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Gutters · Cutler Bay

Gutters in Cutler Bay, FL

In a 10-year storm, rain in Cutler Bay can fall at 10.5 inches an hour for five minutes, according to NOAA Atlas 14. That short burst is what your gutters and downspouts have to move off the roof. Undersized gutters overflow in exactly these bursts, and the water runs down the fascia and into the wall or the ground beside the house.

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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.

Sizing for local storms

How Cutler Bay rain sizes your gutters

Gutter sizing starts with the flow the roof sends into them. The plumbing code sizes horizontal gutters from the roof surface flow, and a 6 inch half-round gutter at a 1/8 inch per foot slope carries 110 gallons per minute. A 5 inch half-round at the same slope carries 74. That difference is roughly 49 percent more capacity from one size step.

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

Your Cutler Bay roof area matters as much as the gutter size. The 1-hour, 10-year rain here is 3.34 inches an hour, and the 24-hour, 10-year depth is 7.66 inches. A short intense burst pushes water into the gutter faster than a long soaking rain, so the 5-minute figure is the one that tests the gutter. Pitched roofs need their plan area multiplied by a factor that rises with slope, so a steeper roof sends more water per square foot.

Miami-Dade County gets most of its rain in a defined season. At Miami International Airport, 76.6 percent of the 67.41 inch annual normal falls from May through October, and June is the wettest month at 10.51 inches. Gutters need to be clear and sound before June, not after the first big storm.

  • Measure the plan area of each roof section, then apply the pitch factor.
  • Compare the result with the gutter capacity at your actual slope.
  • Check downspout count, since a 2 1/2 by 3 inch leader carries 92 gallons per minute.

Code rules for downspouts

Downspout discharge and where the water goes

Florida residential code requires gutters with downspouts on buildings whose eaves project less than 6 inches. Each downspout must discharge at least 1 foot from the building sidewall, whether by underground piping, tail extensions or splash blocks. Cutler Bay sits on flat, low-lying coastal wetland along Biscayne Bay, so water that lands next to a foundation has nowhere to go but back toward the house.

About 65.8 percent of Cutler Bay housing units are single-family detached homes, and the median home was built in 1984. Many original gutters on houses of that age are likely past their service life. Gutters must be securely fastened with corrosion resistant fasteners compatible with the gutter metal. Aluminum resists salt air corrosion, and a hidden hanger system at 16 inch spacing adds uplift resistance on storm-prone sites.

Debris and maintenance

Leaves, pollen and cleaning on Cutler Bay lots

Southern live oaks drop leaves and fruit that become a litter problem in gutters, and they can reach 60 to 80 feet tall. Florida pollen runs from January to June, peaking in March and April, and oaks are among the major producers. Gutter screens help, but Consumer Reports found that even the top-scoring screen struggled to contain a severe downpour, and maintenance still requires a ladder.

A sensible cleaning rhythm for a Cutler Bay lot with heavy canopy is after the spring oak leaf drop, before the June through September storm season, and again after the autumn pine needle peak. Cleaning twice a year is the common advice, and more often under overhanging trees. On a lot where a 10-year 5-minute rain falls at 10.5 inches an hour, a half-clogged gutter spills most of its water onto the fascia.

Rain on your roof

Preset: 7.66 inches, the 10-year 24-hour rain (NOAA Atlas 14 at Cutler Bay).

9,544 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 Cutler Bay: questions

How hard does it rain in Cutler Bay?

Cutler Bay gets intense short bursts. NOAA Atlas 14 puts a 5-minute rain in a 10-year storm at 10.5 inches an hour, and a 100-year storm at 15.3 inches an hour. The 24-hour, 10-year depth is 7.66 inches. Gutters sized only for gentle rain can overflow during these events, so ask your contractor which storm figure the sizing used.

Source: NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Cutler Bay 2020 Census internal point (25.5761, -80.3340), read Oct 5, 2026

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What size gutter do I need for my roof?

Size depends on your roof area, pitch and slope. A 6 inch half-round gutter at a 1/8 inch per foot slope carries 110 gallons per minute, while a 5 inch carries 74. Pitched roofs need their plan area multiplied by a factor that rises from 1.05 at 4 to 5 in. per foot to 1.30 at 12 in. per foot. Measure each roof section and compare against the table.

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

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How far from my house must downspouts discharge?

Downspouts must discharge at least 1 foot from the building sidewall under the Florida residential code. In Cutler Bay, where a 10-year 5-minute rain falls at 10.5 inches an hour, that distance decides whether the water runs off or soaks the foundation. The discharge can be through underground piping, tail extensions or splash blocks. Confirm that the water moves away from the foundation rather than pooling beside it.

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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How often should gutters be cleaned under oak trees in Cutler Bay?

Experts commonly recommend cleaning gutters at least twice a year, in spring and fall, and more often under overhanging trees. In Cutler Bay, where a 10-year 5-minute rain falls at 10.5 inches an hour, a gutter clogged with oak litter cannot keep up with a burst. Southern live oaks, which can reach 60 to 80 feet tall, produce leaves and fruit that become a litter problem. Pollen runs January to June, and the autumn pine needle peak falls from September through November.

Source: thig.com, read Oct 5, 2026

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Nearby

Gutters near Cutler Bay

Sources for this page(36)
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  2. 2.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  3. 3.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  4. 4.Wikipedia, 'Cutler Bay, Florida' (revision 1374300867). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  5. 5.Hurricane Irma (2017). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  6. 6.Single-family detached share of housing units: 65.8%. 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.Median year homes were built: 1984. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, 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 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").
  13. 13.Gutterall 6K hanger. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  14. 14.ask.ifas.ufl.edu. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  15. 15.blogs.ifas.ufl.edu. Read Oct 5, 2026.
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  18. 18.NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  19. 19.ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  20. 20.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Cutler Bay 2020 Census internal point (25.5761, -80.3340), 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 Cutler Bay 2020 Census internal point (25.5761, -80.3340), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  22. 22.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
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  25. 25.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
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  27. 27.Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  28. 28.Town of Cutler Bay - Permits and Inspections, Town of Cutler Bay. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). 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.Florida Statutes, section 553.842 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  33. 33.miamidade.gov, miamidade.gov. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  34. 34.Florida Statutes, section 713.135 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  35. 35.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  36. 36.NOAA Atlas 14 at Cutler Bay: 10.5 in/hr (5-minute, 10-year). NOAA Atlas 14 Precipitation Frequency Data Server. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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Gutters in Cutler Bay

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