Gutters · Lauderdale Lakes
Gutters in Lauderdale Lakes, FL
A 10-year storm that lasts five minutes drops 10.8 inches of rain an hour in Lauderdale Lakes. That burst can overrun a gutter sized for a gentler rain. Here, the gutter and downspout size is set by how hard the rain falls, not just how much falls over a day.
Updated October 2026
Sizing for this rain
How gutter and downspout size is set in Lauderdale Lakes
The plumbing code sizes horizontal gutters by the flow the roof sends into them. Downspouts are sized the same way. Here the designers would start from the short, intense burst, not the daily total. A 1-hour 10-year rain falls at 3.5 inches an hour, and the 24-hour 10-year total is 9.23 inches.
IllustrationIllustration: downpour with gutter
Half-round 6-inch gutters carry about 49 percent more than 5-inch gutters at the same slope, by our arithmetic from the code table (110 gpm against 74 gpm). Downspouts of 2 by 3 inches or 3-inch round carry 92 gpm. A 2 by 2 inch leader carries only 30 gpm, so it often falls short on a large roof.
- Ask how the flow was figured for your roof plan area.
- Ask whether wall area that sheds rain onto the roof was added.
- Ask whether the 5-minute rate or the 1-hour rate was used.
Keep water off the wall
Where downspout water should go, and the rules for discharge
Under Florida code, a downspout has to empty at least a foot away from the wall of the building. You can meet that with buried pipe, a tail extension, or a splash block set on the ground. Water that lands next to the foundation can wet the soil and the slab edge during the wet months, when June alone brings about 9.55 inches on average at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport.
Gutters are also required on most homes here with eaves under 6 inches. Gutters and their fasteners must be corrosion resistant. Fasteners should be the same or a compatible metal as the gutter. Aluminum resists salt air, and a hidden-hanger maker recommends 16-inch spacing for added uplift resistance in storm-prone areas.
Cleaning schedule
Leaves, pollen and cleaning frequency near oaks and pines
Southern live oaks in Central Florida are semi-evergreen and drop litter that clogs gutters. Oaks and pines are major pollen sources, with the season running January to June and peaking in March and April. Needles drop in greatest volume from September into November.
Experts commonly recommend cleaning gutters at least twice a year, and more often under overhanging trees. A practical rhythm is after the spring oak drop, before the June to September storm season, and after the autumn needle peak. Clogged gutters can lead to water damage and foundation issues.
Rain on your roof
Preset: 9.23 inches, the 10-year 24-hour rain (NOAA Atlas 14 at Lauderdale Lakes).
11,501 gallons run off that roof, all of it toward the gutters and downspouts.
Math: square feet × inches × 0.623 gallons.
Questions
Gutters in Lauderdale Lakes: questions
How big should my gutters be in Lauderdale Lakes?
Size depends on roof area and the rain rate used. Under the plumbing code, a half-round 6-inch gutter at 1/8 inch per foot slope carries 110 gallons per minute, against 74 for a 5-inch gutter. Local rain is heavy, with a 10-year, 5-minute storm falling at 10.8 inches an hour. Ask your installer which design rate was used for your roof, and confirm details with the City of Lauderdale Lakes building office.
Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Plumbing, 8th ed., Chapter 11 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), read Oct 5, 2026
Do I need gutters on my house in Lauderdale Lakes?
Buildings whose eaves stick out less than 6 inches need gutters and downspouts under Florida code, though gable end rakes and roofs sitting above another roof are exempt. Many homes here were built in the mid-1970s, with a median build year of 1976, so older houses may lack them. Check your permit history with the City of Lauderdale Lakes building office.
Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., R318.5 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription); FBC-Building 1503.7, read Oct 5, 2026
Where should my downspouts drain in Lauderdale Lakes?
Water has to leave at least a foot clear of the sidewall through every downspout. You can meet that with buried pipe, a tail extension, or a splash block set on the ground. The wettest month at the nearby airport is June, at 9.55 inches on average. Water that stays near the foundation can cause problems during that season.
Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Chapter 8 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), read Oct 5, 2026
How often should I clean gutters with oak trees near my home?
Experts commonly recommend cleaning gutters at least twice a year, typically in spring and fall, and more often under overhanging trees. Southern live oaks drop litter, and pollen runs January to June with a March and April peak. Clean after the spring oak drop and before the June to September storm season. Homes in this area were built around 1976 on average, and many of those older roofs have gutters that collect debris faster, so a quick check after each oak drop helps prevent clogs.
Source: thig.com, read Oct 5, 2026
Sources for this page(34)
- 1.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 2.Permit office: City of Lauderdale Lakes - Building. City of Lauderdale Lakes - Building. Read Oct 10, 2026.
- 3.Median year homes were built: 1976. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 4.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 5.2023 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).
- 6.2023 Florida Building Code, Plumbing, 8th ed., Chapter 11 (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-20 (the research cites it "as COM-20").
- 7.bergerbp.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
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- 9.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Chapter 3 (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).
- 10.2023 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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- 17.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Lauderdale Lakes 2020 Census internal point (26.1669, -80.2008), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 18.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the Lauderdale Lakes 2020 Census internal point (26.1669, -80.2008), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
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- 34.NOAA Atlas 14 at Lauderdale Lakes: 10.8 in/hr (5-minute, 10-year). NOAA Atlas 14 Precipitation Frequency Data Server. Read Oct 5, 2026.
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Gutters in Lauderdale Lakes
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