Gutters · Lake Clarke Shores
Gutters in Lake Clarke Shores, FL
In Lake Clarke Shores, a 10-year, 5-minute downpour falls at 11.2 inches an hour. That burst, more than the yearly total, sets how large your gutters and downspouts need to be. A 1-hour storm of that same 10-year size still runs at 3.49 inches an hour, and a 24-hour storm drops about 9 inches.
Updated October 2026
Lake Clarke Shores figures this page uses
- Owner-occupied share of occupied homes
- 92.9%
- Single-family detached share of housing units
- 75.6%
- Median year homes were built
- 1978
Rain intensity
How much water Lake Clarke Shores roofs must carry
Gutters are sized for the fastest rain you expect, not the average day. Here the 25-year five-minute rate is 13.2 inches an hour and the 100-year rate is 16.4. Those rates sit above the older regional table, so gutters sized from that table may run short.
IllustrationIllustration: downpour no gutter
Plumbing code sizes horizontal gutters by roof flow, and it lists capacity per slope. Locally, a 6-inch half-round gutter at 1/8 inch per foot is the size that carries the most of the two options here. By our arithmetic, it gives about 49 percent more capacity than a 5-inch one.
Palm Beach County sits where West Palm Beach Intl Airport records a normal 61.75 inches of rain a year, and 67.3 percent of it falls from May through October. Gutters here work hardest in that wet half of the year.
Downspouts
Downspouts, discharge and where the water goes
Florida Building Code places the discharge point of each downspout at least 1 foot out from the sidewall, by underground piping, tail extensions or splash blocks. In a 10-year storm that delivers about 9 inches in 24 hours, a short downspout dumping at the wall can soak the footing.
Most homes here are owner-occupied single-family houses, so the lot drainage is yours to manage. Splash blocks and tail extensions are the plain fixes.
- Check that each downspout discharges at least 1 foot from the wall.
- Confirm the leader size matches the gutter flow, with a 3 by 4 1/4 inch or 4 inch round leader carrying 192 gallons per minute.
- Add capacity for any vertical wall that drains onto the roof.
Debris
Leaves, pollen and cleaning Lake Clarke Shores gutters
Live oaks drop litter, and pollen peaks in March and April. Pine needles reach their heaviest fall in autumn, so a roof under pines needs gutters checked in late fall. A clogged gutter loses its capacity fast, so clean after the spring oak and pollen drop and again after the autumn needle peak.
With a median build year of 1978, many gutters in town are likely original or old. Tower Hill Insurance Group advises cleaning twice a year and more often under heavy tree cover. Ask a roofer about checking gutters with the roof, since NRCA treats cleaning and inspection together.
Rain on your roof
Preset: 8.99 inches, the 10-year 24-hour rain (NOAA Atlas 14 at Lake Clarke Shores).
11,202 gallons run off that roof, all of it toward the gutters and downspouts.
Math: square feet × inches × 0.623 gallons.
Questions
Gutters in Lake Clarke Shores: questions
How hard does it rain in Lake Clarke Shores?
A 5-minute, 10-year downpour here falls at 11.2 inches an hour, and a 100-year burst reaches 16.4 inches an hour. A 1-hour storm in a 10-year event falls at 3.49 inches an hour. Those rates set gutter capacity, so size gutters for the burst, not the yearly total. Confirm local design rates with the Town of Lake Clarke Shores building office.
Source: NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Lake Clarke Shores 2020 Census internal point (26.6456, -80.0753), read Oct 5, 2026
What size gutters do Lake Clarke Shores homes need?
Plumbing code sizes horizontal gutters by roof flow and slope. A 6-inch half-round gutter at 1/8 inch per foot carries about 110 gallons per minute, against 74 for a 5-inch. Pitch and wall area add to the design flow. A roofer can measure your roof and match the size to the rain rate here.
Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Plumbing, 8th ed., Chapter 11 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), read Oct 5, 2026
How far from the house should downspouts discharge?
Under the Florida Building Code, a downspout must discharge at least 1 foot from the structure sidewall. Underground piping, tail extensions or splash blocks can do this. Where a 24-hour storm reaches about 9 inches in a 10-year event, a downspout that dumps at the wall can wet the footing. Check each downspout yourself after the next heavy rain.
Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Chapter 8 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), read Oct 5, 2026
Sources for this page(35)
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- 3.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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- 7.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 92.9% (1,080 of 1,162). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 8.Single-family detached share of housing units: 75.6%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 9.Median year homes were built: 1978. 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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- 12.NOAA Atlas 14 (HDSC Precipitation Frequency Data Server). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 13.2023 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").
- 14.2023 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").
- 15.2023 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).
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- 21.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Lake Clarke Shores 2020 Census internal point (26.6456, -80.0753), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 22.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (AL142016), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 23.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the Lake Clarke Shores 2020 Census internal point (26.6456, -80.0753), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
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- 35.NOAA Atlas 14 at Lake Clarke Shores: 11.2 in/hr (5-minute, 10-year). NOAA Atlas 14 Precipitation Frequency Data Server. Read Oct 5, 2026.
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Gutters in Lake Clarke Shores
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