Updated November 9, 2026
Best Gutter Companies in Montclair, NJ: How to Compare Installers
Montclair's pre-war roofs, dense canopy and hillside lots punish weak gutter systems. This guide compares contractors that publish a Montclair or Essex service area and list an NJ home improvement contractor number on their own sites — credentials and scope only, no invented ratings or prices.
Short answer
Start with firms that put an NJ HIC number on the contract and an itemized written estimate in your hand. Four that name Montclair or Essex and publish a registration on their own sites are NJ Home Maintenance Services, Lightning Construction, ProLine NJ and US1 Gutter. Verify each number yourself. No company paid to be listed, and we don't publish ratings or prices.
How we compared them
| Criterion | Why it matters in Montclair |
|---|---|
| NJ home improvement contractor registration on the contract | Paid residential home-improvement work in New Jersey generally requires a registered contractor. The number belongs on the written contract, and you can look it up with the Division of Consumer Affairs. |
| Written, itemized estimate before work starts | Separates cleaning from repair from full replacement, and shows whether fascia, hangers, outlets and downspout extensions are included. |
| Material and profile named (5- or 6-inch, K-style or half-round, aluminum or copper) | Montclair's older and historic-district roofs often need a profile that matches the house, not just the cheapest sectional trough. |
| Pitch, hanger spacing and outlet count explained | Overflow on Watchung-slope lots is often undersized troughs or too few downspouts, not just leaves. |
| Historic-district and permit path stated when it applies | The NJ UCC treats gutter and leader work as ordinary maintenance (no permit), but a change in exterior appearance on a Montclair landmark or historic-district house needs a Certificate of Appropriateness. Ask before the crew arrives. |
| Cleaning vs. buried-line scope split | A clear gutter that still backs up usually means the underground drain needs its own camera or jetting scope. |
Companies compared
| Company | Stated credentials | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| NJ Home Maintenance Services | Family-owned since July 2012; NJHIC 13VH07616300 listed on its Montclair page; cleaning plans from two to five visits a year | Homes that need cleaning plus buried downspout diagnostics from one company |
| Lightning Construction | Veteran-owned; GAF-certified; NJ HIC 13VH12437000; says nothing is due up front and it does not write change orders; says it handles historic-district review | Full replacements where you want the HIC number and historic-district steps spelled out up front |
| ProLine NJ (Proline Construction) | Family-owned since 2018; BBB accredited (per its site); GAF Preferred Contractor; NJ Division of Consumer Affairs license 13VH09838700 listed on the Montclair page | Older Victorian and Colonial rooflines that need custom-fabricated seamless runs |
| US1 Gutter LLC | Family-owned; says more than 20 years in New Jersey; Home Improvement Contractor license #13VH11599800 (NJ) listed on its site; also lists a Pennsylvania license | Essex County homes that want a gutter-focused shop with a published NJ HIC number |
NJ Home Maintenance Services
Butler, NJ; publishes a Montclair service-area page for Essex County
NJ Home Maintenance Services has a Montclair-specific page that covers gutter cleaning, repair, seamless installation and underground drain work. It lists New Jersey home improvement contractor registration NJHIC 13VH07616300, says it has served Northern New Jersey since July 2012, and treats cleaning and buried-line work as separate scopes. That split matters on tree-heavy Montclair lots where a clear trough still backs up because the underground line is crushed or rooted. The page also names the guard products it installs (Champion Micro-Mesh, Shur Flo and drop-in mesh screens) and says guards are never sold as maintenance free, which is the honest framing. Ask for the registration number on the written contract and for before-and-after photos of any cleaning visit.
Services (as published): Gutter cleaning, repairs, seamless aluminum or copper installation (5 or 6 inch, K-style or half round), gutter guards/screens, fascia and soffit repair, underground drain cleaning with camera/hydro jetting
Lightning Construction
Manalapan, NJ; publishes a Montclair gutters page covering Essex County neighborhoods including Upper Montclair and Watchung Plaza
Lightning Construction publishes a Montclair gutters page that names Church Street, Frog Hollow, South End, Upper Montclair and Watchung Plaza, lists HIC 13VH12437000, and says it is GAF-certified and veteran-owned. It says nothing is due up front, that it does not write change orders, and that it handles historic-district review. One point to raise with it: the page says gutter work in Montclair is permitted by the township's construction office, but New Jersey's Uniform Construction Code lists the repair, replacement or installation of exterior gutters and leaders as ordinary maintenance that needs no permit (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7). Ask what permit, if any, it would pull for your job and why. We are deliberately not repeating the price range or review figures from its page; get a written, itemized estimate for your house and confirm the registration in the Division of Consumer Affairs lookup.
Services (as published): Gutter installation and repair, with a free inspection and an itemized written estimate, as described on its Montclair page
ProLine NJ (Proline Construction)
Ridgefield, NJ; publishes a Montclair seamless-gutter installation page
ProLine's Montclair page focuses on seamless gutters fabricated on site for complex older roofs, lists license number 13VH09838700, and says it is a GAF Preferred Contractor and BBB accredited. It notes that a like-for-like gutter replacement typically does not need a permit under the NJ Uniform Construction Code, but historic-district properties can add a step — and it says it will flag that in the consultation. It also says every job carries a warranty on labor and materials and points homeowners to newjersey.mylicense.com to check a registration. Verify the number yourself before you sign, ask for the warranty in writing, and ask whether fascia repair is in the same bid or a separate line.
