1 Your measurements

Type feet and inches the way you'd write them, like 12' 6" or 30 3/8. Decimals work too.

ft
The length of roof edge that drains into this gutter.
ft
The horizontal distance from the gutter to the ridge, as seen from above. Roof pitch does not change it.
inches per hour
Use the 100-year, 60-minute value for your location from NOAA's precipitation frequency server. 3 is only an example.

2 Gutter size

Gutter size
5"
half-round, smallest that fits
Roof area
600 sq ft
flat footprint draining here
Rain rate
3 in/hr
about 19 gallons a minute
5" gutterBig enough (up to 834 sq ft)
6" gutterBig enough (up to 1,280 sq ft)
Gutter slope used1/16" per foot
Roof area per downspout600 sq ft with 1 downspout
2 × 3 in rectangular downspoutBig enough (up to 1,840 sq ft each)
3 in round downspoutBig enough (up to 2,930 sq ft each)
3 × 4 in rectangular downspoutBig enough (up to 4,400 sq ft each)
4 in round downspoutBig enough (up to 6,130 sq ft each)

1/16" per foot is the flattest slope in the code table. If your gutter is hung flatter than that, the table doesn't cover it, so treat this size as the minimum and lean toward the bigger size when it's close.

The code table rates half-round gutters. For K-style gutters, check the maker's capacity rating. Your local code may also use a different edition, so check with your building department.

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