The Brothers That Just Do Gutters · Buckhead & West Atlanta
Atlanta Historic District Gutters: A Guide for Decatur, Druid Hills, Grant Park and Marietta
New gutters on an old house can draw a second look from a preservation commission. Here is what the local documents say and how we help you prepare photos and specs.
- Half-Round and Copper
- Photos and Specs for Your File
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Historic Homes
Owned by Matthew Prewett
- Profiles chosen to match the original
- Downspouts placed where they are least seen
- Soft fascia replaced before new gutters go up
- Written spec and estimate at no charge
Quick answer
Gutters on a historic home in Atlanta, Decatur or Druid Hills: Preservation review usually cares about the gutter’s profile, where it sits, what it is made of and how much the downspouts show. DeKalb County’s Druid Hills Design Manual asks that working gutters and downspouts keep their original appearance and location, and Decatur’s Historic Preservation Commission has heard gutter applications. Matthew Prewett’s crews give you photos and a written spec to support your application. Call (770) 213-1621 or book online.
Old Houses, New Gutters
Why gutters get a second look on a historic house
Gutters trace the whole roof edge, and downspouts climb the walls from eave to ground. On a 1920s bungalow or a Victorian with a deep porch, both are part of what people see from the street.
Our crews work in several of the oldest neighborhoods in metro Atlanta. Druid Hills, the Olmsted-designed suburb along the Ponce de Leon parkways, became a National Register historic district in 1979. Grant Park joined the Register the same year, and together with Inman Park it holds the largest remaining stretch of Victorian architecture in Atlanta. Decatur has its bungalow streets and the MAK Historic District, and Marietta has the Church and Cherokee Street district near the Square.
The rules are not the same everywhere, and we do not pretend to know every one. Where we have a published source, we quote it below. Everywhere else, the first call should be to your city or county preservation staff. Our job is the gutter side: matching what was there, documenting it well and installing exactly what gets approved.
Book a Free WalkthroughWhat review tends to focus on
- The profile: half-round, K-style or something original
- Where the gutter and each downspout sit
- The metal and its finish
- How much the downspouts show from the street
- Whether original trim or details get covered
From the Source Documents
What local preservation documents say about gutters
Four points from published DeKalb County and City of Decatur documents, as cited in our October 2026 research.
- Druid Hills Design Manual
- Section 6.1.7DeKalb County’s design manual for Druid Hills gives gutters and downspouts a section of their own.
- Appearance and location
- Keep the originalThe manual says: “Gutters and downspouts should be maintained in their original appearance and location if functioning properly.”
- Downspouts
- Minimal visual disruptionThe same section asks that new downspouts be placed “to create minimal visual disruption.”
- Decatur
- Gutter applicationsThe City of Decatur Historic Preservation Commission has had gutter applications in its meeting packets.
- Our recommendation
- Our recommendation:Before you change the profile, the metal or where a downspout lands, ask your city or county preservation staff if your house needs review, and bring photos and specs to that conversation.
Sources: DeKalb County, Druid Hills Design Manual, section 6.1.7, Gutters (dekalbcountyga.gov); City of Decatur Historic Preservation Commission meeting packets (decaturga.com). We have not quoted rules for Grant Park, Inman Park or Marietta because we have no published gutter guidance from those districts to cite.
District by District
Historic Atlanta areas we serve, and where to start in each
When in doubt, the local preservation office has the final word.
Large older homes with long eaves under big hardwoods. The county design manual covers gutters directly, so match the original look and keep downspouts discreet.
See the area page DecaturBungalows in Oakhurst and Winnona Park and older homes in the MAK Historic District. The preservation commission has heard gutter applications, so check with the city first.
See the area page Grant Park and Inman ParkVictorians, cottages and Craftsman bungalows. Ask City of Atlanta preservation staff if your house needs review before the profile or metal changes.
See the area page MariettaQueen Anne, Folk Victorian and Craftsman houses near the Square. Ask the City of Marietta about review for homes in its historic districts.
See the area page Copper GuttersMade at your house, with hangers and downspouts in matching copper. A classic on historic houses, and it weathers to a patina instead of needing paint.
Learn more Half-Round and K-StyleCompare the two profiles side by side, including the round downspouts that go with half-round.
Learn moreWhat Gets Looked At
Four things a historic gutter plan should get right
If the house was built with half-round, a new half-round run keeps the line it was designed with. We look for old hangers, photos and paint ghosts to figure out what was there.
Gutters and downspouts that stay where the originals were are the easiest change to explain. Moving one should have a clear drainage reason behind it.
Copper is the traditional pick on many older homes, but it is not the only answer. We will show you the metals that suit the house and the budget.
Downspouts set at back corners or tucked into inside corners, and kept off the front where the drainage allows, leave the street view clean.
Profile and Metal
Half-round and copper: when they suit a historic house
On houses built before the 1940s, half-round is often the profile that matches the period. Its open, rounded trough sits in cradle hangers with a clip over the front edge, and it pairs with round downspouts, either corrugated or smooth. We make it in 5 or 6 inch, and it can be bent as a radius gutter to follow a turret or a curved bay.
