When a new HostGator hosting account is created, these are the permissions set on it, and files created with it:
drwx--x--x 9 user123 user123 4096 Apr 13 00:49 .
drwx--x--x 12 root root 4096 Apr 13 00:49 ..
-rw------- 1 user123 user123 0 Apr 13 00:49 .contactemail
drwxr-xr-x 2 user123 user123 4096 Apr 13 00:49 etc
drwxr-xr-x 3 user123 user123 4096 Apr 13 00:49 .gem
-rw-r--r-- 1 user123 user123 126 Apr 13 00:49 .gemrc
drwxr-x--- 2 user123 nobody 4096 Apr 13 00:49 .htpasswds
drwxr-x--- 8 user123 user123 4096 Apr 13 00:49 mail
drwxr-x--- 3 user123 user123 4096 Apr 13 00:49 public_ftp
drwxr-x--- 10 user123 nobody 4096 Apr 13 00:49 public_html
drwxr-xr-x 2 user123 user123 4096 Apr 13 00:49 tmp
lrwxrwxrwx 1 user123 user123 11 Apr 13 00:49 www -> public_html
drwx--x--x 12 root root 4096 Apr 13 00:49 ..
-rw------- 1 user123 user123 0 Apr 13 00:49 .contactemail
drwxr-xr-x 2 user123 user123 4096 Apr 13 00:49 etc
drwxr-xr-x 3 user123 user123 4096 Apr 13 00:49 .gem
-rw-r--r-- 1 user123 user123 126 Apr 13 00:49 .gemrc
drwxr-x--- 2 user123 nobody 4096 Apr 13 00:49 .htpasswds
drwxr-x--- 8 user123 user123 4096 Apr 13 00:49 mail
drwxr-x--- 3 user123 user123 4096 Apr 13 00:49 public_ftp
drwxr-x--- 10 user123 nobody 4096 Apr 13 00:49 public_html
drwxr-xr-x 2 user123 user123 4096 Apr 13 00:49 tmp
lrwxrwxrwx 1 user123 user123 11 Apr 13 00:49 www -> public_html
Note that all the files and folders within public_html do NOT have the same ownership as the public_html folder itself.
Remember that user123 will be replaced with the user name which you select during sign up.