Services (as published): Seamless gutter installation fabricated on site, repairs, leak fixes, clog removal, emergency service; fascia, soffit and related roofline work when needed
US1 Gutter LLC
Wayne, NJ (Passaic); Essex County list on its service-area page includes Montclair
US1 Gutter lists Montclair among its Essex County towns and publishes NJ license #13VH11599800 on its site. Its service menu covers installation, repair, cleaning, guards, and soffit/fascia work in aluminum or copper. It does not publish a Montclair-specific landing page the way the other three do, so confirm travel/scheduling for your street when you call. The site says it serves four counties in North and Central New Jersey (Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic) and also lists a Pennsylvania registration, PA190838. As with every firm here, we did not verify the license in the state database for this article — look it up before you hire.
Services (as published): Gutter installation, repair, cleaning, soffit and fascia repair, gutter guard installation, commercial services; seamless aluminum and copper
NJ rules that belong on every bid
Under the Contractors' Registration Act, every home-improvement contract over $500, and every change to it, has to be in writing and signed. The contract must give the contractor's legal name, business address and registration number, include a copy of its commercial general liability insurance certificate with the insurer's phone number, and state the total price including any finance charges (N.J.S.A. 56:8-151). It must also carry a bold notice that you can cancel for any reason before midnight of the third business day after you receive a copy, by registered or certified mail or by personal delivery, with any money refunded within 30 days. Ask for that paperwork before anyone climbs a ladder, and look up the registration at the Division of Consumer Affairs before you pay a deposit.
Permits and historic districts
Gutters are one of the few exterior jobs New Jersey treats as ordinary maintenance. N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7 lists "the repair, replacement, or installation of exterior gutters and leaders" among items that need no permit, inspection or notice to the local construction office, though the work must still comply with the code. If a bid includes a permit fee for a straight gutter job, ask what the permit is for. Related work can be different: structural repairs or changes to how stormwater leaves the property may raise other questions, so ask the township Building Office if the scope goes beyond the gutters themselves.
Montclair's historic rules are separate from the construction code. The township says a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission is required for a change in exterior elevation or any improvement by addition, alteration or replacement on a Local Historic Landmark or a property in a Local Historic District (Montclair Code § 347-136), while repair or exact replacement that does not alter the exterior appearance does not need one, nor do changes not visible to the public. Swapping old half-round gutters for K-style, or wood for aluminum, may count as a change in appearance. Check with Planning & Community Development before you sign if your house is a landmark or in a historic district.
Related cost context (not a company ranking): our gutter cleaning and replacement cost guide covers what usually drives the number on older Montclair roofs.
Hiring checklist
- Get the NJ HIC number and verify it yourself before you pay a deposit.
- Require an itemized written estimate: linear feet, profile, material, hangers, outlets, downspouts, fascia.
- Ask whether historic-district review or a permit applies to your address.
- Separate cleaning, repair and full replacement scopes so you are not sold a replacement for a clog.
- If water still backs up after a cleaning, ask for a camera look at the buried line.
- Confirm who removes debris and who is responsible for lawn or driveway protection.
FAQ
Who is the best gutter company in Montclair, NJ?
There is no official ranking, and we don't invent star ratings. Four contractors that publish a Montclair or Essex service area and list an NJ HIC number on their own sites are NJ Home Maintenance Services (13VH07616300), Lightning Construction (13VH12437000), ProLine NJ (13VH09838700) and US1 Gutter (13VH11599800). Match the job: cleaning-plus-underground diagnostics, a full seamless replacement on an old roofline, or a gutter-focused shop. Verify the registration yourself before you hire.
Do gutter contractors need a license in New Jersey?
New Jersey does not have a separate "gutter license," but paid home-improvement work on your house generally falls under home improvement contractor registration with the Division of Consumer Affairs. The registration number belongs on the contract. Contracts for home-improvement work over $500 must be written and signed, name the contractor's registration number, include a copy of its liability insurance certificate and the total price, and give you until midnight of the third business day to cancel in writing.
Do I need a permit to replace gutters in Montclair?
Usually not from the Building Office. New Jersey's Uniform Construction Code lists the repair, replacement or installation of exterior gutters and leaders as ordinary maintenance, with no permit, inspection or notice required (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7). The work still has to meet code. Historic districts are a separate track: a Local Historic Landmark or a house in a Local Historic District needs a Certificate of Appropriateness for a change in exterior appearance, while repair or exact replacement that does not alter the appearance does not. If you are changing profile, material or color on a historic house, ask Planning & Community Development first. Contractors' websites do not all agree on this, so ask yours which path it plans to follow.
How often should Montclair gutters be cleaned?
It depends on the tree canopy over your roof. Dense oaks and maples in Upper Montclair and near Brookdale Park can justify two or more cleanings a year so debris does not freeze in the trough over winter. A guard or screen reduces cleaning frequency; it does not make the system maintenance-free.
What size gutters do older Montclair homes need?
Many older homes still carry undersized sectional troughs. Contractors commonly discuss 5- or 6-inch seamless aluminum, with half-round profiles when a historic look matters. The right answer is the one sized for your roof area, pitch and outlet count after a site visit — not a generic catalog size.
What does gutter replacement cost in Montclair?
We don't publish price ranges here. Ask for a written, itemized estimate that names the material, profile, linear footage, hanger type, outlets, downspouts and any fascia repair. Compare scope, not just the bottom line.
Need a Montclair contractor quote?
Tell us the job (cleaning, repair or replacement) and your neighborhood. We route quote requests to local pros — this is not an endorsement of the companies named above.
Sources accessed November 9, 2026: NJ Home Maintenance Services — Montclair; Lightning Construction — Montclair gutters; ProLine NJ — Montclair gutter installation; US1 Gutter — service area; N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7 (ordinary maintenance); N.J.S.A. 56:8-151 (home improvement contracts); Township of Montclair — Certificate of Appropriateness. HIC numbers were read from each company's site and were not re-checked in the state database for this article. Photo: Famartin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.