Rain Chains & Rain Barrels in Eden Prairie, MN
A decorative alternative to a closed downspout, or a way to put roof runoff to use instead of just moving it along. Either way, it's sized for your actual roof, not just hung and hoped for.
What’s included
A rain chain replaces a section of closed downspout with a hanging chain of linked cups or rings. Water follows the chain down by surface tension instead of running through an enclosed pipe, which is why homeowners choose them for a covered porch or entry where the chain is visible and part of the look of the house, rather than on every downspout.
A rain barrel does the opposite job. It attaches at the base of a downspout through a diverter, catching roof runoff for reuse, watering beds, rinsing tools, that kind of thing, while still allowing overflow to continue down the original path once the barrel is full. Rain chains in particular are a common request on the front porches common to the older rambler homes around Northeast Eden Prairie and the townhome entries around Central Eden Prairie, where a covered entry makes a good accent spot.
- Rain chain installation at porch, entry, or accent downspout locations, sized for the roof section actually feeding it
- Outlet adapter and basin sized so the chain doesn’t clog at the small opening where it meets the gutter
- Rain barrel diverter and bulkhead fitting installation on an existing or new downspout
- Barrel placement on stable, level ground built to hold real weight once it’s full
- Overflow routing so a full barrel doesn’t just become a new place for water to pool
What usually goes wrong
Most rain chain problems come down to volume. A chain hung off a small roof plane usually works fine, but connect one to a valley section that funnels water from two or three roof planes, the same valley-heavy rooflines we see throughout Bearpath and Settlers Ridge, and it’s carrying more than the chain and its outlet adapter were sized for. Water jumps off the links instead of clinging to them, and you get exactly what people describe as the chain “spraying” or “making a mess” against the siding. The fix is matching the chain to the section it’s actually draining, not the section someone wished it could handle.
The outlet adapter itself is also a common clog point. It’s a much smaller opening than a standard downspout, so leaves and debris that would pass through a normal 3-inch downspout without issue can dam it up fast, backing water over the gutter edge.
On rain barrels, the two most common issues are a leaking spigot or bulkhead fitting, usually the internal washer wearing out rather than something fixable from the outside with caulk, and water that’s gone stagnant because it’s sitting unused and uncovered. A tight screened lid and actually using the water down regularly both help with that second one.
Safety and weight
A full rain barrel is heavier than it looks. A standard 55-gallon barrel holds close to 450 pounds of water once it’s full, so it needs to sit on solid, level ground rather than soft soil or mulch that can shift and tip it. We check the pad before placing a barrel, not just the downspout connection.
Winter brings its own risk. Ice building up along a rain chain can hang heavy over a walkway below, and if the chain isn’t given room to move with normal wind and freeze-thaw shifting, that same ice load can pull at the gutter section it hangs from.
Winterizing for Minnesota
A rain barrel left connected and full through a Minnesota winter is a rain barrel that cracks. Water expands as it freezes, and a barrel isn’t built to take that pressure. We disconnect and drain barrels ahead of the first hard freeze and reconnect them once the thaw is reliable in spring.
Rain chains handle winter differently. Ice can build up along the chain the same way it would on an exposed downspout, which is mostly cosmetic but worth knowing given where the chain hangs. Most homeowners run a standard closed downspout on the rest of the roofline and keep the chain to the one or two accent spots where they actually want to see it.
What affects the cost
Number of rain chain locations, chain material and style, whether a new outlet adapter and basin need to be set, and for barrels, how many you’re installing and whether the existing downspout needs a diverter added or replaced.
Why homeowners choose us for this
We already do this work as part of our regular downspout installs, so a rain chain or barrel gets sized for the roof section actually feeding it, not hung on whatever downspout happened to be closest.
Request a free estimate and we’ll figure out which locations on your home actually make sense for a chain or a barrel.
Our services
Questions we hear a lot
Why is water spraying off my rain chain instead of running down it?
Usually wind, or a chain that's handling more water than it's built for, like a valley section instead of a single small roof plane. Once the water moving past a link is too much or too fast, it breaks free instead of following the chain down. We size and place chains for the volume they'll actually see.
Are rain chains the same as gutter chains?
Yes, same thing, different name.
Why does my rain barrel smell bad?
Standing water that isn't drawn down regularly or covered by a proper screened lid goes stagnant, which is also a mosquito breeding risk. A tight lid and using the barrel down regularly, not just letting it sit full, both help.
Can a full rain barrel actually tip over?
Yes. A full 55-gallon barrel weighs somewhere around 450 pounds, so it needs to sit level on solid, stable ground, not soft soil that can shift or settle unevenly underneath it.
Do rain barrels need to be winterized in Minnesota?
Yes. A barrel left full and connected through a hard freeze can crack as the water inside expands. We disconnect and drain barrels before the first hard freeze and reconnect them in spring.
What customers say
Big Mike understood what we needed right away. His crew came out and installed over 60 feet of new gutter around our porch and came up with a superior drain spout design, better than what was originally planned for! The work was done quickly and efficiently by this experienced crew, and the price was reasonable as quoted. Would call again.
Max Tite
Three crew members came and did a fantastic job. We requested some detailed work, and every request was accepted. They found a way to satisfy us. They did an excellent job! I would definitely hire them again for any gutter work.
Kyoko French
Super easy to work with. The gutters look great and they had lots of good color options. They were very professional – did what they said when they said and the price was in line or lower than others we had quote. We are very happy we went with them.
Brian Kirkendall
- Free, no-pressure estimates
- Experienced in-house crew
- No subcontractors, ever