French Quarter Gutters
Gutters for the French Quarter, Done the Right Way
Historic homes deserve gutters that protect them without changing their character. We're a licensed contractor that handles your Vieux Carré Commission permit and installs copper and galvanized half-round gutters that meet the VCC guidelines.
Vieux Carré Commission
The French Quarter Has Its Own Rules. We Know Them.
The French Quarter is protected by the Vieux Carré Commission (VCC). Any exterior work on any building in the Quarter — old or new — needs a VCC permit before work starts, even if it can't be seen from the street. That includes gutters and downspouts. Work done without the right permit can lead to stop-work orders, violations, and having to tear out and redo the job.
Our Process
Licensed Contractor. Permits Handled for You.
As a licensed contractor, we take care of the paperwork so you don't have to.
Site visit & photos
We document your home and the existing roof edge.
Plans & materials
We prepare the gutter and downspout layout, materials, and finish to match the VCC guidelines.
Permit application
We apply through the City of New Orleans One Stop system for the VCC permit and any other city permits needed, and pick up the approved permit.
Installation
We install exactly what was approved, then do a final walk-through with you.
VCC-Approved Materials
Copper & Galvanized Half-Round: The Historic Look
The VCC guidelines call for half-round gutters in copper or galvanized metal, with plain round or rectangular downspouts. Modern K-style gutters with corrugated downspouts are considered visually obtrusive and not appropriate in the Vieux Carré. That's why we install only historic-style systems in the Quarter.
PremiumCopper Half-Round Gutters
- The longest-lasting gutter metal
- Ages to a natural patina that suits historic architecture
- Hand-formed corners and custom brackets
- Matches original copper details
Classic ValueGalvanized Steel Half-Round Gutters
- Authentic historic look at a lower cost than copper
- Strong steel that resists denting better than aluminum
- Downspouts can be painted to match the building
- Long-lasting coated steel
We do not install K-style or vinyl gutters in the French Quarter.
Historic Character
Protecting Your Home Without Changing Its Character
- We keep existing eave conditions and roof lines intact
- We reproduce historic brackets, straps, and moldings when needed
- We repair or replace rotted wood eave trim before installing gutters
- We keep decorative cast iron downspout boots in place
- Downspouts are mounted neatly to the building, never to gallery posts or columns
- We use matching metals to avoid corrosion between different metals
- Clean, careful work sites on narrow Quarter streets and sidewalks
Why It Matters
Little or No Overhang Means Water Goes Straight to Your Walls
Many Creole cottages, townhouses, and shotgun houses in New Orleans were built right up to the sidewalk or close to the neighbor, with little or no roof overhang. Many French Quarter buildings were never designed with gutters at all. Without gutters, rain pours straight off the roof edge and runs down the walls, splashes back onto the siding, stucco, and brick, and soaks the ground right at the foundation.
On a home with no overhang, gutters aren't an extra. They're the main protection your home has against New Orleans rain.
Protects walls
Keeps water off historic wood siding, stucco, and soft old brick
Protects foundations & piers
Moves water away from the base of the house instead of soaking the soil
Stops rising damp
Soaked soil pulls moisture up into walls, causing peeling paint, crumbling plaster, and mold
Keeps termites away
Termites love wet wood and damp soil — good drainage takes that away
Our Work
Historic Homes We've Protected
Copper half-round gutters on a Creole townhouse
Galvanized half-round gutters on a shotgun house
Before: water staining from a missing gutter
After: new half-round gutter and round downspout
Hand-formed copper corner detail
Downspout with original cast iron boot preserved
Gutter installed on a cottage with no overhang
Clean finish that respects the home's character
Common Questions
French Quarter Gutter FAQ
Ready to Get Started?
Protect Your Historic Home the Right Way
Free estimate, permits handled, and gutters that fit your home's history.