the record lists what was retained, what was replaced, which corner was checked, and any outstanding issue with a responsible contact. Ask for the photographs and product information before the crews leave. During subsequent ordinary rain, observe from a safe ground-level position and report the location of any bypass or overflow. Do not climb onto the new roof or alter the flashing yourself to investigate.
Discuss the gutter scope before your roof project starts
For a Reading, Berks County, or nearby Pennsylvania property, review Pennsylvania seamless gutter installation and contact Gutters Marketplace LLC. Call (484) 339-4177 or email guttersmarketpa@gmail.com. Include your roofer’s proposed timing, whether existing gutters will be retained, and which roof edges you want assessed.