Good to go gutters

Robert Thomas Homes

Building a Robert Thomas home? Congratulations! Building a new home for you and your family is an exciting new chapter in life.

Have you considered how you will install gutters on your new homes? It isn’t common for builders to leave the gutter installation up to the homeowner.

Fortunately, Good to Go Gutters has experience installing gutters on Robert Thomas Homes in neighborhoods in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding metro area.

About Robert Thomas Homes

Robert Thomas Homes strives to design and build quality homes that are comfortable for actives families in any stage of life.

Their homes can accommodate varied lifestyles, lot sizes, and budgets. Their homes often include features that are considered upgrades by other builders. They also offer a range of add-ons.

They work with customers one-on-one in their Design Studio to create homes that match the personalities and tastes of the buyers.

Industry recognition

Robert Thomas Homes has received industry recognition for their work. Since 2014, they have received the Reggie Award eleven times by BATC-Housing First Minnesota. They also received Builder of the Year in 2015 in recognition of their engagement, trade partner satisfaction, and community service.

Robert Thomas Homes in Minneapolis/St. Paul area neighborhoods

Robert Thomas Homes is building in multiple communities in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Some of them include:

Creekside Hill, Plymouth
Enclave at Elm Creek, Plymouth
The Harvest, Chaska
Highcroft of Woodbury, Woodbury
Spirit of Brandtjen Farm, Lakeville
Tributary on Foster Lake, St. Michael

If your building a home with Robert Thomas Homes, consider hiring Good to Go Gutter for professional gutter installation. We install seamless gutters that are custom fit for each home.

We offer free consultations and a quick turn around time. Give us a call today.

D.R. Horton Homes and Gutters

Are you working with D.R. Horton to build your dream house? Have you considered who will be installing your gutters once your home is done?

Most newly built homes don’t include gutter installation as part of the contract. That doesn’t mean that gutters aren’t important for protecting your home from water damage.

Good to Go Gutters is a professional gutter installation company that has installed gutters on countless D.R. Horton homes in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

We have worked many of the home models that D.R. Horton offers and have experience installing gutters that are custom cut for each house.

About D.R. Horton Homes

Founded in 1978, D.R. Horton promised homes that are right for everyone, regardless of their stage of life.

Started in Texas, the company now builds home throughout the United States. Since 2002, they have been the largest homebuilder by volume in the United States.

Their home models are available in a range of price points that fit families to those in retirement.

D.R. Horton is currently working in multiple neighborhoods in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

In the south metro, they are building in

The Ridge, Eagan
Cherry Hill, Lakeville
Madelyn Pointe, Savage

Why Choose Good to Go Gutters?

Good to Go Gutters is a family-run business that believes in doing a good job the first time. We have experience installing gutters on D. R. Horton model homes and would be happy to talk about protecting your new home from rain and water damage.

We use only top-quality, seamless gutters that are custom cut for each home we work on.

We offer free estimates and a quick turnaround for customers. Give us a call today to set up a time for one of our experts to visit your house for a quote so you can protect the new home you’ve built.

6 Questions to Ask Before Installing Gutters

Before you install gutters on your new home, there are questions you should ask your contractor to make sure they are qualified to do a good job and so that you both have a clear idea about how the project will go.

Our top 6 questions to ask

1. Are your gutters “seamless”?

Seamless gutters only have seams at the corners and are installed in a continuous piece.

2. What types of seams does the company use on corners?

Gutter installers commonly use three types of seams. Gutters with fewer seams are less likely to leak over time.

Box Miter: A preformed corner that has three-seams per corner. Often used because they are cheap and don’t require skilled labor.

Strip Miter: Uses two-seams per corner. A separate, thinner strip of aluminum holds each seam together.

Custom Hand Mitered: Skilled gutter installers craft one-seam per corner. It is tight and strong and will last longer.

3. How are gutter secured to the home?

Nails are an older style that goes through the gutter and into the home where it attaches to fascia board and rafters. Screws are more reliable because they don’t pull out over time.

