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Gutters · South Palm Beach

Gutters in South Palm Beach, FL

In a 10-year storm, rain falls at 11.3 inches an hour for five minutes in South Palm Beach, according to NOAA Atlas 14. That burst is what your gutters and downspouts have to carry away. A roof that handles normal rain can still overflow in a short, heavy cell. The sizing and discharge questions below follow from that one number.

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Updated October 2026

Cream-colored municipal building with arched entrances, palm trees and blue sky in daylight.
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: South Palm Beach FL town hall west side by CZmarlin — Christopher Ziemnowicz, releases all rights but a photo credit would be…, Public domain, cropped

Sizing for the burst

How heavy rain here sizes your gutters

Gutter capacity is set by the short, intense burst, not the daily total. The state plumbing code sizes horizontal gutters from the flow off the roof surface. Half-round gutters at 1/8 inch per foot slope are rated by diameter, so a 6-inch half-round carries about 110 gallons per minute, while a 5-inch carries 74. By our arithmetic, a 6-inch gutter carries roughly 49 percent more than a 5-inch at the same slope.

Wide view of a two-story stucco home with a charcoal shingle hip roof and a complete white gutter and downspout system, screened lanai, palms and a live oak (illustration)Illustration

Illustration: two story system

The sizing answer changes with the design basis. A gutter sized on the plumbing code's 100-year, one-hour rate covers far more roof than one sized on the five-minute, 10-year burst. The two bases differ by more than two times for the same 6-inch gutter. Confirm the rainfall rate your bid uses, and check the local building office's requirement before you buy.

Where the water goes

Downspout discharge rules for South Palm Beach lots

Gutters with downspouts are required under Florida's residential code when eaves project less than 6 inches, with some exceptions for gable rakes and roofs above other roofs. Each downspout has to end a foot out from the wall, which keeps water off the foundation. Because 87.3% of occupied homes here are owner-occupied, the downspout tail on your unit is often your own job to fix.

Downspout capacity also matters. A 3-by-4 1/4-inch or 4-inch round leader is rated at 192 gallons per minute, and a 2-by-2-inch leader only 30. About 75.9% of housing units here were built before 1980, so many roofs likely have leaders sized for a lighter rain than the 11.3-inch burst. Under the code, you add half the area of any wall that sheds rain onto the roof when sizing them.

Keeping gutters clear

Leaves, pine needles and cleaning here

Live oaks drop leaves and litter through the spring. Pines drop needles most in September through November. Clogged gutters are a common reason water backs onto fascia and roof edges during the June-to-November storm season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. Tower Hill Insurance Group advises cleaning gutters at least twice a year, spring and fall, and more often under overhanging trees.

Rain on your roof

Preset: 9.13 inches, the 10-year 24-hour rain (NOAA Atlas 14 at South Palm Beach).

11,376 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 South Palm Beach: questions

How hard does rain fall in South Palm Beach?

In a 10-year storm, rain here falls at 11.3 inches an hour over five minutes, and 13.3 inches an hour in a 25-year storm. A one-hour 10-year rain falls at 3.54 inches an hour. NOAA Atlas 14 gives those rates for this town. A gutter sized only for normal rain can overflow in a short, heavy burst. Ask for the rainfall rate behind any sizing quote.

Source: NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the South Palm Beach 2020 Census internal point (26.5904, -80.0380), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

What gutter size should a South Palm Beach home use?

The state plumbing code sizes gutters from roof flow, and a 6-inch half-round at 1/8 inch per foot carries about 110 gallons per minute. A 5-inch carries 74. The right size depends on your roof area and the rainfall rate used. Confirm the requirement with the Town of South Palm Beach Building Department before you choose a size.

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

Related: Gutters

How far from the house must downspouts discharge?

The residential code sets the minimum at 1 foot from the structure sidewall. A tail extension, splash block or underground pipe can meet it. In South Palm Beach, where 89.7% of housing units are in buildings with 10 or more units, ask your association who maintains the downspouts before you change anything.

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 gutters be cleaned near oak and pine trees?

Clean gutters at least twice a year, in spring and fall, per Tower Hill Insurance Group. Clean more often under overhanging trees or during storm season, which runs June 1 to November 30. Pine needles peak from September through November, and live oaks drop leaves and litter in the spring.

Source: thig.com, read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

Nearby

Gutters near South Palm Beach

Sources for this page(29)
  1. 1.Permit office: Town of South Palm Beach - Building Department. Town of South Palm Beach - Building Department. Read Oct 10, 2026.
  2. 2.Owner-occupied share of occupied homes: 87.3% (870 of 997). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25003, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  3. 3.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25034, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  4. 4.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  5. 5.NWS Miami, Weather Safety - Lightning. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  6. 6.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024), table B25024, via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  7. 7.2023 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").
  8. 8.NOAA Atlas 14 (HDSC Precipitation Frequency Data Server). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  9. 9.2023 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).
  10. 10.2023 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").
  11. 11.bergerbp.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  12. 12.ask.ifas.ufl.edu. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  13. 13.ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  14. 14.thig.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  15. 15.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the South Palm Beach 2020 Census internal point (26.5904, -80.0380), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  16. 16.Town of South Palm Beach - Building Department, southpalmbeach.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  17. 17.NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration 24-hour depth estimates at the South Palm Beach 2020 Census internal point (26.5904, -80.0380), NOAA Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  18. 18.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.
  19. 19.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17), Citizens Property Insurance. Read Oct 4, 2026.
  20. 20.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  21. 21.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
  22. 22.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.
  23. 23.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (AL142016), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  24. 24.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (AL112017), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  25. 25.Wikipedia, 'South Palm Beach, Florida' (revision 1375551178), Wikipedia. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  26. 26.NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian (AL052019), NOAA National Hurricane Center. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  27. 27.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  28. 28.NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (access data service), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Read Oct 5, 2026.
  29. 29.NOAA Atlas 14 at South Palm Beach: 11.3 in/hr (5-minute, 10-year). NOAA Atlas 14 Precipitation Frequency Data Server. Read Oct 5, 2026.

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Gutters in South Palm Beach

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