Hurricane Season Gutter Checklist for Jacksonville Homes
The second week of September is the statistical peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, and Jacksonville has spent the last decade learning that a storm does not have to make landfall here to matter. Matthew in 2016 stayed offshore and still put the Riverside riverwalk under water. Irma in 2017 came up the peninsula and flooded San Marco from the St. Johns. The gutters on those houses did not cause the flooding, but a lot of them ended up on the lawn, and the ones that stayed up were the ones somebody had looked at beforehand.
This is that look. It takes 20 minutes from the ground and a ladder, and every item on it is a cheap fix now and an expensive one after.
The walk-around: the gutter itself
1. Hangers and straps
Walk the house and sight down every gutter run. A gutter that dips in the middle has hangers backing out. Push up on the front lip at a few points; if it moves more than a little, the hangers are loose. Tropical-storm wind gets under a loose gutter, and a 40-foot run of aluminum becomes a sail that takes fascia with it. Loose hangers are a $150–$300 re-hang per run today. At the Beaches, check the screws for rust; zinc-plated hardware fails in salt air while the gutter looks fine.
2. Downspout straps
Each downspout should have a strap every 8 feet and one at the top elbow. Grab the downspout and pull. If it swings, the straps have rusted or the screws have pulled out of the block. A downspout that comes off in a storm takes the outlet with it and the run overflows at that corner for the rest of the season. Straps are a $20 fix per downspout.
3. Fascia
Press a screwdriver into the fascia board below each corner and under each downspout elbow. Firm is good. If it sinks in, the board is soft and the hangers there are holding nothing. New gutters cannot go on soft fascia and neither can the old ones after the wind lifts them. Fascia replacement is $8–$20 a foot and usually a few boards, not the whole house.
4. Outlets and flow
Run a hose in each gutter for a minute. Water should reach the downspout and come out the bottom in under 30 seconds. If it pools, the pitch has gone. If it backs up at the outlet, there is a plug of pine straw in the top of the downspout, which is where almost every Jacksonville clog lives. Wind-driven rain in a storm loads the gutter with twigs and needles on top of that; a downspout that is already half plugged goes solid in the first hour.
The walk-around: the ground and the roof
5. Extensions
Every downspout should end at least four feet from the wall on ground that slopes away. A tropical system can drop six to ten inches over two days; that water landing at the slab edge on Jacksonville sand carves a channel and takes the fill under the slab with it. Kick the extensions back into place, and if they are in the garage, put them back on. Downspouts and your foundation explains why this is the item that matters most.
6. The roof edge
From the ladder, check that the shingles overhang the gutter by about half an inch and that there is a metal drip edge under them. Missing drip edge lets wind-driven rain run behind the gutter and down the fascia. Look for shingle tabs already lifted along the eave; wind gets under those first.
7. Trees
Look up. Water oak and laurel oak limbs over the roof are the ones that come down; both are short-lived, weak-wooded trees and Jacksonville is full of them. A limb on the roof edge crushes the gutter and often the fascia. Pine limbs are less likely to fall but drop a season's worth of needles in one night of wind. Trimming is a tree service job, but note what is over the gutters so you know where to look afterward.
The checklist in one place
- Sight every run for sag; push on the lip for loose hangers
- Pull on each downspout; replace rusted straps
- Screwdriver test the fascia at every corner and elbow
- Hose test for flow; clear the outlet plugs
- Extensions on and four feet out
- Drip edge present, shingle overhang correct
- Note the limbs over the roof edge
A small gutter kit for the season
Keep a few cheap parts in the garage from June to November. They turn a loose downspout into a five-minute job instead of a week of water at the slab.
- Two or three downspout straps and a box of stainless screws
- One spare elbow and a short length of downspout
- A spare extension or splash block
- Exterior gutter sealant
- Work gloves and a small scoop
- A sturdy ladder with a standoff, stored where you can reach it
None of this is for use in the wind. It is for the calm morning after.
After the storm passes: the first walk
Wait until the wind has dropped and any lightning has moved on. Stay clear of downed lines and do not touch anything a power line is lying on. Then walk the house from the ground before anyone climbs.
- Look along each roof edge for sections bent, hanging or missing.
- Check each downspout. Is it still attached at the top, and is the extension still in place?
- Look for limbs on the roof or resting on a gutter.
- Check the ground under each corner and outlet for fresh washout.
- Photograph everything before anything is moved, wide shots first, then close-ups.
If a section is hanging, keep people and cars away from it. Do not climb onto a wet roof.
Who to call for what
| What you found | Who usually handles it |
|---|---|
| Gutter bent, loose or off the house | A gutter contractor |
| Shingles lifted or missing at the eave | A roofer |
| Limb on the roof or over the gutter | A tree service, then the gutter or roof work |
| Damage you may claim | Your agent or insurer, after your own photos |
| Wires down near the house | JEA or your utility, and keep away |
If a storm is already named
Do not get on a ladder in the wind. From the ground, kick the extensions into place, pull anything loose out of the gutter you can reach, and take photos of every run and downspout for a before-and-after record. After the storm, photograph any damage yourself before touching it, then call your agent or insurer; what to photograph for insurance has the list. In Florida, only a public adjuster licensed by the Department of Financial Services can negotiate a claim for you; a contractor can't. If the walk-around turns up more than two or three items, a gutter cleaning visit this week can cover most of them in one trip, and estimates from a local contractor are free.
Common questions
Should I take my gutters down before a hurricane?
No. Well-fastened gutters stay up in most storms. Spend the time tightening loose hangers and straps instead, and clearing the outlets so the gutters can drain during the rain.
How long before a storm should I do this check?
Do the full walk-around early in the season, ideally in June, and again in mid-August. In the last day or two before a storm, stick to ground-level jobs like putting extensions back.
Are some gutters better in high wind?
Seamless runs on hidden hangers, screwed into the rafter tails every 24 inches, hold up better than sectional gutters on spike hangers. Stainless fasteners near the beach matter too.
What if a gutter section blew off?
Keep it if you can, set it aside out of the way, and photograph it along with the wall it came from. Then call your agent or insurer before anything is repaired.
Need gutter work in Jacksonville?
Call for a free estimate. Mon–Sat 7am–7pm.