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Custom
Decorative
Downspout Funnels Updated 5-6-2009 |
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Company Profile |
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Roof Caps |
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Chimney Caps |
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Scuppers |
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Gutters |
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Shipping |
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Contact Info |
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Introduction |
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My primary focus is on custom durable rust-free sheet metal rain management products. Scuppers are fancy funnels used to enhance the looks and improve functionality of a roof drainage system. These sort of scuppers are not cheap since they take me a full day just to build 1 of them if I am luck and do not have a lot of interruptions. And that does not take into consideration the many hours spent working out the details with my clients through e-mail, or getting it securely boxed up and delivered to the shipper.   There is
lots of sheet-metal shops across the country that make simple generic sized 'V' shaped
painted steel funnels
that will certainly do the job in most cases. I can make those as
well, but I pride myself in being a custom coppersmith with an artistic edge;
making products better than standard. I place a stronger focus
on durability than even aesthetics. There's little point to put this much effort into
one of these if it's just going to wear out and or look haggard within a couple
decades from using a cheaper or thinner metal. Most any other copper scuppers I've seen were made with just a thin 12oz copper sheet metal that that is cheaper, easier to cut, and bend, but will fail before long. I use a thicker 20oz copper and also build a smooth slope copper funnel liner in these scuppers to take the abuse of that running water/debris over the course of the following decades. This way the outer shell does not become compromised. The liner can be replace if needed without replacing the expensive decorative outer shell that has aged so nicely. CBD is not the fastest fabricator for large orders, since I have no employees to speed up production. If I have a lot of orders currently booked there may be some delay getting to your order, so prepare to not have this custom work in your hands in a couple weeks time. Here's a link to our Latest News page for my time-line and my contact web page link near the top and bottom of each web page for requesting a quote. |
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Why are there so few custom fabricators? Looking in the phone book for local sheet-metal shops is just taking a stab in the dark, since you cannot see what work they have done or get referrals. To do good custom work like this requires good geometry skills, imagination, and a high mechanical comprehension. To work this out across these wires it takes good prompt friendly communication skills and discipline few seem to have. Diagrams and digital photos have to be passed in order to work out crucial details, so this will work out just right without complication. Few are willing to invest that kind of personal attention to ask the right questions unless it's for a large development project where a hundred units are being ordered. |
Here's an
ornate copper scupper I
It was really beautifully constructed, but it |
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What are your qualifications? |
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Why I do this?
I'm careful to respond to each e-mail within 24 hours, but it may take over 8 hours of my time just to get all the details worked out over several weeks, depending on how fast the client responds back with the info I need. Then several more hours to design and fabricate a simple $200 scupper. This has to be a work of passion, since it is not making us a lot of money. PS: I recommend against using round downspouts for several reasons as listed on my Downspout Comparison web page |
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What metal is best
for these decorative rain-catchers? Lead: is a thick soft easy to work with metal that can be cut with just a pair of scissors and shaped with bare hands. It can be custom shaped right on the roof peak without any special tools, so many building contractors like this option best, but of course it is not very durable for use as a scupper and hard to seal the seams well.
Copper: is clearly the best option here. It is a metal that is meant to be seen. It will tarnish within a few months to a satin dark brown. It actually takes nearly half a century to turn that chalky green depending on where you live. This dark earth-tone look makes copper a lot more appealing to most people. It will also stay clean, since it will not mildew. The cost difference of cheaper metals is marginal with this sort of custom work, since it is typically only 10% of the cost for custom fabrications like this. To help minimize cost; the standard in the industry is 12oz or 16oz copper. The thicker 20oz copper I use for custom work is very good for archival quality to last for well over a century, unlike the old scupper shown above. It is sturdier, which is more dent resistant as well. Warning: Other sheet-metal shops may say they use copper, but it usually is only a very thin sheet copper, or worse: only copper plated or painted steel. Solid copper will not attract a magnet, so it is easy to test for this deception, although it may be too late by the time you have it to test. Copper thickness is different that steel gauges. It goes by weight per square foot. If they say it is 24 gauge, that may mean it is only copper plated steel, and still very thin. The 20oz copper we use is about twice that thick. Stainless steel: is a good strong metal that will last, but it remains that shinny mirror-like finish until it mildews. Since it is about the same cost of copper, with out any anti-fungal properties, it is rarely requested, but strongly pushed by other sheet-metal shops for reasons listed below. Warning: Other shops will push stainless steel like it was the best thing on Earth. Especially for chimney caps. That is because stainless steel is quick to fabricate, since it can be simply spot welded together. They also do not need to worry about finger print oils making the metal surface tarnish irregularly. You need to beware: they will talk about stainless steel, but actually substitute with galvanized steel to unsuspecting consumers, since that client will not see it start to rust for about a decade later. Well past most warranties. Or parts of it will not be stainless steel like the screen or the bolts. You can test this with a magnet. Good stainless steel will not attract a magnet.