4. Is aluminum better than galvanized gutters?

Galvanized was the standard in the 1980s. Contractors and homeowners today prefer aluminum because it is strong, durable, and doesn’t corrode.

5. What styles are available?

There is a range of gutter styles and colors on the market today. If your contractor doesn’t offer what you are looking for, consider finding a different contractor.

6. Are all worked on the job insured?

Knowing that you are working with a company that carries liability insurance and workmen’s compensation that covered your home and their employees is a huge peace of mind. A company should be able to provide you with documentation that shows they bear responsibility.

Good to Go Gutters

Still have questions about installing gutters on your home? Give Good to Go Gutters a call today. We have years of experience installing gutters on new homes and offer free, on-site quotes.

Will My Builder Install Gutters

Gutters are easy to overlook when building a home. It isn’t uncommon to get near the end of building a new house and wonder “will my builder install gutters?”

Gutter installation is often the responsibility of the homeowner.

The first thing to do

Not sure if your builder will install gutters on your new home? The first thing you should do is take a look at the specifications that were included in your sales contract. Everything that was included in your build will be listed here. It will give you a clear idea of what your builder was responsible for.

And if you still have questions, contact your builder. They’ll be able to quickly answer your questions.

Why weren’t gutters included

Every community and builder is different. In some communities, new builds include front gutters. In others, builders install downspouts. Other communities include a full gutter installation.

A builder might not include gutters for a variety of reasons. Often times they prefer to leave gutter installation to contractors who specialize in gutters.

Installing Gutters

Once you’ve determined that gutter installation wasn’t included in your original contract, contacting a professional is the quickest and easiest way to get gutters added to your home. Of course, there are numerous DIY options. However, the effectiveness and quality of DYI gutter products may suffer.

Also, professionals have the tools required to make gutter installation quick and precise. Seamless gutters are custom cut for your home and are a perfect fit every time.

There are many resources online for finding qualified gutter installation companies in your neighborhood. Do a bit of research to make sure the contractor you select is insured and has positive reviews.

Working with Good to Go Gutters

Good to Go Gutters has been installing gutters on a new home in the south metro area for years. We offer free quotes and quick installation. Give us a call to about installing gutters on your home.

How old are gutters?

Most of us are quite familiar with newer styles of homes. When we think of older homes, we rarely think of whether or not they had gutters. It’s easy to think that gutters are a newer invention, and certainly there have been newer advances in gutters in the last few decades.

Ancient Gutters

The truth is, however, that gutters go back thousands of years. In fact, gutters are so old that we don’t even really know when or by whom they were invented. (We do have historic reason to think that gutters were brought to Britain by the Romans…)

Some of the features of these ancient features seem today like decorative, artistic portions of the buildings. Take the photo below as an example.

Those gargoyle the structures on ancient castles and cathedrals were often part of gutter downspout systems! These helped to redirect water from the roofs of these buildings and redirect the water away from the building. For some more examples, take a look at this blog post.

Why did these enormous buildings of stone need gutters? Haven’t they lasted for thousands of years? Part of why these buildings have lasted so long is because of gutters! Gutters are especially important for buildings of stone and masonry. Without gutters, the water from the roof can drip along the sides of the stone, gradually eroding the mortar that holds the stones together. This can lead to collapse of even the largest, strongest buildings.

A documentary called “Resistance Through The Ages: Mont-Saint-Michel” about the famed Mont-Saint-Michel describes the many stages of construction the mount went through. At one point, a significant portion of the cathedral collapsed, and the documentary suggests that ineffective, dilapidated gutters were in part to blame. Effective gutters are absolutely necessary for these massive stone constructs to last for centuries to come!

Gutters today

Most of you probably don’t live in an ancient castle, though that would be amazing. Still, if those buildings need gutters, you can probably understand that your home needs them too. After all, you want your home and yard to stand the test of time, even if you aren’t worried about what it will look like in a thousand years.

