Gutters · Wellington

Gutters in Wellington, FL

A 5-minute downpour in a 10-year storm falls at 10.3 inches an hour in Wellington, according to NOAA's Atlas 14 rainfall data for this village. Your gutters and downspouts have to move that burst off the roof in seconds. Many older gutters were sized for lighter rain, so it is worth checking them before the June to November rainy season.

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Updated October 2026

Outdoor amphitheater stage with a green lawn, palm trees and blue sky with clouds. — Photo: Amphitheater Wellington, Florida front by Dee.lite, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

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. — Photo: Amphitheater Wellington, Florida front by Dee.lite, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

Rainfall and sizing

How hard Wellington rain tests your gutters

A 1-hour rain in a 10-year storm falls at 3.12 inches an hour here, and a 24-hour storm of that size drops 8.1 inches. The 100-year 24-hour total is 14.4 inches. Your gutters have to carry the short, heavy bursts, not the daily total.

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: downspout splash block

Wellington sits near the wet end of the state. Palm Beach County's airport averages 61.75 inches of rain a year, and about 67 percent of that falls from May through October. Roughly 41.6 inches of a normal year lands in those six months.

The older sizing table most gutter makers still print was built on 5-minute, 10-year rates of 7.7 to 8.3 inches an hour for Florida cities. Wellington's Atlas 14 figure is higher, so a gutter that met that old table may fall short here.

Downspouts and discharge

Downspout size and where the water goes

The plumbing code sizes horizontal gutters by roof flow, and a 6-inch half-round carries about 49 percent more water than a 5-inch at the same slope. Downspouts are sized separately. A 2 1/2 by 3 inch leader carries 92 gpm, and a 3 by 4 inch carries 192 gpm, so downspout size can limit a gutter that is otherwise adequate.

About 71.1 percent of Wellington's housing units are single-family detached homes, so most roofs here drain to a yard rather than a shared walkway. With a median build year of 1995, many original gutters are likely near the end of their life, and their downspouts may still empty beside the foundation.

Check the gutter width and slope against the code table before replacing it.
Add the wall area that sheds rain onto the roof when you size the system.
Confirm each downspout has an outlet at least 1 foot from the wall.

Debris and cleaning

Leaves, trees and cleaning in Wellington

Southern live oaks in this area can grow 60 to 80 feet tall, and their leaves and fruit are a known litter problem. Florida pollen peaks in March and April, and oaks are among the main producers. Pines drop most of their needles from September through November.

A sensible rhythm under heavy canopy is a cleaning after the spring oak drop, one before the June storm season, and one after the autumn needle peak. An insurer's guidance suggests twice a year, and more often with overhanging trees. Gutter guards help, but independent testing found that even good screens struggled with a severe downpour.

Rain on your roof

Roof area (square feet)Rain (inches)

Preset: 8.1 inches, the 10-year 24-hour rain (NOAA Atlas 14 at Wellington).

10,093 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 Wellington: questions

How big should my gutters be for a Wellington storm?

Start with the rain, not the roof alone. Wellington's Atlas 14 figure for a 5-minute, 10-year downpour is 10.3 inches an hour. Measure your gutter width, slope and downspout size, then compare them against the plumbing code's flow table. A contractor or your building office can confirm the numbers for your specific roof.

Source: NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 9 version 2, partial-duration intensity estimates at the Wellington 2020 Census internal point (26.6490, -80.2672), read Oct 5, 2026

Related: Gutters

Do Wellington gutters need downspouts on every corner?

Whether a given wall needs a downspout depends on its eave projection and roof layout, and the residential code sets those conditions. Each downspout must discharge at least 1 foot from the wall. Check the layout of your Wellington home with the Village of Wellington building office before you change an existing system.

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 I clean gutters under oak trees in Wellington?

Clean them after the spring oak leaf drop, again before the June to September storm season, and after the autumn pine-needle peak. Wellington's rain, about 67 percent of its yearly total from May through October, makes the storm-season cleaning the one that matters most. Insurer guidance recommends at least twice a year and more often with overhanging trees, since clogged gutters can lead to water damage and foundation issues.

Source: ask.ifas.ufl.edu, read Oct 5, 2026

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Is Wellington rain heavier than the rest of Florida?

Palm Beach County's airport averages 61.75 inches a year, which is more than Ocala's 51.64 and Orlando's 51.45. Most of that falls from May through October. The heavy short bursts matter more to gutter sizing than the yearly total, so a 10-year, 5-minute rate is the number to plan around.

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, read Oct 5, 2026

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