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Gutters · Brevard County

Gutters in Brevard County, FL

Melbourne International averages 50.79 inches of rain a year, but gutters overflow in the five-minute burst, and NOAA Atlas 14 puts Melbourne's 10-year, 5-minute rate at 10.6 inches an hour. That sits near the top of the 8.71 to 11.3 range across the ten Florida points in our data, and it sets the size of a Brevard gutter.

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Updated October 2026

Drone view of a single-story home with a brown-gray shingle roof and box vents under large oak trees, a metal carport roof in the corner and a street behind.

Gutters in Brevard, in short

Florida's code requires gutters only where eaves stick out less than 6 inches, with downspouts discharging at least 1 foot from the wall. Sizing is the real question. At Melbourne's 10.6-inch burst, a 6-inch half-round gutter at 1/8 inch per foot serves about 998 square feet of roof, against about 2,420 on the 100-year hourly rate.

Sources for this answer

Rain

A 10.6-inch burst on a Brevard roof

Yearly totals here run from 50.79 inches at the Melbourne airport to 55.55 at Palm Bay, with 38% to 41% falling in June, July and August. Totals do not overflow a gutter; rates do. Atlas 14 gives Melbourne a 10-year, 5-minute rate of 10.6 inches an hour, 12.4 for the 25-year storm and 15.1 for the 100-year, and the 10-year storm leaves 7.48 inches of rain over a full day.

In flow terms, a gutter maker's sizing guide equates 96.15 square feet of roof at 1 inch an hour with 1 gallon a minute, so a 1,000-square-foot roof face sends about 110 gallons a minute to its gutter in the 10.6-inch burst. Milton left 3 to 6.5 inches across the county in 2024.

Sizing

Gutter and downspout sizes for the Melbourne rate

Capacity in Florida's plumbing code depends on size and slope. At 1/8 inch per foot, a 5-inch half-round gutter carries 74 gallons a minute and a 6-inch 110, about 49% more; a 3-inch round downspout carries 92 and a 4-inch round 192. Divide by the rain rate to get roof area:

  • 6-inch half-round at 1/8 inch per foot: about 998 square feet of roof at 10.6 inches an hour, or about 2,420 at the 100-year, 1-hour rate of 4.37.
  • 5-inch half-round at the same slope: about 671 square feet at 10.6, or about 1,628 at 4.37.
  • 3-inch round downspout: about 835 square feet at 10.6; a 4-inch round handles about 1,742.

These use plan area; a 6-in-12 to 8-in-12 pitch counts 10% more. They are arithmetic on published numbers, not a code requirement, and the choice between the hourly and burst basis more than doubles the answer.

Downspouts

Downspouts, the lagoon and low ground

Every downspout must discharge at least 1 foot from the wall, by underground pipe, extension or splash block; the rule sits in a termite-protection section of the residential code. On many Brevard lots that is a floor, not a target. Water covers 34.8% of the county's area, Dorian pushed Indian River Lagoon water about 2 feet above ground in 2019, and Ian's flooding closed the Eau Gallie Causeway in 2022.

On low lots, carry the water toward the yard's drainage path and away from the slab. One 3-inch downspout handles about 835 square feet in the Melbourne burst, so a long run with a single outlet can spill at the corner before the gutter itself fills.

Wind

Hangers and fascia for coastal wind

One hidden-hanger maker recommends its clip option and 16-inch spacing instead of 24 for coastal and storm-prone areas, noting that aluminum resists salt air corrosion, and the residential code wants corrosion-resistant fasteners compatible with the gutter metal. Nicole's gusts of 65 to 75 mph along the coast in 2022 are the load that spacing is meant for.

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Rain on your roof

How much water a Brevard County roof sheds

Rain on your roof

Preset: 7.48 inches, the 10-year 24-hour rain (NOAA Atlas 14 at Melbourne).

9,320 gallons run off that roof, all of it toward the gutters and downspouts.

Math: square feet × inches × 0.623 gallons.

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Gutters by town in Brevard County

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Questions

Gutters in Brevard County: questions

Does the code require gutters on a Brevard house?

Only on some houses. The residential code requires gutters and downspouts where eaves project less than 6 inches, except at gable-end rakes or a roof above another roof, and downspouts must discharge at least 1 foot from the wall. Wider eaves carry no requirement. Many owners add gutters anyway: Titusville averages 55.20 inches of rain a year, and an open eave drops all of it in a line beside the foundation.

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Should a Palm Bay house get 5-inch or 6-inch gutters?

