Gutters · Surfside

Gutters in Surfside, FL

Rain in Surfside can fall at 11 inches an hour during a 5-minute burst in a 10-year storm. In a 100-year storm that burst rises to 16.1 inches an hour. With so much water arriving in a short time, the size and placement of each downspout in this beachside town matter more than how the gutter looks.

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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.

Surfside figures this page uses

Single-family detached share of housing units: 37.9%
Housing units (ACS 5-year): 3,782
Median year homes were built: 1973

Sizing for the burst

When choosing gutter size for Surfside, plan around brief but intense rainfall rather than steady drizzle

An older sizing table, built on records through 1978, lists Miami at 7.7 inches an hour. The current Atlas 14 figure for Surfside is 11 inches an hour for the same 5-minute, 10-year burst. A gutter chosen from the old number is undersized for today's rate, so ask any installer which rate they used.

Close three-quarter view of a new white seamless K-style aluminum gutter along the eave of a single-story stucco ranch home with a dark shingle roof, live oaks and cumulus sky behind (illustration)

Illustration: seamless k style white

Over a full hour, a 10-year storm here falls at 3.42 inches an hour, and a 24-hour total reaches 8.52 inches. Of the sizes in the plumbing code, a 6-inch half-round gutter at 1/8 inch per foot carries 110 gallons a minute, about 49 percent more than a 5-inch one.

About 76.6 percent of the normal annual rain at Miami International falls from May through October. Roof plan area, pitch factor and any wall that sheds onto the roof all add flow, so each downspout should be checked against the code table for your actual roof.

Where the water goes

Where Surfside downspouts must send the water

The Florida Building Code requires gutters with downspouts on buildings whose eaves project less than 6 inches, except at gable end rakes or over another roof. Water has to leave the wall zone, not pool beside it. That matters on a town lot with a house or condominium close to the next building.

In Surfside, 29.5 percent of housing units are held for seasonal or occasional use, against 4.6 percent countywide. A downspout that dumps against a wall can run for weeks with nobody home to see it, so a discharge check belongs on your arrival list.

Keep them working

Cleaning and gutter material on a beachside lot

Insurers' guidance is to clean gutters at least twice a year, in spring and fall, and more often with overhanging trees or frequent storms. Under oaks and pines, clean after spring leaf drop, before June, and after the autumn needle peak.

Gutters on one- and two-family homes must be metal or approved plastic rated for outdoor exposure, fastened with corrosion-resistant fasteners. With the Atlantic on one side of town and Biscayne Bay on the other, salt air makes that fastener rule worth checking.

Rain on your roof

Roof area (square feet)Rain (inches)

Preset: 8.52 inches, the 10-year 24-hour rain (NOAA Atlas 14 at Surfside).

10,616 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 Surfside: questions

How hard does it rain in Surfside for gutter sizing?

For a 10-year storm, NOAA Atlas 14 puts the 5-minute rate in Surfside at 11 inches an hour and the 1-hour rate at 3.42 inches an hour. For a 100-year storm the 5-minute rate is 16.1 inches an hour. A 10-year, 24-hour rain totals 8.52 inches. Ask your installer which of these rates their gutter size is based on.

Source: NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Surfside 2020 Census internal point (25.8788, -80.1250), read Oct 5, 2026

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How far from my wall must a downspout discharge?

At least 1 foot from the sidewall, using underground piping, tail extensions or splash blocks. That is the Florida Building Code rule, and the same wording appears in the residential and building volumes. Surfside has 3,782 housing units, 37.9 percent of them single-family detached, so many homes sit close to a lot line and need the water carried clear.

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

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When should I clean gutters in Surfside?

Clean at least twice a year, in spring and fall, and again before June if you have trees overhead. At Miami International, 51.64 of 67.41 inches of normal annual rain falls from May through October. Check them again after any big storm, since clogged gutters can lead to water damage, mold and foundation problems.

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), read Oct 5, 2026

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Do older Surfside roofs affect my gutters?

They can. The median Surfside home was built in 1973, with a margin of error of 5 years, so many gutters and fascia boards are likely old too. Granules collecting in the gutters can be a sign shingles are wearing out. A roof inspection can also find loose seams and worn flashings. Confirm permit needs with the Town of Surfside Building office.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API, read Oct 5, 2026

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