Gutters are very important for your home. They help protect your siding and trim from water damage. Gutters redirect your water to prevent landscaping washout and water damage to your foundation. We can also design your gutters to blend in with your home as seamlessly as possible (unless you want to go the gargoyle downspout route). You may not want to think of the cost of gutters just yet, but consider the potentially greater costs of not having them.

Gutters have lasted for thousands of years. That can only mean one thing – they really matter. Think of other inventions that have lasted that long – wheels, pillows, coffee. These things stand the test of time. Make sure that your house can stand the test of time as well. Call us today for a free gutter estimate!

Does not having gutters make my house look bad?

Some of you may be wondering if gutters are absolutely necessary to make your house look nice. Gutters do sometimes add to a look of completion on your home. Since gutters are so common, a house may look unfinished without them.

The interesting thing about gutters is that when done right, gutters typically blend in to the home and are hardly seen. Our seamless gutters make sure that there are no joints to distract the eye and give them away. We can also match any color to blend in as best as possible with your home. There are some gutters that are intended to stand out and make a statement, but for the most part, well-done gutters blend in to the background and go unnoticed. In that respect, gutters don’t add or detract to your home; they blend in.

Then why bother with gutters? If they aren’t there to improve the aesthetic look, what’s the point?

The real reasons for gutters

Gutters may not be there to improve the aesthetics of your home, but they are there to maintain the look. Without gutters, water will find the path of least resistance to the ground. On the way, it often abuses your trim and siding. This can cause peeling paint, rotting wood, and much more. Below is an example of that kind of problem when you don’t have gutters. This is not what you want your house to look like!

Once off your house and on the ground, the water is not done. Without the strategic direction of gutters, water can wreak havoc on your landscaping near your home. It can cause large puddles, wash out landscaping, and erode hard surfaces like concrete and asphalt. If you look at the photo below, you can see this stamped concrete has experienced significant erosion near the house. Decorative concrete is particularly expensive, and gutters help protect that investment.

Beyond maintaining the look of your home, gutters can play a vital role in protecting your home from water damage. Gutters redirect water away from your home and foundation. Without gutters, all that water can remain close to your home and seep into the ground. When you have that much water near your foundation, it can cause problems in the long run. Problems with your foundation are expensive problems!

Prevent the problems

We want to help you prevent those kinds of costly problems. At Good to Go Gutters, we also want to help you maintain the look of your home so that you can keep the curb appeal going for years to come. Our seamless gutters blend in beautifully with your home. The lack of seams provides a smooth continuous appearance. We also match colors to your trim and siding.

To demonstrate our commitment to the longevity of the look of our gutters, we also offer a no sag, no leak warranty. If you experience either of those problems, we will come and fix them for you so that your home looks great for the long haul.

If you’re ready to take the next step, give us a call and we’ll come tell you about our services and give you a free estimate!

Can I get gutter downspouts that don’t stick out into my yard?

One of the necessary parts of a successful gutter system is downspout. This carries your water from your roofline and directs it away from your home at the ground. Those downspouts can often protrude from your home a few feet. In many circumstances, that poses a problem as that may be within the bounds of a home’s landscaping. This often means your mulch or plants wash out beyond the edging. When you’ve put a lot of time, effort, and money into your landscaping, the last thing you want is for your gutter system to ruin it.

In other circumstances the downspouts extend directly into the lawn. This can be very inconvenient for mowing the lawn. It can also create a tripping hazard for yourself or your children (though if we’re being honest, it’s never the kids who trip over these things.)

In other circumstances, a downspout would dump directly on a sidewalk or in an area otherwise enclosed by a hard surface like a driveway or patio. This can cause problematic pooling of water and damage to your hard surfaces. For those cases, the ideal is to ensure that the water is directed beyond the hard surface and into the lawn.

Downspout options

All these situations have multiple solutions that can help limit the impact of downspouts.

