Do I need gutters on my house?
Signs your house needs gutters
- A basement or crawl space, especially one that has ever been damp.
- Short overhangs that drop water close to the walls.
- Doors, stoops, decks or walkways sitting under an eave.
- Ground that is flat or slopes toward the house on any side.
- An upper roof that dumps onto a lower roof or porch.
- Bare clay or mulch along the walls that washes out or splashes after storms.
- Wood siding, trim or a wood foundation sill close to grade.
When you might get by without them
A house with generous overhangs, a slab foundation, ground that falls away steadily for several feet, and a gravel or stone drip strip can sometimes manage. So can a single short eave over an area nobody walks. Even then, many owners add a short run over entries only. Watch the house in a heavy rain before deciding; where the water lands tells you more than any rule of thumb.
What the code says
The International Residential Code, which Georgia adopts with state amendments, requires a controlled roof drainage system only where expansive or collapsible soils are known to exist, with discharge at least 5 feet from the foundation. Your local building department can tell you whether that applies where you live. Elsewhere, gutters are a choice, but on most Georgia lots it is the right one.
Alternatives that sometimes work
Gravel-filled trench drains along the drip line, regrading to move water away, and rain chains at a few points. None of them protect fascia from water wicking back along the roof edge, which is the job of drip edge. See gutter sizing and seamless gutters and drip edge explained.