waterdamagequotesOff the roof · where the rain lands
Eavestroughs and downspouts: what they cost, where the water must go, and which cities make you disconnect
An eavestrough is flood protection that costs a few dollars a foot. Every square metre of roof sheds its rain into it; the downspouts decide where that water lands. Land it against the foundation and it finds the cracks and the weeping tile. Send it into the sewer and in some Canadian municipalities you are breaking a by-law and adding to the load that backs the sewer up into basements.
This page covers what eavestrough work costs where companies publish their prices, what the federal guidance says about spacing, extensions and cleaning, the cities that require downspouts to be disconnected and the ones that help pay for it, ice in the troughs, and what insurance does with water that came off the roof.
The short version
- Federal guidance: one downspout for every 6 to 12 m of eavestrough, discharging at least 2 m from the foundation of every house around it.
- Check and clear them at least twice a year, in fall and spring.
- Toronto makes downspout disconnection mandatory and reimburses eligible low-income seniors and people with disabilities up to $500; Mississauga pays $125 each, to $500.
- One Ontario company publishes $8–$22 per foot installed installed; an Alberta one $5 to $15 per linear foot.
The parts, and what the quote calls them
| What you would say | What the quote calls it | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Gutters | Eavestroughs (rain gutters) | Priced per linear foot of roofline. |
| No joints | Seamless eavestrough | Formed on site in one length; fewer seams to leak. |
| The pipes down the wall | Downspouts | Federal guidance: one per 6 to 12 m of trough. |
| The bit at the bottom | Downspout extension / elbow / splash pad | Carries water the 2 m from the foundation. |
| Leaf screens | Gutter guards | An add-on, priced per foot. |
| The board behind | Fascia | Rot here is a repair before the trough goes back. |
| The pipe into the ground | Sewer connection / standpipe | Capped when the downspout is disconnected. |
| Cutting it off the sewer | Downspout disconnection | Mandatory in Toronto; subsidised in several cities. |
What it costs, where companies publish it
No public body publishes an eavestrough price, and this site does not invent an average. Two companies publish their own figures, from two provinces, reproduced here as theirs.
| Item | Custom Contracting (Ontario, 2026) | Gutter Calgary Rock (Alberta) |
|---|---|---|
| Installed, all materials | $8–$22 per foot installed | $5 to $15 per linear foot |
| Aluminum | $8 – $18 per foot | $5 – $10 per linear foot |
| Steel | $12 – $22 per foot | $8 – $15 per linear foot |
| Vinyl | $4 – $9 per foot | $3 – $7 per linear foot |
| Whole house | $1,800 – $4,200 | $500 – $3,000 for 100 to 200 ft |
| Gutter guards | Add $900 – $2,100 | $10 – $30 per linear foot |
| Professional cleaning | Not published this way | $100 – $300 |
Custom Contracting (Ontario), Eavestrough cost in Ontario · 2026
The company's figure as of August 2026, by material: aluminum $8 to $18 per foot (it says 20 to 30 years), galvanized steel $12 to $22 (25 to 35 years), vinyl $4 to $9 (10 to 15 years). For a whole house it gives $1,800 to $4,200, and adds $900 to $2,100 for gutter guards. One company's own numbers, named.
Gutter Calgary Rock (Alberta), How much does eavestrough cost in Alberta? · 2026
The company's Alberta range for installation, which it puts at $500 to $3,000 for 100 to 200 feet. It gives $100 to $300 for professional eavestrough cleaning and $10 to $30 per linear foot for guards.
Per foot is the unit, and the roofline is the multiplier: a bungalow and a two-storey with the same footprint differ in height, access and downspout length, not in trough. The differences between the two companies are partly province and partly scope. Ask any quote whether it includes taking down and disposing of the old troughs, replacing rotten fascia, the number of downspouts and where each will discharge — the last is the part that decides whether the job protects the basement.
Repair is priced differently from replacement: resealing seams, rehanging a sagging run or replacing a damaged section is a call-out rather than a roofline. Neither company publishes a repair price in the figures read for this page, and neither does this site.
What the federal guidance asks for
Government of Canada, Get Prepared — Eavestroughs and downspouts · 2026
Page last updated March 23, 2026. It describes eavestroughs as metal or vinyl troughs that collect roof runoff, with downspouts carrying it down and away from the foundation.
