Gutters cost in Boulder, CO
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (160 linear ft)
- $1,250 – $4,050
- Per linear ft
- $7.70 – $24
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −3%
- US $2,750
- Rank of 300 metros
- #144
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for new gutters in the Boulder area: $1,250 to $4,050 for 160 linear ft. The low end is a basic job on easy ground; the high end is a premium spec with harder access. The midpoint runs 3% lower than the US figure. Building materials run about 4% below the US average here (BEA goods price index 96.1).
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Estimated cost for 160 linear ft in Boulder, CO, standard level
$2,100 to $3,200
About $12.50 to $19 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 38% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,150 | $1,900 |
| Labor | $850 | $1,150 |
| Permits and fees | $65 | $150 |
| Total | $2,100 | $3,200 |
Cost breakdown for 160 linear ft in Boulder, CO
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $610 | $1,550 | $2,450 | 58% |
| Labor | $620 | $1,000 | $1,400 | 38% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $110 | $210 | 4% |
| Total | $1,250 | $2,650 | $4,050 | 100% |
Where the Boulder price comes from
Labor is 38% of the midpoint bill here, against 38% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is sheet metal workers (40%), roofers (30%), construction laborers (30%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In Boulder the blended ratio comes out at 0.97.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Boulder is at 96.1 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,600 nationally becomes $1,550 here (midpoint, 160 linear ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 105.2: $0 to $210.
How Boulder compares
Of the five closest metros, 4 are cheaper than Boulder. Cheyenne is the lowest at about $2,550 (midpoint, 160 linear ft), 90 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, COthis page | $1,250 – $4,050 | $2,650 | |
| Fort Collins, CO40 miles | $1,200 – $3,950 | $2,600 | −3% |
| Denver, CO55 miles | $1,300 – $4,250 | $2,750 | +5% |
| Greeley, CO60 miles | $1,200 – $3,950 | $2,550 | −3% |
| Cheyenne, WY90 miles | $1,150 – $3,900 | $2,550 | −4% |
| Colorado Springs, CO95 miles | $1,150 – $3,900 | $2,550 | −4% |
| Colorado (statewide) | $1,250 – $4,100 | $2,700 | +1% |
| United States | $1,300 – $4,200 | $2,750 | +3% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Boulder ranks #144 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Boulder is 1% below the Colorado figure.
Elsewhere in Colorado
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver, CO | 1,609,350 jobs | $1,300 – $4,250 | $2,750 | +5% |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 316,060 jobs | $1,150 – $3,900 | $2,550 | −4% |
| Fort Collins, CO | 169,430 jobs | $1,200 – $3,950 | $2,600 | −3% |
| Greeley, CO | 119,540 jobs | $1,200 – $3,950 | $2,550 | −3% |
| Grand Junction, CO | 67,170 jobs | $1,150 – $3,900 | $2,550 | −4% |
| Pueblo, CO | 61,780 jobs | $1,150 – $3,900 | $2,500 | −5% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Boulder against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corpus Christi, TX | 192,580 jobs | $1,150 – $3,800 | $2,500 | −6% |
| Wilmington, NC | 191,280 jobs | $1,150 – $3,900 | $2,550 | −4% |
| Modesto, CA | 195,230 jobs | $1,450 – $4,600 | $3,000 | +14% |
| Pensacola, FL | 190,480 jobs | $1,150 – $3,850 | $2,500 | −6% |
Related projects, priced for Boulder
Jobs that often go together with gutters are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Boulder wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, French drain comes out highest (+4%) and vinyl siding lowest (−3%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $6,100 – $12,400 | level |
| Metal roof | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $10,000 – $31,700 | −2% |
| Vinyl siding | 2,100 sq ft of wall | $8,200 – $24,500 | −3% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $620 – $2,200 | +4% |
| Attic insulation | 1,000 sq ft | $1,000 – $3,950 | −1% |
The best months for gutters in Boulder
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Boulder (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
Weather is not a serious constraint for exterior installation in Boulder: no month in the averages is cold enough (an average daytime high under 45°F) or hot enough (an average daytime high of 90°F or more) to rule it out, so the workable window is all year.
Boulder gets about 21 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 93 inches of snow. The wettest months are April, May and September (3.2 inches in May). The station averages about 33 days a year at 90°F or above.