Galvalum: is better than galvanized steel, but again it is not worth the small savings difference of copper, so we do not even offer it as an option. Steel: is a cheap and strong metal, but it will rust through far too soon to be practical and cause rust stains below if not replace before this happens. Besides, the savings to you is marginal, since most of the cost of custom work like this is the labor and shipping. It would save you less than 10% off the cost of using the thicker 20oz copper we use. I do not even offer steel as an option, because it goes against my ethics. |
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 Delivery
& installation?I work hard to design these scuppers to be strong, easy to install and re-installs easily with the stainless steel screws provided, for re-painting the house or other service required. I would be happy to install the scuppers for you if you are fortunate to live local to the Portland Oregon Metro area, but I've been getting most of these orders from clients around the country through this Internet exposure. If you are not close to us and you are not able to install it yourself, you will need to hire a local contractor to do the installation. Over the last few years I've been successfully shipping custom copper works in large custom wood crates to clients in all corners of the continental USA and Canada. Through the fabrication process I will send you digital photos of the progress I've made over e-mail before shipping, and I welcome your feedback. |
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| A few Design Options and Cost Examples to Consider | |
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Our scuppers start at $200 minimum charge. These designs shown below w/o funnel liner begin at $248 each delivered. The first 6 square feet of copper per unit runs $60 per square foot. Then it goes down to $25 to $35 per square foot above the first 6 sq', depending on how intricate the design is. Of course I offer discounts for volume orders of the same size and design. |
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diagram #1
Drawn-up for a client in Tampa Florida (2-04) |
diagram #2
Originally for a client in Salem Oregon (2-04) |
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Diagrams #2, #3, and #4 have a little more ornamentation added to center of their design. If you have a different idea of how you would like it shaped or what size you need, feel free to write us an e-mail, including any digital diagrams or photos that may show us what you have in mind, so that we can better quote you a price to get you just what you want. |
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diagram #3
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diagram #4
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Some of the different custom 20oz
copper
scuppers I've made |
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Super Gutter Outlets
It does not matter how big the gutter is. It matters most how larger the outlet is, so the gutter will continue to function. This 10" wide custom gutter outlet installed for $75 w/reducer to a 2x3 DS |
Simple funnels
To bring this 26.5 cubic inch displacement of the 2 gutter outlets down to just 6 cubic inches for the standard 2x3 DS these 2 reducers and funnel installed for $86 |
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Super Outlet Trays
This 9" wide 36" long custom scupper/tray
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Decorative Overflow Scuppers
This 10" wide #1 style scupper installed for $248 |
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Small simple 9" wide corner scuppers I installed locally - $250 each |
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PS: I recommend against these round downspouts for several reasons, as listed on our Downspout Comparison web page |
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Design #2 & #4 shown in 20oz copper w/o internal liner |
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  This leader head to the right is from design #2 for a local client in Salem Oregon (6-04). This one shown was a set of 2 leader heads made for 3"x 4" copper downspouts. The cost of this of scupper was $350 installed. I was also contracted to polished and add a clear enamel top coat to keep it looking like this, for an extra $100 each. Click on the image to see the step-by-step fabrication of this scupper The photo below shows the one piece top section of design #2, with a gutter section it's sister was made from. |
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A Large 39" wide
Scupper - $500 delivered to The Hamptons, NY |
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You can click on the photos here to go to the design and fabrication web page for this leader-box where you will see many more photos of it's design and construction.
