Gutters cost in Lake Charles, LA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (160 linear ft)
- $1,200 – $3,900
- Per linear ft
- $7.40 – $23
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −8%
- US $2,750
- Rank of 300 metros
- #211
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for new gutters in the Lake Charles area: $1,200 to $3,900 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 8% lower than the US figure. Building materials run about 6% below the US average here (BEA goods price index 93.7).
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Estimated cost for 160 linear ft in Lake Charles, LA, standard level
$2,000 to $3,050
About $12 to $18.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 37% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,150 | $1,850 |
| Labor | $800 | $1,100 |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $120 |
| Total | $2,000 | $3,050 |
Cost breakdown for 160 linear ft in Lake Charles, LA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $600 | $1,500 | $2,400 | 59% |
| Labor | $580 | $950 | $1,300 | 37% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $85 | $170 | 3% |
| Total | $1,200 | $2,550 | $3,900 | 100% |
Where the Lake Charles price comes from
The wage side of the estimate leans on sheet metal workers, who do 40% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $26.72 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Lake Charles is 0.91 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 37% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Lake Charles is at 93.7 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,600 nationally becomes $1,500 here (midpoint, 160 linear ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 85.9: $0 to $170.
Data note: 30% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in Lake Charles. The wage table below marks each row.
Lake Charles against nearby metros and the rest of Louisiana
Contractors rarely work more than an hour or two from home, so the neighboring metros set a rough ceiling and floor for your quotes. Midpoints for 160 linear ft range from $2,450 to $2,600 across Lake Charles and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles, LAthis page | $1,200 – $3,900 | $2,550 | |
| Beaumont, TX60 miles | $1,150 – $3,850 | $2,500 | −1% |
| Lafayette, LA65 miles | $1,150 – $3,800 | $2,450 | −3% |
| Alexandria, LA95 miles | $1,150 – $3,750 | $2,450 | −4% |
| Baton Rouge, LA125 miles | $1,150 – $3,800 | $2,500 | −2% |
| Houston, TX130 miles | $1,200 – $4,000 | $2,600 | +2% |
| Louisiana (statewide) | $1,150 – $3,750 | $2,450 | −3% |
| United States | $1,300 – $4,200 | $2,750 | +8% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Lake Charles ranks #211 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Lake Charles is 3% above the Louisiana figure.
Elsewhere in Louisiana
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | 445,550 jobs | $1,100 – $3,750 | $2,450 | −4% |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 409,690 jobs | $1,150 – $3,800 | $2,500 | −2% |
| Lafayette, LA | 179,570 jobs | $1,150 – $3,800 | $2,450 | −3% |
| Shreveport, LA | 162,750 jobs | $1,150 – $3,850 | $2,500 | −2% |
| Slidell, LA | 98,240 jobs | $1,150 – $3,800 | $2,450 | −3% |
| Monroe, LA | 87,500 jobs | $1,100 – $3,750 | $2,450 | −4% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Lake Charles against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette, IN | 102,200 jobs | $1,200 – $4,000 | $2,600 | +3% |
| Springfield, IL | 100,810 jobs | $1,500 – $4,600 | $3,050 | +20% |
| Clarksville, TN | 103,220 jobs | $1,150 – $3,800 | $2,450 | −3% |
| Santa Cruz, CA | 98,500 jobs | $1,450 – $4,650 | $3,050 | +20% |
Pick a size, pick a tier: gutters pricing in Lake Charles
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Lake Charles. 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
$1,200 to $2,250
Vinyl or sectional aluminum, single story
Standard
$2,000 to $3,050
Seamless aluminum K-style, standard downspouts
Premium
$2,800 to $3,900
Steel or copper, two stories, custom length
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small house (120 linear ft) | $890 – $1,700 | $1,500 – $2,350 | $2,150 – $2,950 |
| average house (160 linear ft) | $1,200 – $2,250 | $2,000 – $3,050 | $2,800 – $3,900 |
| large house (240 linear ft) | $1,750 – $3,350 | $2,950 – $4,550 | $4,150 – $5,750 |
Related projects, priced for Lake Charles
Jobs that often go together with gutters are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Lake Charles wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, attic insulation comes out highest (−5%) and vinyl siding lowest (−12%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $5,500 – $11,400 | −9% |
| Metal roof | 2,000 sq ft of roof | $9,150 – $29,700 | −9% |
| Vinyl siding | 2,100 sq ft of wall | $7,450 – $22,300 | −12% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $550 – $1,950 | −8% |
| Attic insulation | 1,000 sq ft | $950 – $3,800 | −5% |
The best months for gutters in Lake Charles
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Lake Charles (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
