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Gutters · Palm Beach Shores

Gutters in Palm Beach Shores, FL

A 5-minute downpour in a 10-year storm falls at 11.1 inches an hour in Palm Beach Shores, according to NOAA Atlas 14. That rate, not the yearly total, sets how much gutter and downspout capacity your roof needs. A 24-hour storm in a 10-year event drops 9.26 inches. Gutters that handle only ordinary rain will overflow in the bursts this town gets.

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Updated October 2026

Sandy beach lined with white beachfront condo towers under cumulus clouds above turquoise ocean water.
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: Atlantic Ocean, West Palm Beach, Florida by David Broad, CC BY 3.0, cropped

Sizing for the burst

How much gutter capacity a Palm Beach Shores roof needs

Plumbing code sizes gutters from the flow off the roof, not from the rain you see over a month. The design rate for a Palm Beach Shores roof is the short, intense burst. A 1-hour 10-year storm here falls at 3.44 inches an hour, and the 5-minute rate is far higher, so the short burst drives the sizing.

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

The code table shows how much a size change matters. Half-round gutters in the 6-inch size at 1/8 inch per foot slope carry 110 gallons per minute, while the 5-inch size carries 74. The larger gutter moves roughly half again as much water on the same slope.

Palm Beach County gets 61.75 inches of rain a year at West Palm Beach Intl Airport, and 67.3 percent of it falls from May through October. Your gutters do most of their work in those six months, so size them for that season.

  • Measure the roof plan area each run drains, then add half of any wall that sheds rain onto that roof.
  • Compare the result against the gallons-per-minute values in the plumbing code table.
  • Ask the building office which design rainfall basis it applies before you pick a size.

Where the water exits

Downspout placement and discharge rules in Palm Beach Shores

The residential code requires gutters with downspouts where eaves project less than 6 inches, except at gable end rakes or on a roof above another roof. On a Palm Beach Shores lot, a downspout that ends within a foot of the wall can send water toward a foundation that already sits on a narrow barrier island.

Palm Beach Shores has 43.8 percent of its area under water, so drainage has few places to go. Ask the building office how it wants runoff routed on your lot before you choose underground piping or splash blocks.

Keeping gutters clear

Leaves, pollen and cleaning on Singer Island lots

Live oaks and cedars are among the trees that produce pollen and litter here. Southern live oak leaves are a litter problem, and oaks, pines and melaleucas are major pollen producers in Florida. Clogged gutters lose the capacity the code table assumes.

Under heavy canopy, plan cleanings after spring oak leaf drop, before the June through September storm season, and after the autumn pine-needle peak. Tower Hill Insurance Group recommends cleaning at least twice a year and more often under overhanging trees.

Rain on your roof

Preset: 9.26 inches, the 10-year 24-hour rain (NOAA Atlas 14 at Palm Beach Shores).

11,538 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 Palm Beach Shores: questions

How hard does it rain in Palm Beach Shores?

A 5-minute downpour in a 10-year storm falls at 11.1 inches an hour in Palm Beach Shores, according to NOAA Atlas 14. The 1-hour 10-year rate is 3.44 inches an hour. A 24-hour 10-year storm brings 9.26 inches. Gutters sized for ordinary rain can overflow in these short, intense bursts. Compare your gutter size with the plumbing code table before you decide.

Source: NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Palm Beach Shores 2020 Census internal point (26.7774, -80.0344), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

How far from the wall must a downspout discharge?

The residential code requires downspouts to end at least 1 foot from the structure sidewall. Routing can use underground piping, tail extensions or splash blocks. Palm Beach Shores has 43.8 percent of its area under water, so confirm the routing with the Town of Palm Beach Shores Building Department before you finish the work.

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

Related: Gutters

Are gutters required on a Palm Beach Shores house?

Many houses here predate current gutter rules, since the median home was built in 1969 and 70.6 percent were built before 1980. The residential code requires gutters with downspouts where eaves project less than 6 inches, with exceptions for gable end rakes and roofs above another roof. Measure your own eave depth and ask the building office how the rule applies to your structure.

Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., R318.5 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription); FBC-Building 1503.7, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

How often should I clean gutters near oaks in Palm Beach Shores?

Tower Hill Insurance Group recommends cleaning gutters at least twice a year, and more often with overhanging trees or frequent storms. Palm Beach County sees 67.3 percent of its rain from May through October, so clean before that stretch begins. Southern live oak leaves are a litter problem. Plan a cleaning after spring leaf drop and before the June through September storm season.

Source: thig.com, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

Nearby

Gutters near Palm Beach Shores

Sources for this page(33)
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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.
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  6. 6.Hurricane Matthew (2016). NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (AL142016). Read Oct 5, 2026.
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  10. 10.Median year homes were built: 1969. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25035, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  11. 11.2023 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").
  12. 12.bergerbp.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  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. 14.2023 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. 15.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Chapter 3 (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).
  16. 16.ask.ifas.ufl.edu. Read Oct 5, 2026.
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  22. 22.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the Palm Beach Shores 2020 Census internal point (26.7774, -80.0344), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  23. 23.Town of Palm Beach Shores - Building Department, Town of Palm Beach Shores. Read Oct 5, 2026.
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  27. 27.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17), Citizens Property Insurance. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  28. 28.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.Florida Statutes, section 713.135 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  30. 30.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  31. 31.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology, NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  32. 32.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  33. 33.NOAA Atlas 14 at Palm Beach Shores: 11.1 in/hr (5-minute, 10-year). NOAA Atlas 14 Precipitation Frequency Data Server. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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Gutters in Palm Beach Shores

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