Copper is the material many historic homeowners ask about first. It goes up bright, darkens to brown and weathers instead of needing paint, and a smooth round downspout is made only in copper. Where copper is more than a job calls for, your Solutionist can price other metals from our specialty materials, including Galvalume and galvanized steel.
None of it works on rotten wood. Older eaves in these neighborhoods often hide soft board behind the old gutter, so we check it and replace it through our fascia board service before anything new is hung. Where a downspout has to stay out of sight, underground drainage can carry the water off without a long extension across the lawn.
What goes in your spec packet
- Photos of every side of the house and the existing gutters
- Close-ups of the old profile, hangers and downspouts
- Proposed profile, size and metal in writing
- Downspout size, shape and locations marked on a photo
- Notes on any fascia or trim we would replace
Your Application
How we help you prepare for historic review
- 1Walk and photograph
A Solutionist walks the house with you and photographs every elevation, the old gutter profile and each downspout.
- 2Write the spec
You get the profile, size, metal, hangers and downspout plan in writing, plus a free estimate for the work.
- 3You apply
You or your architect submit the application. We do not file it for you, and approval is up to the reviewing body.
- 4Install what was approved
Once you have the go-ahead, our crew installs the system as approved and shows you every outlet draining.
The Work
Porch rooflines and finished gutter lines from our crews
Reviews
What Atlanta Homeowners Say
“Matthew is a complete professional. Great service. Competitive pricing. Highly recommend.”
Posted on Google“Everything was very smooth from the beginning to the end. It was very easy to schedule someone to come out and get a quote for gutter guards. I was able to schedule the installation the following week. Matthew also kept me updated throughout the whole process. Communication was great !”
Posted on Google“I highly recommend Brothers Gutters. The process is straight forward; quote, schedule, install. I was wait listed for a sooner installation and got it. I discovered a small omission after the fact and a crew stopped by the next day to take care of it. Very accommodating! I’m a happy customer.”
Posted on GoogleHistoric District Gutter Questions from Atlanta Homeowners
It depends on your house and district, so check with the City of Decatur before you change the profile, the metal or the downspout locations. Its Historic Preservation Commission has heard gutter applications. We can give you photos and a written spec to bring to that conversation, at no charge.
DeKalb County’s Druid Hills Design Manual covers gutters in section 6.1.7. It says gutters and downspouts should be maintained in their original appearance and location if they are functioning properly, and that new downspouts should be placed to create minimal visual disruption. In practice that means matching the original profile and keeping downspouts where they are least seen.
Yes. In both places our crews handle cleanings, leak and sag repairs, fascia replacement and new seamless gutters, copper and half-round systems included. The franchise belongs to Matthew Prewett, and his team works out of the Thornton Road shop in Lithia Springs. Every estimate is free and written.
Often, yes. Half-round with round downspouts matches the look of many houses built before the 1940s, and copper weathers to brown instead of needing paint. It is not right for every house or budget, though, and your Solutionist will tell you when another metal or K-style is the better fit.
No. You or your architect file it, and the decision belongs to the commission or preservation staff, so we cannot promise approval. What we can do is photograph the existing gutters, write up the proposed profile, size, metal and downspout locations, and then install exactly what is approved.
Yes, both are in our service area. Grant Park and Inman Park together hold the largest remaining stretch of Victorian architecture in Atlanta, and many of the houses are cottages and Craftsman bungalows. Ask City of Atlanta preservation staff if your house needs review, and we will help with photos and specs.
Service area
Buckhead and West Atlanta communities we serve
Every community on this list is inside our service area and gets the same local crew, seamless gutters formed on site and free written estimates. Call (770) 213-1621 or request a free quote and a Solutionist will come out.
- Acworth
- Austell
- Avondale Estates
- Brookhaven
- Brooks
- Buckhead
- Cartersville
- Chamblee
- Clarkston
- Dallas
- Decatur
- Doraville
- Douglasville
- Downtown Atlanta
- Druid Hills
- Dunwoody
- East Atlanta
- Emerson
- Experiment
- Fairburn
- Fairmount
- Fayetteville
- Grant Park
- Griffin
- Hampton
- Haralson
- Hiram
- Inman Park
- Kennesaw
- Kirkwood
- Lithia Springs
- Mableton
- Marietta
- Midtown
- Newnan
- Northlake
- Palmetto
- Peachtree City
- Powder Springs
- Rydal
- Sandy Springs
- Scottdale
- Senoia
- Sharpsburg
- Smyrna
- Tyrone
- Vinings
- Virginia-Highland
- West Atlanta
- West Midtown
- White
- Winston
Free walkthrough
Planning gutter work on a historic house?
A Solutionist will photograph what is there now, match the profile and metal to the house and give you a written spec and estimate to take into review. No charge, and no pressure.
Historic home gutters in Decatur, Druid Hills, Grant Park, Inman Park and Marietta · A Lithia Springs crew led by owner Matthew Prewett · (770) 213-1621
Locally Owned in Lithia Springs, GA · A+ Rated by the BBB