Are gutters really necessary?
Short answer. In most of Georgia, gutters are effectively necessary even though the residential code does not require them on every house: Atlanta averages roughly 50 inches of rain a year, often in intense bursts, and without gutters that water pours off the eaves onto foundations, crawlspaces, walkways and clay soil beds. Homes with wide overhangs, well graded yards and no basement can sometimes get by without them.
What gutters protect
- Foundation and crawlspace: concentrated runoff saturates the soil next to the house, which can lead to wet crawlspaces, basement leaks and settling.
- Siding and trim: splashback stains and rots the lowest siding courses and door trim.
- Landscaping: water dropping off the eaves cuts trenches in beds and washes out Georgia clay.
- Entries: sheets of water over doors and steps, and slick ice in rare freezes.
What the code says
The residential code requires a controlled method of roof drainage, discharging at least 5 feet from the foundation, in areas with expansive or collapsible soils. Elsewhere it does not mandate gutters, but builders install them because of rain volume and soil conditions.
When you might skip them
- Wide overhangs that carry water well past the foundation.
- A slab home on a lot that slopes firmly away on every side.
- Specific small sections, such as a porch roof, where a diverter or drip line works.
Alternatives
Rain chains, a gravel trench along the drip line and grading improvements can handle limited areas but rarely replace gutters on a whole Georgia house. Robust Roofing explains how the pieces work together in its guide to gutters and your roof. Read gutters, sizing and guards.