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Gutters · Lutz

Gutters in Lutz, FL

Lutz sits about 15 miles north of Tampa, and a 10-year storm there can drop 9.68 inches of rain an hour in a five-minute burst. Gutters here have to be sized for that burst, not for a steady drizzle. Start with that rate when you choose a size.

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Updated October 2026

Small open-sided wooden depot shelter with a metal roof, a sign reading Lutz, and a railroad crossbuck.
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.Our work
Photo: FL Lutz rebuilt depot01 by Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

Lutz figures this page uses

Single-family detached share of housing units
81.1%
Median year homes were built
1990
Owner-occupied share of occupied homes
78.5%

Rainfall and sizing

Sizing gutters for a Lutz downpour

The short burst is what matters most for gutters. In a 25-year storm the five-minute rate rises to 11 inches an hour, and in a 100-year storm to 12.9. Over a full day, a 10-year storm brings 6.82 inches, and a 100-year storm brings 12.3 inches.

Close-up of an old sagging gutter pulling away from a rotted, water-stained fascia board with peeling paint and mildew under the eave (illustration)Illustration

Illustration: rotted fascia

Plumbing code Table 1106.6 ties capacity to both width and slope. At 1/8 inch per foot, a 6-inch half-round is listed at 110 gallons per minute and a 5-inch at 74. By our arithmetic, the step up from 5 to 6 inches adds about 49 percent, which is real margin for a Lutz burst.

Downspouts are sized the same way. A 2 1/2 by 3 inch leader moves 30 gallons per minute, a 3 inch round moves 92, and a 4 inch round moves 360. A downspout smaller than the gutter feeding it becomes the bottleneck. Add half the area of any vertical wall that sheds rain onto the roof when you work out the load.

Code and discharge

Where downspout water has to land on a Lutz lot

Most Lutz housing is single-family detached, 81.1 percent of units, so most roofs drain onto a private yard. The residential code asks for gutters with downspouts on buildings whose eaves project less than 6 inches, with exceptions at gable end rakes and on a roof above another roof.

The median home here was built in 1990, and 78.5 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied. Many of those downspouts were likely set under older habits, so check where each one lands. Because Lutz has no city government of its own, roof permits for the area come from the Hillsborough County building office.

Debris and upkeep

Leaves, pollen and cleaning Lutz gutters

Live oaks shed leaves and fruit that collect in gutters. Oak and pine pollen runs from January to June, heaviest in March and April. Pine needles drop hardest in autumn, September through November.

A Florida home insurer recommends cleaning at least twice a year and more often under overhanging trees. For Lutz, that means after the spring oak drop, before the June storm season, and after the autumn needle peak.

Gutter guards are not a full fix. Consumer Reports found that even the top-scoring screen was only middling at holding back a severe downpour, and that guards still need brushing in high-pollen areas.

Rain on your roof

Preset: 6.82 inches, the 10-year 24-hour rain (NOAA Atlas 14 at Lutz).

8,498 gallons run off that roof, all of it toward the gutters and downspouts.

Math: square feet × inches × 0.623 gallons.

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Questions

Gutters in Lutz: questions

How big should gutters be for a Lutz home?

Size them for the five-minute, 10-year rain in Lutz, which falls at 9.68 inches an hour. The plumbing code lists capacities by gutter size and slope, so a 6-inch half-round at 1/8 inch per foot carries about 110 gallons per minute. Your roof area and any wall that drains onto the roof change the load. A roofer or the Hillsborough County building office can check your numbers before you buy.

Source: NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Lutz 2020 Census internal point (28.1407, -82.4497), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

How far from the house must a downspout discharge in Lutz?

At least 1 foot from the sidewall. The code allows underground piping, a tail extension or a splash block. This matters on slab homes, where water against the foundation can cause problems. Confirm local requirements with the Hillsborough County building office, since Lutz is unincorporated.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Chapter 8 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

How often should gutters be cleaned in Lutz?

At least twice a year, in spring and fall, and more often under overhanging trees or in frequent storms. In Lutz, live oak litter and pollen peak in March and April, and pine needles fall most from September through November. Clogged gutters can cause water damage, mold and foundation issues, and Tampa International Airport records 49.48 inches of rain a year.

Source: thig.com, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

Do gutter guards stop clogging in Central Florida?

Not completely. Consumer Reports found that fine-mesh screens outperformed screens with larger holes, but even the top-scoring screen was only middling at containing a severe downpour. Guards still need brushing in high-pollen areas like Lutz, where a 10-year five-minute burst reaches 9.68 inches an hour.

Source: consumerreports.org, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

Nearby

Gutters near Lutz

Sources for this page(33)
  1. 1.Single-family detached share of housing units: 81.1%. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  2. 2.Median year homes were built: 1990. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  3. 3.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 78.5%. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  4. 4.Permit office: Hillsborough County - Building Permits & Records (unincorporated Hillsborough County). Hillsborough County - Building Permits & Records (unincorporated Hillsborough County). Read Oct 10, 2026.
  5. 5.Wikipedia, "Hillsborough County, Florida" (secondary). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  6. 6.Wikipedia, "Lutz, Florida" (secondary source). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  7. 7.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, station USW00012842 TAMPA INTL AP. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  8. 8.2023 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").
  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 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).
  11. 11.2023 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").
  12. 12.ask.ifas.ufl.edu. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  13. 13.blogs.ifas.ufl.edu. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  14. 14.ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  15. 15.thig.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  16. 16.consumerreports.org. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  17. 17.bergerbp.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  18. 18.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Lutz 2020 Census internal point (28.1407, -82.4497), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  19. 19.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the Lutz 2020 Census internal point (28.1407, -82.4497), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  20. 20.U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API, U.S. Census Bureau (via Census Reporter). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  21. 21.Hillsborough County - Building Permits & Records (unincorporated Hillsborough County), Hillsborough County. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  22. 22.U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API, U.S. Census Bureau (via Census Reporter). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  23. 23.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17), Citizens Property Insurance. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  24. 24.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  25. 25.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  27. 27.City of Tampa; City of Temple Terrace (official), City of Tampa. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  28. 28.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, station USC00087205 PLANT CITY, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.NWS Melbourne, Lightning Facts and Trivia, National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  30. 30.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Hermine, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  31. 31.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  32. 32.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Eta, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  33. 33.NOAA Atlas 14 at Lutz: 9.68 in/hr (5-minute, 10-year). NOAA Atlas 14 Precipitation Frequency Data Server. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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Gutters in Lutz

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