Deciding between installing gutters or a french drain with exits on the drip line from the roof? It’s simple really. You need to think about what will happen in the future. When, not if, the gutter fails so does part of your structure depending on how long the leak has occurred on the siding and facia. If the in ground drain fails it doesn't harm the structure. So when gutters fail you are paying for the gutter repair and the structure repair. When a french drain fails you are only paying for a french drain repair. Your #1 enemy of any structure in the South is water and moisture so why would you keep water on the structure directing flow away from it? Wouldn't you want the water off the structure ASAP? It all depends on the situation really. Here we have a french drain where rain falls off the roof directly into the drain then directed away from the structure in the ground to a lower elevation. Cheers!