Gutters · Westwood Lakes

Gutters in Westwood Lakes, FL

In a 10-year storm, rain in Westwood Lakes can fall at 10.9 inches an hour over five minutes, according to NOAA Atlas 14 values for this town. That is a burst gutters must move quickly. Most homes here were built long ago, so older gutters may be undersized, clogged or pulling away from the fascia. Gutter sizing, downspout discharge and the leaves and trees that load these gutters all follow from that rain.

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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 the burst

Sizing Westwood Lakes gutters for a 10.9 inch burst

Gutter size follows how fast water arrives at the eave. Here a 10-year, 5-minute burst reaches 10.9 inches an hour, and a 100-year burst reaches 15.6. That is about 43 percent more intensity in the rarer storm. A gutter sized only for an average rain can overflow during one of these bursts.

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

The plumbing code sizes horizontal gutters from the roof flow they carry. A 6 inch half-round gutter at 1/8 inch per foot slope is rated near 110 gallons per minute, while a 5 inch at the same slope is rated near 74 gallons per minute. Downspouts are rated separately, so a wide gutter can still choke at a small leader.

Check each downspout size against the roof area it drains, since leaders carry a set amount of water.
Count the wall area of any tall wall that sheds rain onto the roof, and add half of it to the roof area.
Ask whether the existing gutters are 5 inch or 6 inch half-round before accepting a repair.

Where the water goes

Downspout discharge and the one-foot rule

Under the Florida Building Code, your downspouts have to send water out at least one foot past the side wall of the building. On a Westwood Lakes lot, that keeps a heavy burst from running against the foundation and under the slab edge.

Gutters on one- and two-family homes must be metal or approved plastic with lapped, soldered or caulked joints, and fastened with corrosion resistant devices. Confirm current details with the Miami-Dade County building office, which issues permits for this unincorporated area.

Keeping gutters clear

Leaves, trees and cleaning in Westwood Lakes

Clogged gutters cannot carry a burst, and debris sitting in them adds weight. Southern live oaks can grow 60 to 80 feet tall and drop litter, and pollen from oaks and pines peaks in March and April. Under heavy canopy, clean more often than the usual twice a year.

The inspection schedule to follow is spring after oak leaf drop, before the June through September storm season, and after the autumn pine-needle peak. Ninety-four percent of homes here predate 1980, so check fascia and hangers during those cleanings.

Rain on your roof

Roof area (square feet)Rain (inches)

Preset: 8.55 inches, the 10-year 24-hour rain (NOAA Atlas 14 at Westwood Lakes).

10,653 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 Westwood Lakes: questions

How hard does rain fall in Westwood Lakes?

A 10-year, 5-minute burst here falls at 10.9 inches an hour, based on NOAA Atlas 14 values for this town. The 100-year burst reaches 15.6 inches an hour. In a 10-year storm, you can expect a full day of rain to add up to 8.55 inches. Gutters sized for an ordinary rain may overflow in one of these storms, so ask a contractor which storm frequency their sizing uses.

Source: NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Westwood Lakes 2020 Census internal point (25.7247, -80.3693), read Oct 5, 2026

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Where should downspouts drain in Westwood Lakes?

Under the Florida Building Code, your downspouts have to send water out at least one foot past the side wall of the building. In Westwood Lakes, where 94.3 percent of homes were built before 1980, that matters most on older slabs. Keep the water away from the foundation. Check current requirements with the Miami-Dade County building office.

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 near Westwood Lakes trees?

Experts recommend cleaning gutters at least twice a year, typically spring and fall, and more often under the oaks and pines common in Miami-Dade County. Mature southern live oaks may reach 60 to 80 feet in height, and their falling debris can clog gutters over time. Pine needles peak in autumn, so schedule a cleaning after that drop as well.

Source: thig.com, read Oct 5, 2026

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What gutter size fits a Westwood Lakes home?

Gutter size should follow the roof area and the rain it must carry, not the house age alone. A 6 inch half-round at 1/8 inch per foot slope is rated near 110 gallons per minute, while a 5 inch is rated near 74. Ask for the sizing basis in writing, and confirm the downspout size as well.

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

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