To see and read more about
this project go to: |
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A 14"w Old School Scupper Recreation- $500 Installed Locally |
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See more at: http://copper-by-design.com/cw/TaraNorth.htm |
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| Other Types of Built-in Scuppers for Flat Roofs and Valleys |
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The Auerbach Roof
Drain Channels
(4/09) |
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This set of 2 decorative diverter trays I made out of a thicker 48oz copper to hold a set of rain-cups without the need for a wood support underneath. They were ordered through SYMBIOS, a contractor in Occidental, California for their client. They made this cardboard full size model and sent it to me to work from, so it would be sure to fit just right. The total for these two custom scuppers was $450 with shipping.
To see and read more about this project and see all 9 photos go to: |
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The 24 Mahaffy
House Roof
Drains
(8/06) |
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These built-in scupper roof drains were made for Kevin Mahaffy. We passed around 50 e-mails w/diagrams back and fourth over the course of 7 months to work out all the details of this order for these custom products; going over size, shape, and metal thickness (am not one to rush a client). I sent him samples of copper to feel. He ended up going with a thicker 32oz copper for the bottom and sides for added strength, so no wood structure needed to be made underneath for support. The top cover and upper flange was made with just the 20oz copper I normally use. The total for these 24 custom scuppers was $5,808 delivered, which is just $242 each.  
To see and read more about this project and see all 21 photos go to:
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The Mitchell
Front Entry Roof
Drains
(7/05) |
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These built in scuppers along with some decorative fascia board covers were for John Mitchell. We wound up passing about 40 some odd e-mails and several diagrams back and fourth over the course of about two months to work out all the details of this order for his entry roof he was building. This total for these two custom scuppers was $385  
To see and read more about this project and see all 51 photos go to: |
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The Stevenson House
Roof Drains
(11/07) |
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She had me replace 2 built-in scuppers seen here, so they would last beyond the 50 year roofing. The last repairman had covered the rusty steel with aluminum foil (used for cooking) as a fix to keep it from leaking into the house walls, so of course that did not work. I could not believe my eyes when I saw it! By that point the rust holes under that foil were large enough to pass my fist through.  
To see and read more about this project and see all 40 photos go to: |
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Here was a set of 4 custom white painted aluminum 14" wide scuppers I made for a client here in Portland Oregon in late 2007 for $300 each installed:
To see and read more about this project and see all 40 photos
go to: |
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It has a 3.5" x 4.5" funnel mounted in the bottom as the outlet, reducing into a standard size downspout. There is a double 'A' offset elbow right under it to divert the rain water back to the downspout on the siding. This sort of scupper runs only about $140. We didn't need to go to this trouble, but it just makes it look a little nicer, without going to too much trouble like the scuppers shown above.
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This is a custom aluminum catcher basin to catch the rain water from a different kind of narrow valley. It was made from a straight 3' gutter. Again, with each end mitered, instead of just slapping on a pair of end-caps. It has a 3.5" x 4.5" funnel mounted in the bottom as the outlet, reducing into a standard size downspout going straight down the corner of the house.
The cost for this was calculated from the basic cost of the gutter needed to make this: $15, + the cost of mitering 3 corners: $120, + installing this funnel in the bottom: $50 = $185 total installed |
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The extra cost was around $550 installed for the 4' of gutter: $15, + 4 corners mitered: $160, + installing this large funnel tray under it: $300, + the extra large funnel under the tray: $75 |
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We charged about $150 extra for this custom scuppers, instead of normal downspouts.
