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Gutters · North Palm Beach

Gutters in North Palm Beach, FL

A 5-minute downpour in a 10-year storm falls at 10.7 inches an hour in North Palm Beach. Gutters and downspouts here must carry water faster than most Florida roofs ask. Sizing them for a gentle rain will leave water running over the edge in the first heavy storm of the season.

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Updated October 2026

Aerial view of green mangrove channels and tidal water with high-rise condominiums on the distant shore.
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: Munyon Island by Floridalooper, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

Sizing for local rain

How much water North Palm Beach gutters must carry

Sizing starts with the storm the gutter must handle. Local rainfall data gives a 1-hour rain in a 10-year storm at 3.34 inches an hour, and a 24-hour rain of 9.16 inches in the same storm. A gutter that handles the short burst will still flood during a long soaking.

White rectangular downspout running from the gutter down a sand-colored stucco wall, turning through an elbow into an extension that rests on a concrete splash block on the lawn, carrying water away from the foundation (illustration)Illustration

Illustration: downspout splash block

Here the 10.7 inch an hour burst is the figure to size against. A 6 inch half-round gutter at 1/8 inch per foot carries about 110 gallons per minute, while a 5 inch at the same slope carries 74. The bigger size moves roughly half again as much water, which matters at this village's burst rate.

Pitch matters too. A steeper roof sends more water into the gutter, so the design area grows with the slope. Ask the installer to show the roof area and pitch used in the calculation.

Code and discharge

Downspout size, placement and the one-foot rule

The leader has to keep up with the gutter feeding it. A 2 1/2 by 3 inch leader carries 92 gallons per minute, and a 3 by 4 inch leader carries 192. Add half the area of any wall that sheds rain onto the roof before you pick a size.

Most of the 8,427 housing units here are older, and the median build year of 1972 suggests many downspouts end at the wall. Code now wants the water moved a foot out, by underground piping, tail extensions or splash blocks. Water dumped against a foundation is the usual cause of wet walls and settled soil.

Gutters with downspouts are required where eaves project less than 6 inches, except at gable rakes or on a roof above another roof. Palm Beach County normals show 86.1 days a year with at least 0.10 inch of rain at the airport, so the system works often. Confirm how the rule applies to your roof with the Village of North Palm Beach building office.

Keeping gutters clear

Leaves, pine needles and cleaning schedule

Southern live oaks shed leaves and fruit that become litter, and their canopy can spread 60 to 120 feet. Oak and pine pollen peaks in March and April, and needles drop heaviest in the autumn months. Debris from these trees overflows onto the same walls the downspout rule protects.

A trade guide advises cleaning gutters at least twice a year, and more often under overhanging trees or during frequent storms. Under oaks and pines, clean after the spring leaf and pollen drop, before the June to September storm season, and after the autumn needle peak.

Rain on your roof

Preset: 9.16 inches, the 10-year 24-hour rain (NOAA Atlas 14 at North Palm Beach).

11,413 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 North Palm Beach: questions

How much rain falls in a 10-year storm in North Palm Beach?

A 5-minute downpour in a 10-year storm falls at 10.7 inches an hour in North Palm Beach. A 1-hour rain in the same storm falls at 3.34 inches an hour, and a 24-hour rain totals 9.16 inches. These are NOAA Atlas 14 figures for this village. Gutters should be sized against the short burst, since that is the hardest load they will face. Ask your installer which storm the gutter was designed to carry and confirm the number with the Village of North Palm Beach building office if you have questions about your specific lot.

Source: NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the North Palm Beach 2020 Census internal point (26.8200, -80.0573), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

Where should a downspout drain on an older North Palm Beach home?

Code wants downspouts to discharge at least 1 foot from the sidewall, by underground piping, tail extensions or splash blocks. The median home here was built in 1972 and 72.8 percent of units predate 1980, so many original downspouts likely dump water at the wall. That suggests checking yours after the next heavy rain. West Palm Beach airport records 86.1 days a year with at least 0.10 inch of rain, so water arrives often. Confirm any permit question with the village building office.

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

Related: Gutters

How often should I clean gutters under trees in North Palm Beach?

A trade guide recommends cleaning gutters at least twice a year, typically in spring and fall, and more often under overhanging trees or during frequent storms. Southern live oaks spread 60 to 120 feet and drop leaves and fruit, while pine needles fall most from September through November. Because 67.3 percent of the airport's yearly rain falls from May through October, clean before June so the gutters are clear when the wet season starts.

Source: thig.com, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

Nearby

Gutters near North Palm Beach

Sources for this page(31)
  1. 1.Housing units (ACS 5-year): 8,427. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25001, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  2. 2.Median year homes were built: 1972. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. 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.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  5. 5.Permit office: Village of North Palm Beach - Licenses & Permits. Village of North Palm Beach - Licenses & Permits. Read Oct 10, 2026.
  6. 6.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  7. 7.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  8. 8.Hurricane Matthew (2016). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (AL142016). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  9. 9.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  10. 10.2023 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").
  11. 11.bergerbp.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  12. 12.2023 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").
  13. 13.2023 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).
  14. 14.ask.ifas.ufl.edu. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  15. 15.blogs.ifas.ufl.edu. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  16. 16.ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  17. 17.thig.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  18. 18.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the North Palm Beach 2020 Census internal point (26.8200, -80.0573), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  19. 19.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the North Palm Beach 2020 Census internal point (26.8200, -80.0573), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  20. 20.Village of North Palm Beach - Licenses & Permits, Village of North Palm Beach. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  21. 21.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (AL142016), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  22. 22.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.
  23. 23.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17), Citizens Property Insurance. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  24. 24.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  25. 25.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.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.
  27. 27.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian (AL052019), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  28. 28.Wikipedia, 'List of municipalities in Florida', Wikipedia. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.Wikipedia, 'North Palm Beach, Florida' (revision 1378596049), Wikipedia. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  30. 30.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  31. 31.NOAA Atlas 14 at North Palm Beach: 10.7 in/hr (5-minute, 10-year). NOAA Atlas 14 Precipitation Frequency Data Server. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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Gutters in North Palm Beach

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