Gutters are a small item on a wildfire-hardening list, but they sit where embers land most often: the roof edge, in a trough full of dry pine needles. Both the state and the city have now written gutter material into code. This article explains what applies now, what may apply soon, and how to buy gutters in the Hillside Overlay, Black Forest, Woodmoor or Woodland Park without guessing. It is general information, not legal advice.
Colorado Springs Gutter Installation is a free quote service. We connect Colorado Springs-area homeowners with independent local gutter installation, guard and repair companies for free, no-obligation quotes. This article is general information, not legal advice.
Two fires, one summer apart
The Waldo Canyon Fire was spotted June 23, 2012 and burned 18,247 acres. On June 26 it ran house to house through Mountain Shadows on the city's northwest side, destroying 346 homes; two people died, more than 32,000 were evacuated from Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs and Woodland Park, and the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association put insurance losses at $453.7 million.
The Black Forest Fire started June 11, 2013 near Highway 83 and Shoup Road and burned 14,280 acres of five-acre ponderosa lots. Sources differ on the house count: 511 homes destroyed in the commonly cited figure, 486 destroyed and 37 damaged in the El Paso County Assessor's count, with assessor damage of about $85.4 million. Two people died and about 38,000 were evacuated. The gutters on a rebuilt Black Forest home catch the same needles that fed the fire.
What the 2025 state code says
The Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (CWRC, 8 CCR 1507-39) was established in July 2025. Per the implementation summaries we reviewed, WUI jurisdictions were to adopt it by April 1, 2026 and comply by July 1, 2026; a 2026 bill, HB26-1334, proposed moving adoption to April 1, 2027, and we could not confirm whether it passed. The gutter language sits in the Class 1 hardening measures, the ones that apply at the lowest hazard tier: "Gutters and downspouts shall be constructed of noncombustible material." The same tier requires a Class A roof covering and noncombustible, hard-surface materials within five feet of the house. Class 2, for moderate and high hazard, adds noncombustible protection on the underside of eaves and soffits. None of the summaries we found mention gutter guards.
The local caveat matters. As of our research in October 2026 we could not confirm that Colorado Springs, El Paso County or Teller County had adopted the CWRC. The Colorado Springs Fire Marshal presented an early draft of an updated city wildfire code at a March 2026 council work session, but we found no record of adoption. So the honest statement today is: the state code calls for noncombustible gutters and downspouts in WUI areas; local adoption is in progress; ask CSFD, PPRBD or your county building division what applies to your parcel before you sign a quote.
What Colorado Springs already required
The city did not wait for the state. Its Hillside Overlay ordinance dates to 1996 (now Unified Development Code 7.2.610), and a 2012 update added hardened-structure features including roof coverings. Fire Code Appendix K, Wildland Urban Interface Requirements (Ordinance 23-14), applies to dwellings built or rebuilt after January 15, 2013 inside the WUI and, per the summaries we reviewed, requires noncombustible gutters and downspouts installed with a metal drip edge so no wood sheathing is exposed; we could not open the ordinance text itself, so confirm the wording with CSFD, whose mitigation program also lists "covering gutters" among its hardening steps. In short, if you are rebuilding or building new in Mountain Shadows or anywhere in the Hillside Overlay, metal gutters with drip edge have been the rule for a decade.
Which materials qualify, and what they cost
Aluminum, steel and copper are metals; vinyl is plastic. The three metals are what installers use to meet a noncombustible requirement, and the choice between them is about hail, budget and appearance. Typical ranges from HomeAdvisor (2026), Fixr (2025) and a Colorado Springs cost directory (2025), estimates, not quotes:
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Seamless aluminum gutters, installed, per linear foot | $4–$9 (HomeAdvisor) to $7–$13 (Fixr); Colorado Springs directory $5.80–$10.20 |
| Steel (galvanized/galvalume), per ft | $7–$12 |
| Copper, per ft | $15–$32 |
| Gutter guards, installed, per ft | $6–$13 (avg about $9); premium branded systems $15–$45 |
The code does not require guards, but an open gutter under ponderosa pines in Black Forest, Woodmoor, Gleneagle or Woodland Park fills with needles every season, and dry needles at the roof edge are what embers are looking for. A metal mesh guard keeps the trough empty; a foam or plastic insert adds fuel. The gutter guards page compares the types and the seamless gutter installation page covers the metals.