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Our First Scuppers in White Painted Aluminum (1996) |
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This scupper funnels into a standard 2"x 3" downspout. It is about 14" across the top, and sticks out about 7" from the brick wall. The lower rim is about 9.5" wide. We do not work much in aluminum any more when this sort of labor is involved, since copper would only add $10 to $20 to the cost, it seems silly to invest all that effort into an aluminum scuppers that would dent a lot easier and is prone to scratching and general paint failure. Copper has been the preferred choice of most clients, but that also means you will need to have copper downspouts as well, which increases the cost of your project a good deal. |
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This is a custom aluminum scupper we fabricated for a customer who has an unusual situation for a drain on a flat roof. We took the rusted steel sample he brought to me to build this from. It had some very special angles to it as you can see. There is a blue square 5 gallon bucket just behind it to show some dimensions to this scupper. The old rusty scupper is sitting on the blue bucket. Here it is from a different angle. You can see the rust on the old scupper
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Decorative Leader-heads I resell made in a thinner copper |
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Here are some very nice looking classic style copper leader-heads that are made in foreign lands by slave labor craftspersons made with a thin copper sheet metal and soldered together, but they are a good deal cheaper than anything I could recreate. So if you are on a tight budget and need them sooner than our lead-time; here are some cheaper options to choose from that range from $200 to $300 each with shipping charges included. Contact us for specific current costs.
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| A few other scuppers I installed, but did not make | |
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A small 9" wide scupper  These scupper were soldered together the old fashion way. This use to be the best way to seal copper, because they did not have the kind of advanced caulks we have today. The old copper scupper below was made of a paper thin easy to work with copper sheet-metal. It was a little dented up along the top rim, but no evidence of a major impact that caused the solder joints to crack apart. Also wear from rain and debris it had actually worn holes clear through the side walls of this thin copper used to make it.
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A larger 18" wide scupper  |
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Because of this evidence; we installed the large scupper above with a simple copper funnel insert inside as a liner, to funnel the water smoothly into the outlet in the bottom without wearing the thin side walls of the new scupper the client had sent away for.  |
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| Different Downspout Options |
 To see and read more about the different downspout configurations just click on the pictures here.
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Ordering Details |
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Lead Time I have a Paypal link on our Contact web page, but that is not any quicker than mailing a letter with a check in it, and I will not get charged 5% for using Paypal, so just mailing a check is my preference. You can get a better idea of what my current work schedule is by going to Latest News page to find out the most current lead-time listed. If you are in a hurry; to expedite this process, some clients have sent in a $200 reservation deposit even before we were able to work out all the details, so that they would be scheduled next on my list of projects. This takes the pressure off from making a hasty decision. I will refund 50% of that deposit if for any reason you changed your mind and did not contract with me, no questions asked. Click here for our contact and payment info. I strive to check for new e-mail at least a couple times each day 7 days a week, and respond to those e-mail personally within 24 hours, so working out the details should go swiftly. I do have a toll free phone# listed on our Contact web page that rings my cell phone, but I do not quote prices for custom work over the phone. That process may take me several hours to do the calculations if I have all the right measurements, diagrams, and clear photos from you to work with. Also, neither of us would then have a written record of what was said, so it is important to have received an e-mail from you with your requested project details. I have no control of the shipping time, other than to charge you a lot more for 2 day or over night shipment, which can cost more than the custom copper fabrication. Most of these ground shipments have not been taking more than a week to get across the country, so it hardly seems worth the cost of saving a few days. I've rarely had had a client who was willing to pay that much for Express Shipping. |
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Prices |
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Minimum Order |
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Scupper
Sizing |
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Why Only
Copper Sheet Metal |
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Sheet Metal
Thickness I feel that since the cost of labor is clearly the largest part of the cost for any custom work like this, why not use a better material that will last and is more impact resistant? I have seen where those scuppers made in a thinner copper will get dented and even wore holes through the sides within a couple decades, so if they now need replaced they might as well have just used steel to make them, since they did not last any longer. I also build a smooth funnel liner inside most of the scuppers I make to take the abuse of decades of running debris mixed in the rain water for this reason. |
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Volume
Discounts |
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References Go to our referral web page for letters we received about our work practices and the quality of our work. |
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Other Items |
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Helpful Roofing Information For some valuable advice with regards to roofing and rain management issues check out our:
(a)
Gutter Installation web pages for answers and solutions that could save you thousands of $ and a great deal of anguish. If you do find this information very helpful, feel free to send us a $ tip for the assistance we so freely have published on the web here for your benefit, like you might tip a waitress. Heck, send us a gift certificate for a candle lit dinner for two. |
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Below is a
photo of our |
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We were also a 1997 finalist for this same award. See our referral web page to see how we managed to be honored with this special award |
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