For exterior installation, the comfortable months in Lake Charles are September through May: 9 of 12. Outside them, June, July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Lake Charles gets about 60 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are January, June and August (6.5 inches in June). Inside the workable window, February and March are the driest, at 3.3 and 3.7 inches. The station averages about 88 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 | 63 | 43 | 5.9 | Workable |
| Feb | 67 | 47 | 3.3 | Workable |
| Mar | 73 | 53 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Apr | 79 | 59 | 4.4 | Workable |
| May | 85 | 67 | 5.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 91 | 74 | 6.5 | Hot |
| Jul | 92 | 76 | 5.7 | Hot |
| Aug | 93 | 75 | 6.2 | Hot |
| Sep | 89 | 71 | 5.2 | Workable |
| Oct | 82 | 60 | 4.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 72 | 51 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Dec | 65 | 45 | 4.6 | Workable |
Who does the work: Lake Charles 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 Lake Charles the blend is 0.91.
Sheet metal workers (47-2211), 40% of the weighting: a median of $26.72 an hour, 10% below the US median of $29.71. The middle half of them earn between $19.10 and $38.38 an hour. About 80 work in the metro. That is 7.9 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 7.7 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
Roofers (47-2181) carry 30% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Lake Charles metro, so we used the Louisiana statewide median: $23.44 an hour against $26.65 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $18.74 and $27.02 an hour.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 30%) the local median is $21.75 an hour, which is 4% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.37 and $25.18 an hour. BLS counts 2,130 of them working in the area, 209.5 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is deeper than average.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (sheet metal workers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $160 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $110. That is a swing of roughly 4.2% to 6.4% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Lake Charles has 101,690 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 202nd 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% | $19.10 | $26.72 | $38.38 | $29.71 | 0.90 | metro |
| Roofers (47-2181) | 30% | $18.74 | $23.44 | $27.02 | $26.65 | 0.88 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $17.37 | $21.75 | $25.18 | $22.66 | 0.96 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.91 | |||||
Gutters: what moves the price in Lake Charles
Material
Vinyl is $8-$12 per linear foot installed and aluminum $10-$20. Steel and copper run higher (HomeGuide).
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.
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Gutters in Lake Charles: your questions
+How much does it cost to install gutters in Lake Charles?
For 160 linear ft, expect $1,200 to $3,900 in the Lake Charles area. A standard-spec job lands at $2,000 to $3,050. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for gutters in Lake Charles?
About $7.40 to $23 per linear ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $170 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $8 to $25.
+Is gutters cheaper in Lake Charles or Beaumont?
Beaumont is 60 miles away. The midpoint for 160 linear ft there is $2,500, which is 1% less than Lake Charles ($2,550). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Lake Charles?
About 37% at the midpoint, or $950 out of $2,550. Materials are 59% and permits 3%. Nationally, labor is 38%.
+What would average house (160 linear ft) cost in Lake Charles?
$1,200 to $3,900. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does gutters need a permit in Lake Charles?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $170 for fees in the Lake Charles area (our national range of $0 to $200 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Lake Charles expensive for gutters compared with the rest of Louisiana?
Lake Charles is 3% above the Louisiana statewide estimate ($2,450 at the midpoint). We cover 9 metros in Louisiana; see the state page to compare them.
+What do sheet metal workers earn in Lake Charles?
The BLS median is $26.72 an hour in the Lake Charles area, compared with $29.71 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $19.10 to $38.38.
+What do basic and premium gutters work cost in Lake Charles?
For 160 linear ft, basic work runs $1,200 to $2,250 and premium work $2,800 to $3,900. Basic means: vinyl or sectional aluminum, single story. Premium means: steel or copper, two stories, custom length.
+When is the best time to install gutters in Lake Charles?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through May. February and March are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
Gutters near Lake Charles
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.