How to Level a Rain Gutter (Full Video) 

just wanted to say thank you. that 1/4 inch drop per 40ft saved my whole diy project.

Im a gutter installer, finally someone who knows how to do it!! Ive been doing it for over 10 years.

By far the best place on the internet if you want to learn gutters. Thank you!

Tip: wind a little tape around the downspout end of the spirit level so that the bubble is Josh's "hair breadth off-level". Then you check the gutter is "level" (i.e. the bubble dead centre) at any point, knowing it has the fall built in.

Nice info and excellent explanation for the issues.

Thanks for the video, very helpful.

Nice sharing my friend

I Appreciate the info. Thank you.

Thank you so much for this vid! I'm 6 jobs into my new gutter company and this was one of the things that I was struggling with. I thought that I needed a large drop but then I would run into the problem of being an inch or 2 below the drip edge. Lol. Needless to say I'm learning alot and you have been a huge help. Keep them coming!

I've had two installation services give me an estimate. Each suggested that manufacturers recommended 1/2" per 15 feet, which seems excessive. I have roof flashing that extends 2 inches below the roof line, and 1/2"/15' would put the gutter almost to the bottom of my facia board on one side of my home, and that fascia board is a 2"x8"! Your approach sounds more logical.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't it be a lot easier to use a tube level? Set your high point, put in a nail, decide on the drop you want to use, go to the spout end and mark level, then put in a nail at the desired drop below that. Snap a line between the nails and you know exactly where any point on the gutter gets attached.

Great video! Quick Question, my house has a 70ft gutter run with 4 down spouts. The 2 middle downspouts drain way more than the outer spouts. Any recommendation on how to fix this?

If installing 10' aluminum sections, will the gutter connector (clip between sections) clear the drip edge or are t hey to thick to slide under drip edge properly? Thanks! Love your videos, easy to follow and your presentation is perfect.

I need to put a little more slope on my installs cause up in the Yukon , Canada we get like 20 feet or snow and ice and I cannot out my gutter that high up in the drip edge it’ll get ripped off unless I install guards but I also put my brackets 16” on centre

I install gutters also and use that exact same Stabila level also. Well worth the money. The vile is Incapsuled and can not move. Levels with exposed viles usually wiggle a bit. If your vile moves around in the slighted, it WILL NOT be accurate.

Lols clean surface all the way to the back, I can't tell you how many times I've had to correct "seasoned I've been doing this for years" gutter installers on this. Important take aways nothing is better than a level no measurement is realy relevant in residential applications. Great video perhaps one that stress the importance of center, high then low. Biggest issue now a days is getting installers to actually move their ladders between those points with out screwing multiple hangers off beforehand. All that creates is a bind in your "flexed gutter" over 12 ft long.

How do you level is you have a inner corner miter with gutters coming off both sides?

I need a new bubble for my level, any idea where I could buy one?

I'm hanging 20 ft gutter on my shed, and I'm thinking "I know there's a slope at least a 1/4" but this level is damn near perfectly level!" Thought I was doing a terrible job and now I have it pitched like crazy 🤪 this video makes me feel better though, that I was on the right track. Everything I googled said 1/4" to 1/2" per TEN FEET! 1/4" per forty ft is 1/16" per ten ft.

Good video. We had to remove our gutters to have some roof work done- which included new drip rails/ flashing so the old holes are covered up. This video helped understand how to re-slope the gutters. Question: Our downspouts go into buried drains so I'd like to keep debris out of them. Is there a recommended size for screen or mesh to use on the downspout hole? i.e. too fine and the water won't flow as fast, too course and it will allow larger debris to get through.

Congrats on leveling and putting behind drip edge! Most don't do these crucial steps! Still some flaws imo but there's more than 1 way to skin a cat they say lol

I feel like that wouldn't be enough slope to accommodate any slight warping in the gutter. If there is some standing water because of this, wouldn't it cause issues in the winter time with ice dams and what not as well?

I like to snap a line on the fascia. Prevents any unseen belly’s. I like to run H20 to make sure proper drainage.

My gutters are fastened under the tile on the roof, there's no way to remove them without removing the tile on the roof. Any ideas on how to change the pitch?

what do you mean by tack?

I'm in the middle of doing gutters on my house, most runs are between 20 and 30ft in length. I cheaped out and got 16ft sections to join together instead of seamless, when I caulk the joint areas won't it create a pond/dam effect with such low pitch? Or is it negligible because the water will evaporate? I probably went a bit heavy with the caulk on a few of them with over a 1/4" bead.

My fascia is not straight horizontal, are there spacers that I can use so that the gutters stay flat? I have vinyl and the hangers have adjustments for that, however now wanting the aluminum gutters but the aluminum hangers seem not to have an adjustment for this type of fascia. Help.

Hello I noticed how high you put gutters so what do you do about snow and ice sliding off a steel roof

How much is the cost to do that?

Why not use a 6’ level? I use a little level a 4’ and 6’ Also I level the front to back of the gutters! Killer video man!

Please make a video for how to make this design gutter

The Gutter that Josh is installing is called Box Gutter / a look that is getting bigger / people like it / good job Josh in getting a Box Gutter Machine / I know how much it co$t...

Is normal than my gutters retaining some water like half inch?after rained and staying on it for days.

Under drip edge with slope and you never have leaks good flow

Had a ol,man tell me long ago that water finds it's own level so I temp set it in a few places and put a little water in and watch how it runs

Aren't gutters supposed to slope, ideally 1 inch per 16 feet, toward the drain spout if possible?

What’s better put the chuckling Lane

Why not use a 4 ft level? wouldnt it be faster since you would be leveling bigger sections? Or does it not matter

wouldnt you call it sloping the gutter ???

Hello, my name is Rock. Josh is one of the best Gutter Installers on RU-vid. I have even talked to Josh's Father on the phone, a real down-to-earth Man. I'm a Lic. Gutter Contractor in California since 1977 ( Lic. # 1000215 ) / One thing I would like to teach ALL of the installers out there / you ( DO NOT ) need a slope on a gutter / is what you need or ( have to do ) is keep the gutter ( LEVEL WITH THE EARTH ) this will work on ANY lenght on Gutter, even up to 100 feet / I have done it / and looked at the gutter one day when it rained / it works / once the water in the gutter gets up to 1/4 of an inch high / the water will find the downspout hole / no different than the pipes under a sink / the water goes down / then has to come up about 2 inches / and then drains / water WILL push water / This next part is for the Contractors that want to use the best-hidden hangers / the ones Josh is using on this video are not the best on the market / call US Aluminum 800-877-7026 and ask for the hangers Rock uses / I'm customer # ( F5207 ) and for ALL the Contractors that NEED the best hanger for a SNOW LOAD / call Lynch Aluminum 800-383-3231 and ask for a sample of the ( Heavy Duty Brute ) hanger / it comes in clip or no clip / Lynch never advertizes this hanger / it sales it's self / ANY other questions you new ( or any ) Gutter Contractors may have / you can reach me from my web site ( www.RainGuttersByRock.com ) Thanks

Where is the level?

Wishy Washy... no pun intended

Why would you want a level gutter. You have to slope it slightly towards the downspout.

You aren't leveling it you are pitching it level is +0-

Dude, you need to actually show how it's done, instead of flapping your gums.

Any installer using a level doesn't know what they're doing

There is absolutely no reason to slope a gutter. Gutters should be installed perfectly level. Sunce the downspout cutout is at the bottom of the gutter, the depth of the water in the gutter will never exceed about one eighth of an inch.

Talk too much, no action!