Vinyl doesn’t rust, rot, or require a finish, but it can become brittle over the years and crack when the weather is particularly cold. Colors are more limited: White and brown are the most common. Dark tones of vinyl tend to degrade from exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Vinyl sectional gutters are relatively inexpensive at $3 to $5 per 10-foot length, but you must factor in the cost of fittings, which push the overall price per lineal foot to about $3 to $5.

Sectional aluminum gutters come in over 25 different colors; if you're looking to match a particular color of siding or trim, you may have the best success with these.

Sectional galvanized sheet metal gutters are another option. Says one sheet metal manufacturer in California, "Before the last five years, most people chose galvanized gutters, which had to be painted. As a sheet metal contractor, I still prefer to do [sheet] metal products. Aluminum doesn’t hold up substantially to a metal product. Even so, we do mostly aluminum because that’s what people want."

Galvanized steel gutters may be professionally installed or purchased from home improvement centers as do-it-yourself systems—but the components must be soldered together, a challenge for the novice. Despite the galvanized finish, if water stands in the troughs, the gutter will eventually rust. And they must be painted.

Suggests the sheet metal manufacturer, “Get bonderized steel gutters—they’re pre-etched, so you just need to get a good red oxidized primer and a high-quality paint. Be sure to get the chemical residues off before painting—wipe it down with a vinegar wash or a galvanized wash, available in hardware stores.” Installed, galvanized steel gutters cost from $5.50 to $10 per lineal foot.