Look at the roof area each run drains. At 1/8 inch per foot, a 6-inch half-round carries 110 gallons a minute to a 5-inch's 74. At the Melbourne Atlas 14 point, the nearest in our data, that is about 998 square feet of roof per 6-inch run in the 10-year, 5-minute burst, against about 671 for a 5-inch. Palm Bay averages 55.55 inches of rain a year, so big roof faces and valleys lean toward 6-inch.

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How often should gutters be cleaned in Brevard?

Twice a year is the floor, with more under trees. A Florida home insurer advises spring and fall cleaning, more often with overhanging branches or frequent storms. Pollen peaks in March and April, with oaks and pines among the main sources, and pine needles fall heaviest from September through November. About 40% of Melbourne's yearly rain arrives in June, July and August, so clear the gutters before summer starts.

Related: Gutters

Why do my gutters overflow in Brevard summer storms?

Usually the burst outruns the gutter. A 5-inch half-round at 1/8 inch per foot carries 74 gallons a minute, enough for about 671 square feet of roof at Melbourne's 10-year, 5-minute rate of 10.6 inches an hour. A bigger roof face, a valley dumping into one corner or too few downspouts will spill. About 40% of Melbourne's yearly rain falls in June through August, which is when overflow shows up.

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Brevard County

More in Brevard County

Sources for this page(38)
  1. 1.NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (annual/seasonal), access-data API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  2. 2.NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Nicole (2022). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  3. 3.Hurricane Matthew (2016). NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (2016). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  4. 4.Hurricane Dorian (2019). NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian (2019). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  5. 5.Hurricane Ian (2022). NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ian (2022). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  6. 6.Hurricane Nicole (2022). NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Nicole (2022). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  7. 7.Hurricane Milton (2024). NWS Melbourne, County Impacts Associated with Milton (2024). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  8. 8.Water share of total area: 34.8%. U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census (TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 MapServer: POP100, HU100, AREALAND, AREAWATER). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  9. 9.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., R318.5 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription); FBC-Building 1503.7. Read Oct 5, 2026. FBC text read from UpCodes (unofficial transcription): check floridabuilding.org or the ICC viewer before quoting (spec 8.7).
  10. 10.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Chapter 8 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026. FBC text read from UpCodes (unofficial transcription): check floridabuilding.org or the ICC viewer before quoting (spec 8.7). Source URL inherited from NC-2 (the research cites it "as NC-2").
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  13. 13.bergerbp.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  14. 14.Gutterall 6K hanger. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  15. 15.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Chapter 9 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026. FBC text read from UpCodes (unofficial transcription): check floridabuilding.org or the ICC viewer before quoting (spec 8.7). Source URL inherited from COM-29 (the research cites it "as COM-29").
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  21. 21.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 (Southeastern States) version 2, partial-duration series point estimates for Melbourne (28.08, -80.61), NOAA National Weather Service, Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026. 5-minute and 60-minute intensities and 24-hour depths; the county's default Atlas 14 point (spec 8.5).
  22. 22.National Roofing Contractors Association, National Roofing Contractors Association. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  23. 23.Senate SB 808 staff analysis pp. 3-4, Senate SB 808 staff analysis pp. 3-4. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  24. 24.Florida Building Commission, "Florida Building Code Effective Dates", Florida Building Commission. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  25. 25.Florida Statutes, section 553.844 (2026), Florida Statutes. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), 2023 Florida Building Code. Read Oct 5, 2026. unofficial transcription; verify on floridabuilding.org
  27. 27.FBC-Building 2023 Chapter 2 definitions, FBC-Building 2023 Chapter 2 definitions. Read Oct 5, 2026. unofficial transcription; verify on floridabuilding.org
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  29. 29.FBCR Ch. 9, FBCR Ch. 9. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  30. 30.FBCR Ch. 8, FBCR Ch. 8. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  31. 31.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, FRSA. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  32. 32.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami-Dade County RER notice. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  33. 33.FBC-B 2023 Ch. 1, FBC-B 2023 Ch. 1. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  34. 34.Florida Solar Energy Center, Florida Solar Energy Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  35. 35.Florida Statutes, section 627.70132 (2026), Florida Statutes. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  36. 36.Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026), Florida Statutes. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  37. 37.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17), Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  38. 38.NOAA Atlas 14 at Melbourne: 10.6 in/hr (5-minute, 10-year). NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 (Southeastern States) version 2, partial-duration series point estimates, via the HDSC PFDS endpoint (ops/research/v3/services/data/noaa-atlas14-florida-rainfall.tsv). Read Oct 5, 2026.

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Gutters in Brevard County

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