Downspouts and gutter drainage
Catching the water is half the job. The downspouts have to take it somewhere away from the house, or it ends up at the foundation anyway.
Everything your gutters catch leaves through a downspout. When that downspout empties at the base of the wall, the water soaks into the soil right against the foundation, carves out the flower bed and often finds its way into the crawl space or basement. Drainage work is about moving roof water from the downspout to a place where it can soak in or run off without causing trouble.
How can I tell my downspouts are the problem?
- Soggy ground or puddles where downspouts let out
- Soil and mulch washed out of beds after a storm
- A musty or wet crawl space after heavy rain
- Water bubbling out of the top of a downspout during storms
- Ice on walks or the driveway below a downspout in winter
- Splash blocks that have sunk or tilted back toward the house
What are the drainage options?
- Larger downspouts. Going from 2-by-3-inch to 3-by-4-inch moves more water and clogs less often.
- Extra downspouts. Long runs and large roof areas often need another outlet.
- Extensions and splash blocks. The simplest fix: carry the water several feet out before letting it go.
- Buried drain lines. Pipe that runs underground to a pop-up emitter in the yard or to daylight downhill.
- Rain barrels. Store some water for the garden, with an overflow aimed away from the house.
Do buried downspout drains work?
They do when they have steady slope, use smooth-wall pipe that can be snaked, and include a cleanout. They fail when leaves and shingle grit wash down the downspout and pack the pipe, which is one of the best arguments for gutter guards. A clogged line backs up and the downspout overflows at the house, which defeats the purpose. Ask where the line will discharge, and don't send water onto a sidewalk, the street or a neighbor's yard.
How do Lynchburg's hills affect drainage?
A lot of houses in and around Lynchburg sit on slopes, from the old neighborhoods on the city's hills to subdivisions on rolling former farmland in Forest and Timberlake. On a slope, water released on the uphill side of a house wants to run right back along the foundation. Routing those downspouts around to the downhill side, or piping them away, is usually easier than fighting the grade. On a steep yard, letting concentrated roof water loose at the top of a bank can cut a gully, so spreading it out or slowing it with stone helps.
What affects drainage cost?
- Number of downspouts and length of each run.
- Above ground or buried. Trenching and pipe add cost.
- Obstacles. Walks, driveways, roots and planting beds.
- Distance to a safe outlet.
We don't quote prices. The gutter company sets the price after it measures the runs, counts the downspouts and sees how high and steep your roof is, so treat any number given over the phone as a rough starting point.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Do I need to call before digging for a downspout drain?
Yes. Virginia law requires a utility locate request before excavation, so your installer should contact Virginia 811 before trenching.
How far out should a downspout discharge?
Several feet at a minimum, and farther where the ground slopes toward the house. The aim is to keep water from soaking in beside the foundation.
Related services
More background: Lynchburg gutter guard guide.
Gutters spilling over every time it storms?
Call and get connected with a local gutter company that can look at your roofline and quote guards.