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Gutters · University

Gutters in University (Hillsborough County), FL

In University, a 5-minute downpour in a 10-year storm falls at 9.79 inches an hour, and University has 23,366 housing units to size gutters for. That rate is the one to plan around, not the average rainfall. A gutter that cannot carry a burst that hard will overflow at the edge of the roof and drop water against the walls and foundation. Gutter size, downspout count and where the water lands all follow from that number.

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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.

University figures this page uses

Housing units (ACS 5-year)
23,366
Single-family detached share of housing units
9.6%
Median year homes were built
1986

Sizing for the storm

How rain here sizes your gutters and downspouts

Plumbing code sizes gutters from the roof area each run drains, the slope of the gutter and the rainfall rate. Downspouts are sized the same way. A 2 by 2 inch downspout is rated for 30 gallons a minute, while a 3 by 4 1/4 inch or 4 inch round one is rated for 192. Gutter capacity also grows fast with size. A 6 inch half-round carries 110 gallons a minute at 1/8 inch per foot, against 74 for a 5 inch.

Copper-tone half-round gutters on decorative hangers with a round copper downspout on an upscale cream stucco home with a flat tile roof, live oak with Spanish moss and palm (illustration)Illustration

Illustration: half round copper

Sizing only to a total day's rain misses the point here. In a 10-year storm, 6.67 inches of rain can fall across a full day, but the short burst drives the design. Using the 5-minute, 10-year rate of 9.79 inches an hour, a 6 inch half-round at 1/8 inch per foot serves a smaller roof area than the plumbing code's longer-duration basis would. The short-burst basis roughly halves the area a gutter can serve, so older runs sized to lighter rain are the first to overflow.

Debris and drainage

Debris from overhanging branches and the path water takes across your property

Southern live oak is a common shade tree in Central Florida, and it can grow 60 to 80 feet tall with a 60 to 120 foot spread. Its fruit and leaves are a litter problem, and oaks, pines and melaleucas are major pollen producers from January to June, peaking in March and April. Pine needles fall in heavy loads through the autumn months. A roof under those trees fills gutters through the storm season, so clean them before June and again after the autumn needle drop.

Hillsborough County's rainy season runs June through September, and about 61 percent of Tampa's normal rain falls in those months. Tower Hill Insurance Group advises cleaning gutters at least twice a year and more often under overhanging trees. Clogged gutters can lead to water damage, mold and foundation problems, so check where the downspouts end as well as whether the gutters are clear.

Rain on your roof

Preset: 6.67 inches, the 10-year 24-hour rain (NOAA Atlas 14 at University).

8,311 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 University: questions

How much rain does University get in a storm?

A 5-minute downpour in a 10-year storm falls at 9.79 inches an hour in University, and a 1-hour rain in the same storm falls at 2.93 inches an hour. Those short bursts set the gutter size. The 24-hour total in a 10-year storm is 6.67 inches. Gutters sized only to average rainfall can overflow during these bursts, so have a gutter contractor or the county building office check the design basis for your roof.

Source: NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the University 2020 Census internal point (28.0769, -82.4333), read Oct 5, 2026

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Do gutters need downspouts that drain away from the house in Hillsborough County?

Yes. The Florida Building Code requires gutters with downspouts on buildings whose eaves project less than 6 inches, except at gable end rakes or on a roof above another roof. Keep downspout outlets at least 1 foot out from the wall, using buried pipe, extensions or splash blocks to carry the flow away. Unincorporated University building permits are handled by the Hillsborough County building office, so confirm local requirements there.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., R318.5 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription); FBC-Building 1503.7, read Oct 5, 2026

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Are gutters required to be a particular material in Florida?

For one- and two-family dwellings, the Florida Building Code says gutters and leaders must be metal or approved plastic for outdoor exposure. Joints must be lapped, soldered or caulked, and the fasteners must be corrosion resistant and compatible with the gutter material. In University, where 74.1 percent of homes date from before 2000 according to the housing age facts, older gutters are often the first to fail under a 9.79 inch an hour burst.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Chapter 9 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), read Oct 5, 2026

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How often should gutters be cleaned near oak and pine trees?

Experts quoted by Tower Hill Insurance Group recommend cleaning gutters at least twice a year, typically in spring and fall, and more often with overhanging trees. In University, where the storm season runs June through September and about 61 percent of Tampa's normal rain falls then, a sensible schedule is after the spring pollen and oak leaf drop in late April and May, before June, and after the pine needle peak from late November through December.

Source: thig.com, read Oct 5, 2026

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Nearby

Gutters near University

Sources for this page(38)
  1. 1.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, station USW00012842 TAMPA INTL AP. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  2. 2.Permit office: Hillsborough County - Building Permits & Records (unincorporated Hillsborough County). Hillsborough County - Building Permits & Records (unincorporated Hillsborough County). Read Oct 10, 2026.
  3. 3.Wikipedia, "Hillsborough County, Florida" (secondary). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  4. 4.Housing units (ACS 5-year): 23,366. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25001, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  5. 5.Single-family detached share of housing units: 9.6%. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  6. 6.Median year homes were built: 1986. U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  7. 7.2023 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").
  8. 8.NOAA Atlas 14 (HDSC Precipitation Frequency Data Server). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  9. 9.bergerbp.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  10. 10.2023 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).
  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.NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  17. 17.2023 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).
  18. 18.2023 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").
  19. 19.Gutterall 6K hanger. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  20. 20.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the University 2020 Census internal point (28.0769, -82.4333), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  21. 21.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the University 2020 Census internal point (28.0769, -82.4333), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  22. 22.Hillsborough County - Building Permits & Records (unincorporated Hillsborough County), Hillsborough County. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  23. 23.U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API, U.S. Census Bureau (via Census Reporter). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  24. 24.Wikipedia, "University, Hillsborough County, Florida" (secondary source), Wikipedia. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  25. 25.City of Tampa; City of Temple Terrace (official), City of Tampa. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.Florida Statutes, section 713.135 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  27. 27.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.
  28. 28.Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  29. 29.Wikipedia (Riverview, Brandon); U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 table B25034, Wikipedia. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  30. 30.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  31. 31.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  32. 32.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  33. 33.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  34. 34.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Eta, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  35. 35.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Hermine, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  36. 36.NWS Melbourne, Lightning Facts and Trivia, National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  37. 37.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  38. 38.NOAA Atlas 14 at University: 9.79 in/hr (5-minute, 10-year). NOAA Atlas 14 Precipitation Frequency Data Server. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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Gutters in University

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