Rafter tails rotting behind gutters, caught mine right before winter

Last month I was cleaning leaves out of the gutters on my porch in Cincinnati and noticed the wood behind the downspout felt soft. Poked it with a screwdriver and it went right through about 2 inches. Turns out the gutter was pitched wrong and water sat there for years, soaking into the rafter tail. I cut out the rot, sistered in a new piece of pressure treated lumber, and resealed everything with flashing tape. Cost me about $40 in materials and a full Saturday, but a contractor quoted $700 to fix it. Has anyone else dealt with hidden rot behind gutters and found a better way to catch it early?

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