Government of Canada, Get Prepared — Eavestroughs and downspouts · 2026
The full instruction: using a downspout extension, direct downspouts towards an area of the front or back yard with good drainage, such as a vegetated area or rain garden. Note “all surrounding homes” — the neighbour's foundation counts too.
Government of Canada, Get Prepared — Eavestroughs and downspouts · 2026
The page adds a winter instruction: with the help of a partner, safely climb a ladder and pour hot water over ice buildup in the eavestroughs, or use a roof rake to gently break ice apart.
Three numbers do most of the work. One downspout for every 6 to 12 metres of trough, so a long run is not draining through a single corner. Two metres from the foundation, and from the foundations of the houses next door, not just yours. And twice a year, spring and fall, because a trough full of leaves overflows down the wall in exactly the spot the downspout was meant to protect.
Toronto adds the practical conditions any disconnection has to meet: water must not run onto a neighbour’s property, a driveway or a sidewalk; extensions must not cross a walkway or a doorway; and the flow must not freeze into a hazard in winter. A splash pad at the end stops erosion. If you add a rain barrel, the City says to take it down for the winter and put an extension back on.
Downspouts and the sewer: by-laws and subsidies
Government of Canada, Get Prepared — Eavestroughs and downspouts · 2026
About downspouts connected to the sewer, which the page says can overwhelm municipal storm sewers in heavy rain. It continues: some municipalities offer programs that fully or partially cover costs for downspout disconnection, and to check with your local government whether your downspouts must be disconnected.
City of Toronto, Mandatory Downspout Disconnection · 2025
Page dated July 22, 2025. The City's conditions for doing it: water must flow away from the foundation, must not damage a neighbour's property or run onto a driveway or sidewalk, and must not create a tripping or ice hazard; cap the sewer standpipe once the downspout is removed. It also says to clean eavestroughs at least twice a year. The requirement sits in Municipal Code Chapter 681, Sewers, which allows exemptions.
City of Toronto, Mandatory Downspout Disconnection Financial Assistance (form 15-0033) · 2025
A reimbursement of labour and materials for an eligible low-income senior or low-income person with a disability: residential owner, combined household income of $50,000 or less, and the age or disability-benefit conditions on the form. The application goes in within one year of completing the work, with itemized invoices and before-and-after photos.
| City | Rule or money | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | Mandatory disconnection; up to $500 for eligible low-income seniors and people with disabilities | Disconnected downspouts are also a condition of the City’s basement flooding subsidy |
| Mississauga | $125 each, to $500 | Required alongside either rebate option |
| Hamilton | Inside the $2,000 grant | Pre-qualified contractor fee $75 + HST per downspout |
The logic is the same in each: rain off a roof that goes into the sewer takes up capacity the sewer needs in a storm, and when it runs out the overflow comes up through floor drains. Toronto lists overflowing eavestroughs and plugged downspouts among the drainage causes of basement flooding. So a disconnected downspout is both your foundation’s protection and your street’s. Before you cut, check your own city’s rule; the federal page says plainly that whether you must disconnect is a question for your local government.
City of Mississauga, Basement Flooding Prevention Rebate · 2026
The City's Option 1 in one sentence, and it is three pieces of work rather than one: reroute the weeping tile into a pit, cap the old pipe to the City's storm sewer, and take the downspouts off the same system. A quote for “a sump pump” that does not include the other two is not a quote for this rebate.
Ice, and the roof above it
In a Canadian winter the trough can fill with ice. The federal page’s method is to work with a partner, pour hot water over the ice or break it gently with a roof rake — not to chip at it from a ladder alone. Ice in the trough is a symptom, though, and the cause is usually higher up: heat escaping into the attic melts snow on the roof, the water refreezes at the cold eave, and an ice dam forms. Natural Resources Canada describes a cold, well-ventilated attic as less prone to ice dams at the eaves. The roof side of it is on the roof leak page, and the attic side on attic mould and condensation.
What insurance does with water off the roof
Insurance Bureau of Canada, Water Damage and Flood Protection · 2026
IBC: “Standard homeowners’ insurance policies commonly cover sudden and accidental water damage caused by ice dams.” It adds that policies vary and that “basic insurance policies might not cover damage from ice dams”, so the starting position is cover rather than exclusion, subject to your own wording.
