What Georgia licenses
Georgia's State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors lists "Gutters and Downspouts" among the traditional specialty trades. In the Secretary of State's words, under O.C.G.A. § 43-41-17, specialty contractors "do not have to hold a license as a residential or general contractor if they are performing work within their specialty." They still have to follow the building codes and local ordinances.
So a gutter installer working only on gutters needs no state contractor license, and there is no state license number to look up. A company that takes on work beyond its specialty, such as general remodeling, may need a residential contractor license for that part; ask what license covers it.
What to check instead
- Liability insurance. Ask for a certificate naming the insurer and the dates. Someone falling from a ladder on your property is the risk that matters most in this trade.
- A local business license from the city or county where the company operates.
- A written quote with material, size, linear feet, downspouts, hangers, fascia, guards, hauling and the price.
- The payment schedule. For a cleaning or a small repair, ask whether payment is due on completion. For new gutters, ask what the deposit pays for.
- The warranty in writing: on the work, on the materials, on guards, and whether it passes to a buyer of the house.
Sales at your home
If you buy gutters or guards at your home for $25 or more, the Federal Trade Commission's Cooling-Off Rule gives you until midnight of the third business day after the sale to cancel, and the seller has to hand you a cancellation form. There are exceptions, among them repairs you called the seller out to make.
Older houses
On homes built before 1978, replacing more than 20 square feet of painted fascia or trim is work under the EPA's lead-safe rule, done by a certified firm. Ask before the work is scheduled.