One option is to direct the downspout straight into the ground. This may sound odd when trying to direct water away from the home. In such cases, we install drain tile that would then redirect the water underground away from the home. Directing the downspout underground into drain tile is most typical when there is an area enclosed by a driveway or sidewalk. It is arguably the most discreet option. Below is an example of such an implementation.

In some cases, we can cut the downspout to reach out to the edging of your landscaping as seen below. This method prevents mulch or plant wash-out. Water carries over your landscaping directly to your lawn without the downspout protruding into the lawn. We work with you to create customized solutions for your home and your needs.

Another option is a hinged downspout. These downspouts fold up near the ground to allow you to mow the lawn or navigate your yard without tripping hazards. You’ll just want to make sure to fold them down during rain events. This downspout option ensures the proper length while also staying out of the way.

If you are concerned for how downspouts can be an inconvenience in your yard, don’t be. We can ensure that water carries away from your home while still ensuring that the downspouts are properly placed. Gutters should not be only practical. They also need to fit with the overall aesthetic of your home. Our multiple downspout options give you that perfect balance of practicality and aesthetic fit. If you are building a new home, having these ideas in place before landscaping goes in can be very beneficial. Call us today to discuss your options and get a free estimate!

Does having gutters affect my insurance premium?

One of the main reasons to get gutters is to protect your home from potential water damage. Your roof essentially acts as a funnel that diverts all water to the edge of your home. That excess of water coming down in one place can be damaging to your siding, trim, foundation, landscaping, and more. Gutters take that water and strategically redirect it away from your home to prevent that kind of damage.

As such, we sometimes hear the question above – does having gutters affect my insurance premium? One may guess that having such a protective measure in place on your home could reduce the premium. Conversely, some have guessed that not having gutters in place could increase the premium.

In our experience and to our knowledge, whether or not you have gutters on your home does not impact your homeowner’s insurance. (I think we all wish some gutters could reduce home insurance costs!) Still, we think that you should consider gutters a valuable investment in your home.

Gutters may not save you money on home insurance, but it can save money in other ways down the road. Our seamless gutters help prevent landscaping from washing out. They redirect water from damaging your foundation, which can entail extremely costly repairs. Likewise, gutters can prevent damage to your siding and trim, thus preventing another expense.

All in all, gutters do not change the cost of your home insurance, but they are a form of insurance in themselves.

Insured installers

While we’re talking about insurance, there is something that we would like to add here. Whether you choose us to install gutters or go with another installer, you should always ask and ensure that the installer is an insured business.

Why?

We always strive for safety for our installers whether they are on the ground or up on a ladder. Safety is one of our utmost priorities. Still, the world is a crazy place and accidents do happen. (If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that nothing is ever guaranteed.) If an uninsured installer working on your home is injured, that can end up affecting your home insurance costs.

At Good to Go Gutters, we want to make sure that such costs never end up on your plate. That’s why we are an insured installer. If an accident does happen and someone is injured on the job, those costs stay between us and our insurers. That’s not your responsibility – it’s ours.

When we give potential customers an estimate of gutter costs, we also provide a copy of our insurance policy right off the bat. This lets you know what is our responsibility and what is not. We know we may not be the only ones looking to install your gutters. Others may be in the mix. If they don’t tell you up front like we do, be sure to ask. You don’t want that hidden cost hitting your wallet.

We strive to give you every confidence that we are the right company to put gutters on your home.When you choose an insured gutter installer like us, you have the confidence of knowing what you’re paying for and what you’re not.

How much do seamless gutters cost?

That may seem like the most important question when looking at getting gutters for your home. This is true whether it is a new home, a home you’ve lived in for years, or a home that you’re moving to. In each circumstance, gutters may feel like an expense that you don’t want to pay.

We understand that fully. This expense can seem like an unneeded luxury, especially if you’re looking at all the expenses related to building a new home. We still strongly encourage you to consider gutters as they are an investment in protecting your home from water damage.

