Gutters in Altamonte Springs, FL

The residential code in Florida calls for gutters with downspouts wherever eaves stick out under 6 inches. Gable end rakes, and any roof that sits above a lower roof, are left out of that requirement. Look at your own eaves before assuming a run of gutter is optional.

Each downspout must empty at least 1 foot away from the sidewall. Underground piping, a tail extension or a splash block can all do the job. The rule sits in a termite-protection section, so it is about keeping soil beside the slab dry.

The median home here was built in 1983, so many older houses likely have short or missing extensions. Walk the house after a hard rain and see where each downspout empties. Any that drop water beside the wall fall short of the one-foot minimum.

The code also says gutters and leaders on one- and two-family homes must be metal or approved plastic, with lapped, soldered or caulked joints. They must be fastened with a corrosion-resistant device compatible with the gutter material. A loose hanger fails that standard.

Only 24.4 percent of housing units here are single-family detached homes, so many gutter jobs involve attached units or small lots with little room to run water away. Southern live oaks, which can spread 60 to 120 feet, drop leaves that clog gutters. The state pollen season runs January to June, peaking in March and April.

A workable cleaning rhythm under oaks and pines is late April or May, again before the June to September storms, and after the autumn pine needle peak. Insurers and NRCA both advise at least two cleanings a year, with more under heavy canopy.

Gutters do not stop river flooding. Hurricane Ian in 2022 put water into several homes in the Spring Oaks subdivision from the Little Wekiwa River. Seminole County also saw record St. Johns River levels at Sanford. Gutters only control roof runoff.