When considering installing a gutter guard, the inspection of the roof is a necessary component. If the shingles are brittle or curling, or if the homeowner knows that their 15 Year shingles are now 20 years old, then the roof should be replaced first. This is an important consideration to avoid a removal and reinstallation of gutter guards in the near future.

Gutter covers have to be taken off before a roof is replaced. In order to not void the warranty, you must have the installing company do the removal and reinstallation. Most companies will not be comfortable with warranting other company’s reinstallation of their gutter guards. It is not uncommon for a roofing contractor to volunteer with the best of intentions to remove and reinstall the gutter protection for free. Then when the systems fails and the homeowner calls the original installing company, they find out that the system was reinstalled improperly. In some cases, the system was damaged and unusable due to improper removal and reinstallation.

There usually is a charge for this service. The removal and reinstallation involves the crew to come out twice, once for the removal and again for the reinstallation. The installing company incurs set up fees twice for each service.

Sometimes material has to be replaced. Gutter covers don’t always go back on properly, once they are removed. Sometimes, the color of the roof is changed, so the color of the gutter protection is changed as well requiring all of the panels to be replaced.

There is usually a nominal fee for the removal and reinstallation. A gutter cover contractor has already made a profit on the original installation and usually just covers the cost on materials and labor. Some gutter cover contractors that also do roofing will perform the service at no charge as long as you purchase your new roof from them in the future. This is a good situation if you really need gutter protection, and your roof still has a few years of life left to it.

You can avoid an unpleasant surprise in the future if you consider the condition of your roof before purchasing a gutter protector. You need to plan out what is going to happen when you eventually replace your roof to avoid extra expense or loss of warranty.