A downspout is a vertical pipe attached to the side of a house or building that carries rainwater from the roof’s gutters down to the ground.
Gutters and downspouts work together as your roof's drainage system, but they serve opposite roles. Gutters are the horizontal troughs that catch rain and snowmelt off your roof, while downspouts are the vertical pipes that transport that water safely down to the ground and away from your foundation.
The national average cost range to install downspouts is between $15 and $28 per linear foot. So homeowners pay around $768 for four 12-foot painted aluminum downspouts installed.
Yes, burying downspouts is an excellent idea if your goal is to protect your home's foundation, prevent basement flooding, and improve your yard's appearance. However, it requires proper materials, regular maintenance, and the correct downward slope to ensure water fully drains away.
Four Downspout Alternatives
The downspout's job is simple: it properly channels water from the roofline and gutters away from a home's exterior. This is either through a splash block or an extension that leads it into the street or garden. Without it, the water pools around your home's foundation which can damage both the outside and inside.
Many new homes are built without gutters primarily to cut construction costs, as builders assume buyers can add them later. However, they may also be omitted intentionally if the home features deep, extended roof overhangs, perfectly sloped natural grading (the slope of the yard), or if it is located in an arid climate where heavy rainfall is rare.
Buried downspouts effectively move roof runoff away from your foundation, but they frequently suffer from hidden clogs (caused by roof shingle gravel, leaves, or tree roots), freezing in winter, and standing water. These issues can cause gutters to overflow or force water directly into your basement or crawl space.
Avoid These Mistakes When Installing Gutters - Size, Seams & More
Standard roofing contracts usually just cover roofing materials and labor for the roof itself, although they may offer gutter evaluation or reattachment of existing gutters. But new gutters, downspouts, or gutter guards generally come as additional options or upgrades.
While replacing a downspout is generally a manageable DIY project, there are situations where it's best to leave the job to the experts. If your gutter system is sagging, your downspouts are improperly pitched, or you're experiencing recurring water issues near your home, it could indicate a larger drainage problem.
Water from your gutter drains (downspouts) is diverted away from your home to prevent foundation damage. Depending on your property setup, it typically discharges into one of these four places:
The Downspout Is Clogged
Debris like leaves, twigs, and animal nests can accumulate inside, creating clogs that prevent the free flow of water. These clogs typically start with a small object getting caught, which accumulates debris around it over time, potentially leading to a significant blockage.
The end of a downspout that directs water away from your home's foundation is commonly called a downspout elbow or a downspout shoe.
Leave it down. When the sun warms the roof up the snow/ice will melt & need to go down the downspout. Leave it down so the water gets carried a few feet away from the structure.
If a windstorm, lightning strike, or another covered peril damages your home's gutters, your homeowners policy may pay for their repair or replacement, up to your coverage limits and minus your deductible. Your homeowners policy won't cover damage to your gutters due to negligence or wear and tear.
Every time it rains, more water flows through the pipe and the roots grow larger until the underground pipe becomes clogged and potentially bursts. If an underground drain becomes bound by roots, it's nearly impossible to fix.
Northern homes, for example, can remain habitable for up to a year or two without gutters, but that doesn't mean there won't be serious consequences. Even if your house seems fine after six months, problems can slowly brew. Soil displacement, foundation issues, and wood rot are all long-term risks.
Homes in Florida feature tile floors primarily to combat the state's severe heat and humidity. Tile is water-resistant, keeping moisture and mold at bay, stays naturally cool underfoot, and makes it incredibly easy to sweep away sand and dirt after beach trips.
When building a house, the most expensive phases can be broken down into three primary cost drivers: interior finishes (which often make up the largest single chunk of the budget), followed closely by structural framing and the foundation.
Downspout alternatives replace or augment standard metal drainpipes. Top options include decorative rain chains that guide water into basins, rain barrels for water harvesting, French drains and dry wells for below-ground dispersal, or grading/bioretention to let water sheet naturally away from your foundation.
Japan uses rain chains (known as kusari-toi) instead of traditional closed downspouts for a mix of cultural, aesthetic, and practical reasons. Originating centuries ago in tea houses and temples, they turn the functional task of draining rainwater into a celebrated visual and auditory water feature.
Standard residential downspouts come in two primary sizes: 𝟐×𝟑 inches and 𝟑×𝟒 inches.