Each home is different, so we can’t tell you how much installing gutters will cost for your home. We can say that generally speaking, our seamless gutter installation jobs typically run between $800 and $2,500. That’s a pretty wide range, so we’d like to share some of the variables that affect cost.

Variables

When giving our estimates, we look at a variety of variables to determine the cost of gutters for your home.

Height – the heights that we have to scale to install a gutter span impact the pricing. The lower your rooflines are, the less expansive those spans will be.

Leaf guards – leaf guards are an additional optional component to your seamless gutters. Keep in mind that leaf guards help reduce the maintenance needed for your gutters. That can be well worth the expense!
Design of the home – the layout of the home has an impact on the cost of the gutters. A simpler design with fewer rooflines will require fewer gutter spans and will thus cost less. More elaborate designs that require more corners, downspouts, and overall spans will increase the costs.
Distance – the longer the spans, the greater the cost.
Type of gutter – we offer both five inch and six inch gutters. The benefit of six inch gutters is that they carry 50% more water. This means that there is more water controlled and managed. Six inch gutters cost an average of 25%-30% more than five inch gutters. Five inch gutters tend to be our most popular option.

These are the main variables that we consider when developing a bid for your home. We do our best to tailor the cost to your home as best as possible in order to give you the best bang for your buck. We don’t want you to pay more than the specific cost for your home.

Another component to keep in mind is our gutter warranty. We warranty all our gutter installations with a no sag, no leak warranty for as long as you live in the home. This is an added value that gives you the peace of mind that if a problem develops with any of our gutters, we will be there to help you out with a long-lasting product.

If you’re ready to know more about what gutters would cost for your home, please give us a call! We’re happy to come visit your home, discuss your options, and work out a bid for what gutters would cost for your home.

Do you fix leaky gutters?

In a nutshell, yes, we can fix your leaky gutters!

Every circumstance, of course, is different. Some repairs only require a basic sealant that you can find at your local hardware store. If that is the case, you may not need our help. There are some occasions where it is more cost-effective for the homeowner to do the repair. Don’t let that stop you from calling us if you have questions about leaking gutters. We are ready to discuss the repair and let you know what the options are.

Replacing gutters

In many circumstances, the best way to repair an existing gutter is to replace the segment (or segments) that is leaking. If your gutters are sectional gutters (which may contribute to the leaking), then our gutters would be somewhat different than the existing gutters on your home. We’ll certainly do our best to match pre-existing gutter styles and colors when replacing leaky segments. If we are repairing another installer’s gutters, keep in mind that we can’t guarantee their product.

It may be the case that a prior set of gutters needs to be replaced entirely. If that is the case, we can treat it as essentially a new job. That is sometimes the best option, especially with sectional gutters that are more prone to leaks.

What if our own gutters leak?

We’ve said it before. Seamless gutters are far less prone to leaks. That’s why we specialize with this product – it’s the superior option! With that said, we want you to know that when you have us install gutters on your home, we want to take care of you. We have a no sag, no leak warranty on our gutters for as long as you live in your home! If you already had us install your gutters and you’re having an issue, just give us a call. We’ll take care of it. That’s how confident we are with the product that we sell.

If there is an issue with one of our own gutters, the best fix is usually to replace that segment. Again, if you were the homeowner that purchased our gutters, that will be covered under the warranty! Replacing that segment is the best way to ensure quality. We’ll match the existing colors and style of gutter on any new segments.

It may be tempting to ignore a gutter leak. You may not want to deal with the hassle of it. We understand that. Keep in mind, however, what gutters are trying to do – keep water away from your home. A leaky gutter can concentrate a fall of water in one place. This can quickly become problematic for your home. Don’t wait until you have water damage of some sort! Whether or not we installed your gutters, we want to be the ones you call for any gutter repairs. It would be important on our homes, so it is important on your home. Give us a call today with any gutter repair questions you have or for a free gutter estimate!