We do not adjust the estimate by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. It is still worth asking contractors whether an off-peak start date changes their bid.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 22 | 0.8 | Workable |
| Feb | 48 | 22 | 1.0 | Workable |
| Mar | 57 | 29 | 2.0 | Workable |
| Apr | 63 | 35 | 3.0 | Workable |
| May | 71 | 43 | 3.2 | Workable |
| Jun | 83 | 51 | 1.9 | Workable |
| Jul | 88 | 57 | 1.8 | Workable |
| Aug | 86 | 56 | 1.7 | Workable |
| Sep | 79 | 48 | 2.1 | Workable |
| Oct | 66 | 37 | 1.6 | Workable |
| Nov | 55 | 28 | 1.2 | Workable |
| Dec | 46 | 21 | 0.8 | Workable |
Pick a size, pick a tier: gutters pricing in Boulder
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Boulder. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from small house (120 linear ft) to large house (240 linear ft).
Basic
$1,250 to $2,350
Vinyl or sectional aluminum, single story
Standard
$2,100 to $3,200
Seamless aluminum K-style, standard downspouts
Premium
$2,950 to $4,050
Steel or copper, two stories, custom length
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small house (120 linear ft) | $930 – $1,800 | $1,600 – $2,450 | $2,250 – $3,100 |
| average house (160 linear ft) | $1,250 – $2,350 | $2,100 – $3,200 | $2,950 – $4,050 |
| large house (240 linear ft) | $1,850 – $3,500 | $3,100 – $4,750 | $4,350 – $6,000 |
Why two Boulder quotes can differ
Seamless
Seamless costs $3-$5+ more per linear foot than sectional, but has fewer places to leak.
Stories
Two-story homes add $1-$3 per linear foot for ladders and fall protection.
Permit
Local building codes may add $50-$200, though most cities don't require one.
Who does the work: Boulder trade wages
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 3 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For Boulder the blend is 0.97.
Sheet metal workers (47-2211), 40% of the weighting: a median of $26.75 an hour, 10% below the US median of $29.71. The middle half of them earn between $21.54 and $32.26 an hour. About 60 work in the metro. That is 3.1 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 7.7 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
Roofers (47-2181), 30% of the weighting: a median of $26.99 an hour, in line with the US median of $26.65. The middle half of them earn between $23.08 and $29.26 an hour. About 140 work in the metro. That is 7.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 8.7 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 30%) the local median is $23.07 an hour, which is in line with the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $19.64 and $28.23 an hour. BLS counts 540 of them working in the area, 28.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (sheet metal workers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $75 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $75. That is a swing of roughly 2.8% to 2.9% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Boulder has 192,390 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 119th by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet metal workers (47-2211) | 40% | $21.54 | $26.75 | $32.26 | $29.71 | 0.90 | metro |
| Roofers (47-2181) | 30% | $23.08 | $26.99 | $29.26 | $26.65 | 1.01 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $19.64 | $23.07 | $28.23 | $22.66 | 1.02 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.97 | |||||
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Gutters in Boulder: your questions
+How much does it cost to install gutters in Boulder?
For 160 linear ft, expect $1,250 to $4,050 in the Boulder area. A standard-spec job lands at $2,100 to $3,200. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for gutters in Boulder?
About $7.70 to $24 per linear ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $210 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $8 to $25.
+Is gutters cheaper in Boulder or Fort Collins?
Fort Collins is 40 miles away. The midpoint for 160 linear ft there is $2,600, which is 3% less than Boulder ($2,650). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Boulder?
About 38% at the midpoint, or $1,000 out of $2,650. Materials are 58% and permits 4%. Nationally, labor is 38%.
+What would average house (160 linear ft) cost in Boulder?
$1,250 to $4,050. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does gutters need a permit in Boulder?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $210 for fees in the Boulder area (our national range of $0 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Boulder expensive for gutters compared with the rest of Colorado?
Boulder is 1% below the Colorado statewide estimate ($2,700 at the midpoint). We cover 7 metros in Colorado; see the state page to compare them.
+What do sheet metal workers earn in Boulder?
The BLS median is $26.75 an hour in the Boulder area, compared with $29.71 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $21.54 to $32.26.
+What do basic and premium gutters work cost in Boulder?
For 160 linear ft, basic work runs $1,250 to $2,350 and premium work $2,950 to $4,050. Basic means: vinyl or sectional aluminum, single story. Premium means: steel or copper, two stories, custom length.
+Is there a bad season to install gutters in Boulder?
Not from a temperature point of view. NOAA's 1991-2020 normals show no month with a freezing-level overnight low or a 90°F-plus average high, so timing is mostly about contractor availability and rain.
Gutters near Boulder
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.
- HomeGuide: How Much Does Gutter Installation Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- Home Genius Exteriors: How Much Does Gutter Installation Cost? (accessed November 4, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020
Note on derived figures: Materials = installed range minus the $4-$9 per linear foot labor figure from Home Genius Exteriors.