The short answer
uPVC is the common choice: light, easy to cut and fit, and made in a wide range of fittings. Aluminium is stiffer and stronger, takes a painted finish and can be formed as one continuous run, but costs more to buy and fit. Both work well when properly installed with the right falls, brackets and outlets, so the choice rests on looks, budget and how the house is built.
What each material is like
uPVC is a rigid plastic. It is light, cheap to make and sold in standard lengths and fittings that clip together with rubber seals. A roofer can cut and fit it quickly, and the parts are easy to find, which keeps repairs simple. It does not rust and needs no painting.
Its weaknesses are in how it ages. Sunlight can fade and chalk the surface over years, white becomes dull and brittle, and cold makes it more fragile. It expands and contracts with temperature more than metal, so long runs need joints that allow movement, and the seals at those joints perish over time.
Aluminium is a metal. It is strong for its weight, stays rigid across long spans and keeps its shape in sun and frost. It is made in a range of factory-applied colours, and it can be repainted. It does not rust in the way iron does, and its surface forms a thin oxide layer that protects it.
Its drawbacks are cost and handling. Aluminium sections and fittings are dearer than plastic, and a gutter made of it dents if it is knocked or if a ladder is leant on it. Fitting needs more skill, and a poor installation shows at the joints.
Both are widely used on homes in north-east Hampshire and west Surrey, and neither is a wrong choice in itself.
Joints, falls and continuous runs
Most gutter leaks occur at joints, so the number and quality of joints counts. Standard gutters in either material come in lengths of a few metres, joined with unions or clips and sealed with rubber or sealant. Over a long run there are several joints, each a place for a seal to fail.
Continuous-run aluminium guttering is formed on site from a coil of metal by a machine that rolls a single length to the exact size of the run. It has joints only at corners and outlets, which reduces leak points. It also suits long elevations where a plain run would need many unions.
Whatever the material, the fall matters more than most owners realise. Brett Martin suggests 1 mm for every 600 mm of gutter, a slope too slight to see but enough to carry water to the outlet. A gutter set level, or that has sagged between brackets, will hold water, overflow and rot the fascia behind.
Brackets are a second factor. They must be spaced closely enough to carry the gutter and the weight of water and debris, and fixed to sound timber or masonry. Plastic that is poorly supported bows, and aluminium that is poorly supported twists.
BS EN 12056-3 is the standard that governs roof drainage design generally, and a roofer sizes the gutter and outlets for the area of roof draining into them.
Cost, life and repair
Cost follows material and complexity. MyJobQuote gives gutter replacement at around £1,000 to £1,600 (MyJobQuote, Oct 2026), a typical UK headline range for a whole house. Aluminium usually sits higher than uPVC for the same run, and a continuous formed run sits higher again. Access, scaffold, the length of run, the number of corners and the state of the fascia behind all shift the price.
Life is harder to pin down. The one published life we can point to is for uPVC fascias: a retailer's range of between 20 and 40 years, from a party with an interest in selling them. Any figure you are quoted for gutters of either material should be treated as an estimate. In practice a well-fitted gutter of either kind can last for decades, while a badly fitted one fails in a few years.
Repair differs. A uPVC gutter is mended by replacing a union, a section or a bracket, and parts are cheap and standard. An aluminium gutter can be repaired with sealant and patches, but replacing a section may mean matching an unusual profile, and a continuous run cannot be unpicked, so a damaged section means cutting a new length.
Our page on what decides the cost of a gutter repair explains how the price is built up.
Choosing for your house
Start with the building. A modern house with uPVC fascias and soffits suits uPVC guttering without fuss. A period house, or one where a metal look is part of the character, may suit aluminium, and in a conservation area the planning team may want the original material kept. Check the planning position before you change the appearance of the roofline, because some Article 4 directions cover it.
Then think about the run. A long, straight run with few corners is where a continuous aluminium run earns its price. A short, simple run on an outbuilding is a good candidate for uPVC. Complicated runs with many angles are easier to deal with in standard sections.
Consider upkeep. uPVC wants a wash occasionally and clearing of leaves, like any gutter. Aluminium wants the same, and a repaint every so often if it is painted on site.
On the survey we measure the run, check the fascia and brackets, note the falls and the outlets and photograph the existing gutter. You see the evidence, we explain the options and what each would cost relative to the other, and we recommend what suits your house. Our figure is one total, in writing.
The gutters, soffits and fascias hub covers the whole roofline.
