Downspouts & Drainage
Foundation Protection
A downspout dumping at the foundation undoes everything your gutters accomplish. We pipe roof water underground and away — where it can’t crack foundations or flood basements.
Your Downspout Is Attacking Your Foundation
The average roof sheds over a thousand gallons in one inch of rain — and a downspout with a splash block delivers it all to one spot against your foundation. Season after season that water saturates the soil, pushes on the wall through freeze-thaw, and finds its way in: horizontal cracks, efflorescence, damp corners, sump pumps that never rest.
Buried, Sloped, And Gone
We trench solid PVC from each downspout, slope it to drain, and discharge at least ten feet from the house — to daylight, a catch basin, or a channel drain depending on your yard. For yards with surface or groundwater problems, french drains and rock drainage beds handle what downspouts alone can’t. Everything reconnects cleanly to your gutter system.
Gutter Questions We Hear Weekly
How far should downspouts discharge from the house?
Ten feet minimum — further on flat lots. Splash blocks move water about two feet, which is why so many “waterproofed” basements still leak.
Do you use corrugated black pipe?
No — buried corrugated pipe crushes, clogs, and roots invade the corrugations. We bury smooth solid PVC that stays round and flushes clean.
Can this really fix my wet basement?
If the water source is roof runoff — and it very often is — yes. We assess where your water is coming from honestly; if you need an interior waterproofing company instead, we’ll say so.
What about drainage in winter?
Properly sloped solid pipe drains empty between storms so there’s nothing standing to freeze. Pair with heated downspout cables on problem homes for full winter flow.
Why is water pooling next to my foundation?
Downspouts dumping at the wall, settled backfill grading toward the house, or both — the free grade walk names your combination.
What is the best drainage for clay soil?
Clay resists soaking, so movement beats infiltration — solid pipe to daylight or basins outperforms dispersion beds where clay dominates.
Do gutters and drainage really protect foundations?
They’re the primary system — most ’foundation problems’ begin life as roof water delivered to the wrong place ten thousand times.
Can drainage fix my wet basement?
Exterior water management fixes the exterior contribution — often decisive. Interior systems have their place; controlling the source comes first.
The Complete Water Path
Roof to street, handled by one company.
Send The Water Somewhere Harmless
Free drainage assessment — we’ll walk the yard and design the fix in writing.