What the HOA can and cannot say
Many of the neighbourhoods most exposed to wildfire are covenant-controlled; Woodmoor's Architectural Control Committee, for example, requires approval for "any modification to the exterior of your residence." Colorado's Common Interest Ownership Act answers the fire question directly. CRS 38-33.3-106.5 says an association shall not require cedar shakes or other flammable roofing (subsection 2), and subsection (3)(a) provides that any covenant, bylaw or rule in effect on March 12, 2024 "that prohibits the installation, use, or maintenance of fire-hardened building materials on a unit owner's property is void and unenforceable"; (3)(b) adds that on and after that date an association shall not prohibit them. "Fire-hardened building materials" are defined by reference to the ignition-resistant construction criteria of the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (sections 504 to 506) and NFPA 1140.
One limit: the statute's carve-out for reasonable appearance standards is written for fencing, and nothing in it protects gutter colour or profile as such, so HOAs can still enforce colour and style rules. Submit the application, cite the statute if the board balks at metal, and read your covenants. This is general information, not legal advice; a Colorado HOA attorney can advise on a specific denial.
What to ask an installer in a WUI area
- Material and gauge in writing (aluminum, steel or copper), with the manufacturer's documentation if an inspector will ask.
- Metal drip edge at eaves and rakes so no wood sheathing is exposed behind the gutter.
- Downspout discharge at least five feet from the foundation (Colorado Geological Survey guidance), with no plastic extensions lying in the five-foot noncombustible zone.
- Proof of liability insurance and workers' comp, an itemized written quote, and the warranty terms in writing. If the gutters go on with a re-roof, the contractor's PPRBD D-1 roofing license number and permit (see the permit guide).
Frequently asked questions
Are vinyl gutters allowed in Colorado Springs wildfire zones?
Under the state's 2025 Wildfire Resiliency Code, Class 1 hardening says gutters and downspouts shall be constructed of noncombustible material, which vinyl is not. Whether that rule applies at your address depends on local adoption, which we could not confirm for Colorado Springs, El Paso County or Teller County. The city's own WUI appendix has required noncombustible gutters on post-2013 homes. Ask CSFD or PPRBD before buying.
Can my HOA stop me from installing metal gutters or metal gutter guards?
Colorado's Common Interest Ownership Act, CRS 38-33.3-106.5(3), says that on and after March 12, 2024 an association shall not prohibit the installation, use or maintenance of fire-hardened building materials on a unit owner's property, and voids older covenants that did. HOAs can still enforce colour and architectural-review rules, so submit the request and check the covenants. This is general information, not legal advice.
Do gutter guards count as wildfire hardening?
The code summaries we reviewed do not mention gutter guards, so they are not a listed requirement. Fire officials do list covering gutters among hardening steps, because dry needles and leaves in an open gutter are a fuel bed at the roof edge. A metal guard keeps that debris out; a plastic one adds fuel. Ask for a metal mesh or screen product and get its material in writing.
Which gutter materials are noncombustible?
Aluminum, galvanized or galvalume steel and copper are the materials installers use to meet a noncombustible requirement. A Colorado Roofing Association advisory notes that material conforming to ASTM E136 is considered noncombustible under the state code. Ask the installer to state the material, gauge and drip edge detail on the written quote, and ask for the manufacturer's documentation if a code official will inspect.
Get quotes for metal gutters and guards
Whether you are in the Hillside Overlay, on five acres in Black Forest or up the pass in Woodland Park, a free, no-obligation quote request takes about a minute. Say that you want noncombustible materials and metal guards priced. We usually reply the same day. You can also call: Call (727) 300-6656.