Insurance Bureau of Canada, Water Damage and Flood Protection · 2026
The second half of the same passage: ongoing or repeated ice dam damage “is considered a long-term maintenance issue and may not be covered”. So the line is not drawn at ice dams; it is drawn at the second and third time.
The insurance line runs between sudden and repeated. Water that comes in through the roof because of an ice dam is commonly covered the first time; IBC treats ongoing or repeated ice dam damage as maintenance. The eavestrough itself is the house’s upkeep. And water that overflows a blocked trough and seeps into the basement through the foundation is the slow kind GIO lists among typical exclusions — see foundation cracks and ground water coverage.
General Insurance OmbudService (GIO), Water Damage & Insurance: What will my insurance cover? · 2026
GIO's list continues with mould, and with water damage caused by freezing while you are away from home for a set period of time. That period is defined by each insurer, not by GIO, which is why the number of days before an empty house loses freezing cover is a question for your own wording.
Why this site has nothing to gain from your answer. We are paid a fixed amount for each enquiry, agreed before it is sent. It does not move with the size of the job, with whether you book anything, or with which company you pick. So there is no version of this page where steering you is worth anything to us — which is also why you will not find a company named, rated or recommended anywhere on this site.
Questions people actually ask
How much does eavestrough installation cost in Ontario?
No public body publishes a price. One Ontario company, Custom Contracting, publishes $8 to $22 per foot installed as of August 2026, and $1,800 to $4,200 for a whole house, depending on material and roofline length.
How much does eavestrough cleaning cost?
An Alberta company, Gutter Calgary Rock, publishes $100 to $300 for professional cleaning, depending on home size and debris. Federal guidance says to check and clear eavestroughs at least twice a year, in fall and spring.
How many downspouts do I need?
The Government of Canada gives a common guideline of one downspout for every 6 m to 12 m (20 to 40 ft.) of eavestrough.
How far should a downspout discharge from the house?
At least 2 m (6 ft.) from the foundation of all surrounding homes, if possible, onto an area with good drainage, according to the Government of Canada.
Is downspout disconnection mandatory in Toronto?
Yes. The City says it is mandatory for all property owners in Toronto to ensure their downspouts are disconnected from the City's sewer system, under Municipal Code Chapter 681, which allows exemptions. Eligible low-income seniors and people with disabilities can be reimbursed up to $500.
Does home insurance cover eavestrough damage?
The eavestrough itself is usually maintenance. IBC says standard policies commonly cover sudden and accidental water damage caused by ice dams, while ongoing or repeated ice dam damage is considered a long-term maintenance issue and may not be covered.
Where to read next
- Roof leaks and ice dams
- Basement flooding
- Foundation cracks
- Weeping tile
- Toronto’s basement flooding subsidy
Sources cited on this page
- Custom Contracting (Ontario), Eavestrough cost in Ontario
- Gutter Calgary Rock (Alberta), How much does eavestrough cost in Alberta?
- Government of Canada, Get Prepared — Eavestroughs and downspouts
- City of Toronto, Mandatory Downspout Disconnection
- City of Toronto, Mandatory Downspout Disconnection Financial Assistance (form 15-0033)
- City of Mississauga, Basement Flooding Prevention Rebate
- City of Hamilton, Protective Plumbing Program, pre-qualified contractor fee table
- City of Toronto, Basement flooding
- Natural Resources Canada, Keeping the Heat In — Chapter 5
- Insurance Bureau of Canada, Water Damage and Flood Protection
- General Insurance OmbudService (GIO), Water Damage & Insurance: What will my insurance cover?
Every figure above was read from the source it is attributed to on September 20, 2026. How we check this.
Eavestrough quotes
Three taps, then your details. Free to you, and never sent to more than three companies.
Your request is ready to send
Here is what happens after you submit:
- Your answers go only to restoration and plumbing companies that take enquiries for your area, when one is.
- No more than three may contact you, using the details you gave. If none is taking enquiries, nobody contacts you, and you can ask us to delete what you sent.
- You decide who, if anyone, you use. You are committed to nothing.
We are not a restoration company, we do not carry out work, and nothing sent through this form starts, alters or supports an insurance claim.