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Gutters · Hobe Sound

Gutters in Hobe Sound, FL

A 5-minute, 10-year downpour in Hobe Sound falls at 10.4 inches an hour, according to NOAA's Atlas 14. Gutters on these lots need to be sized for that surge, not for average rainfall. A 1-hour 10-year storm still drops 3.24 inches an hour, and a 24-hour 10-year storm adds 8.45 inches of total rain.

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Updated October 2026

A two-lane road lined with large banyan trees whose branches arch overhead in soft morning light.
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: Hobe Sound Jupiter Island by AirportExpert, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

Sizing for local rain

Sizing Hobe Sound gutters for local downpours

Gutter capacity depends on how fast water reaches the trough. Florida's plumbing code sizes horizontal gutters from the roof's flow rate, using slope and cross section. A 6-inch half-round gutter at 1/8 inch per foot carries about 110 gallons per minute, while a 5-inch one carries about 74. By our arithmetic, the 6-inch size gives roughly 49 percent more capacity.

Heavy Florida afternoon downpour pouring off a roof edge with no gutter, splashing mud onto the wall and washing out the flower bed along the foundation (illustration)Illustration

Illustration: downpour no gutter

Downspouts are the usual bottleneck. A 2-by-2-inch leader handles about 30 gallons per minute, while a 3-inch round leader handles about 92. Roofs that shed water onto a lower roof or a wall should add half that wall's area to the roof area before sizing. Have the installer write down the numbers used for your particular roof.

Sizing charts built on older records can understate local bursts. One gutter maker's table draws on records through 1978 and lists Miami at 7.7 inches an hour. Hobe Sound's current 5-minute, 10-year rate is 10.4, so confirm which design basis your contractor used.

Discharge rules

Where downspout water must go on a Hobe Sound lot

Under Florida's residential code, a home whose eaves extend less than 6 inches needs gutters and downspouts, unless the spot is a gable end rake or a section where one roof rests over another. Downspouts must discharge at least 1 foot from the sidewall, through underground pipe, tail extensions or splash blocks.

With about 77.8 percent of Hobe Sound's occupied homes owner-occupied, many owners will manage their own lots. Check that water from the downspout moves away from the foundation and does not pool against it.

Keeping gutters clear

Leaves, trees and cleaning schedule in Hobe Sound

Live oaks are common in this area. The UF/IFAS guidance notes their fruit and leaves are a litter problem, and the trees can reach 60 to 80 feet tall. Oak and pine pollen peaks in March and April here, and pine needles drop most heavily in the fall months.

A practical rhythm is cleaning after the spring oak leaf drop and pollen in late April or May, again before the June through September storm season, and after the autumn pine-needle peak. Clean more often under heavy canopy. Hurricane season here runs June 1 to November 30, peaking around September 10.

Rain-soaked gutters with a 10-year, 5-minute burst of 10.4 inches an hour can overflow quickly. Do not climb a ladder when thunder can be heard. The National Weather Service Miami advises staying off roofs during thunder, since lightning can strike several miles from the storm.

Rain on your roof

Preset: 8.45 inches, the 10-year 24-hour rain (NOAA Atlas 14 at Hobe Sound).

10,529 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 Hobe Sound: questions

How hard does rain fall in Hobe Sound?

In a 10-year storm, Hobe Sound rain can fall at 10.4 inches an hour over five minutes, and at 3.24 inches an hour over one hour. A 10-year 24-hour storm drops 8.45 inches. Gutters and downspouts should be sized for these short bursts, not for typical rain. Ask any installer which design rate they used.

Source: NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Hobe Sound 2020 Census internal point (27.0745, -80.1432), read Oct 5, 2026

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How big should my gutters be in Hobe Sound?

The plumbing code sizes gutters from roof flow rate and slope. A 6-inch half-round gutter at 1/8 inch per foot carries about 110 gallons per minute, compared with 74 for a 5-inch one. Downspout size matters too: a 3-inch round leader carries about 92 gallons per minute. Your contractor should show the sizing calculation for your roof.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Plumbing, 8th ed., Chapter 11 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), read Oct 5, 2026

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Where can downspout water go on my Hobe Sound lot?

Florida's residential code requires downspouts to discharge at least 1 foot (305 mm) from the structure sidewall. You can use underground pipe, tail extensions or splash blocks. Check that water moves away from the foundation after heavy rain, especially on a lot in Martin County near the Atlantic side of the narrows.

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

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How often should I clean gutters near oak and pine trees in Hobe Sound?

Live oaks drop litter, and pine needles fall most from September through November. A practical schedule is cleaning in late April or May, before the June to September storm season, and after the autumn needle peak. Clean more often under heavy canopy, since clogged gutters can cause water damage and foundation issues. Martin County's storm season runs June 1 to November 30.

Source: ask.ifas.ufl.edu, read Oct 5, 2026

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Nearby

Gutters near Hobe Sound

Sources for this page(32)
  1. 1.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 77.8% (4,811 of 6,185). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  2. 2.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  3. 3.NWS Miami, Weather Safety - Lightning. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  4. 4.Wikipedia, 'Hobe Sound, Florida' (revision 1361216954). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  5. 5.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  6. 6.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  7. 7.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25004, via Census Reporter API. 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.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. 12.2023 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).
  13. 13.ask.ifas.ufl.edu. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  14. 14.blogs.ifas.ufl.edu. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  15. 15.ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  16. 16.thig.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  17. 17.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Hobe Sound 2020 Census internal point (27.0745, -80.1432), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  18. 18.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the Hobe Sound 2020 Census internal point (27.0745, -80.1432), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  19. 19.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, B25034, B25024, via Census Reporter API, U.S. Census Bureau (via Census Reporter). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  20. 20.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17), Citizens Property Insurance. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  21. 21.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  22. 22.Martin County Building Department, Martin County Building Department. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  23. 23.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian (AL052019), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  24. 24.Florida Building Commission, 'Setting New Standards for Safety: The Florida Building Code' (2004 publication; wind-speed figures in it are outdated and not used), Florida Building Commission. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  25. 25.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  27. 27.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (AL142016), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  28. 28.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  30. 30.Miami-Dade County RER notice, Miami. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  31. 31.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, floridaroof.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  32. 32.NOAA Atlas 14 at Hobe Sound: 10.4 in/hr (5-minute, 10-year). NOAA Atlas 14 Precipitation Frequency Data Server. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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Gutters in Hobe Sound

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