Are 5" gutters enough for New Mexico monsoons?

For simple single-story homes under ~1,800 sq ft of drainage per run, yes. Steep pitches, Santa Fe, and southern NM should default to 6" K-style — the 5-minute monsoon burst is what overtops undersized gutters.

How many downspouts do I actually need?

One 3x4 rectangular downspout per ~1,200 sq ft of adjusted roof area, with a minimum of one per continuous gutter run. Long runs need one at each end to prevent mid-span overflow.

K-style vs half-round in NM?

K-style carries ~40% more water at the same nominal size and is what we specify for NM homes. Half-round looks great on adobe/Territorial architecture but needs upsizing to match capacity.

NM Gutter Sizing Calculator

Name: Roof Doctor NM
Address: Albuquerque, NM, US
Telephone: (505) 595-7203
Price range: $$

Independent NM inspector · no sales, no installs, NM only

(505) 595-7203

Roof Doctor NM

Independent NM Inspector

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Free · 30 seconds · NM monsoon-ready

Gutter Sizing Calculator

Are your NM gutters big enough for monsoon season?

Enter roof area, pitch, and your NM rainfall zone. We'll recommend 5" vs 6" gutters and how many downspouts you actually need.

Roof footprint (sq ft)Rainfall zonePrimary roof pitch

Recommended

5" K-style

2 downspouts · 2,310 sq ft effective drainage

Sizing based on SMACNA residential drainage tables and NOAA Atlas 14 5-min / 100-yr rainfall intensity for NM zones. This is a planning estimate — final sizing should account for valley concentration, roof geometry, and downspout routing.

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Los Lunas · standing-seam metal · ponding at drain, recoat + taper scoped

2 days ago

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Three roofers wanted $32k after the June hailstorm. Roof Doctor NM walked the roof, took 84 photos, and said the hail was cosmetic. Saved me from a fraudulent claim.

Sarah K.Albuquerque · Nob Hill

Under contract on a Corrales house. The pre-purchase report caught two hidden layers the seller's disclosure missed. Got an $18k credit at closing.

David & Elena R.Corrales

Bid review flagged that the 'lifetime warranty' voided if we used the wrong underlayment — which the contractor had specced. Renegotiated the whole scope.

James P.Rio Rancho · Ventana Ranch

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Are your NM gutters big enough for monsoon season?

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