Underground downspouts typically direct rainwater into one of four places: a municipal storm sewer system, a dry well, an open drainage area (like a street or ditch), or a localized French drain. Their main goal is to safely divert thousands of gallons of roof runoff far away from your foundation to prevent water damage.
Run Water Through the Downspout
Depending on where you live, your underground downspout may drain into the street. One way to figure out where the water goes is to have someone run water into the downspout while another stands by the street and looks to see if any water comes out of a drain.
One often-overlooked improvement is burying your downspout gutters—a simple but highly effective upgrade that can help manage rainwater and protect your home's foundation. If you've ever had pooling water near your foundation, erosion in your landscaping, or a damp basement after a storm, you'll want to pay attention.
So when this downspout fills up during an extreme downpour (and they do and they will) it no longer can vent. It's going to be just full of water. So we want to move this water as fast as we possibly can. By venting the downspout, you're going to pick up a lot more speed.
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.
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.
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.
Always vent downspouts at the house to keep buried downspouts from freezing. You can get warm water through that vent in the wintertime if you have a freeze up. Then, if you do freeze up and you have a thaw, the water will come out of these vents.
Key Considerations for Your Underground Downspout Drain Pipe
Proper Slope for Gravity Flow: A continuous slope is non-negotiable. The International Residential Code (IRC) specifies a minimum slope of 1/8 inch per foot to ensure gravity carries water away and prevents standing water.
Here's how it works:
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.
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.
Unless your house is on a combined drains system, it needs separate drain connections to collect wastewater and rainwater.
Burying downspouts improves the aesthetics of your home by hiding the pipes, enhances safety by reducing tripping hazards, and provides effective drainage that prevents water from pooling around your foundation, thus reducing the risk of basement flooding and soil erosion.
Yes, you can dig a hole and fill it with gravel to create a drainage system (often called a dry well or a vertical French drain). However, to ensure it works and doesn't quickly clog or fill with mud, you need to follow a few specific steps.
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.
In plumbing, the "135-degree rule" is a code standard that dictates how much a horizontal drain pipe can bend or change direction. It limits the total cumulative angle of pipe fittings before a system requires an access point (cleanout) or must be vented, ensuring proper flow and preventing chronic clogs.
Yes, a toilet, shower, and sink can share the same main sewer or drain line, but they must use independent branch lines that connect below the floor. Directly tying a sink or shower drain into a toilet drain behind the wall violates code and risks severe backflow and clogs.
It drains into your yard. Particularly in houses with septic systems, it is somewhat common to have two drains. Your bathroom and kitchen drains lead to the septic system, while your washer, any drains in your basement floor, and possibly your downspouts drain into a nearby ditch. It drains into the sanitary sewer.
For a French drain, the holes in your perforated pipe should face down (between the 5 and 7 o'clock position). This allows water that pools at the bottom of the gravel trench to easily rise up and enter the pipe through hydrostatic pressure, rather than waiting for the water level to submerge the entire pipe.
Is It Good To Remove Downspouts In Winter? No, removing your downspouts and installing them again can be costly and may cause more damage to your drainage system. Alternatively, you can ask our licensed plumber to help repair and clean your downspouts before winter.
Avoid making guesses or unsupported statements about what caused the damage to your property. Speculating can lead to inaccuracies in the adjuster's report, potentially affecting your claim.
Certain dog breeds are frequently excluded from standard homeowners and renters insurance policies because they are considered high-risk for liability claims. The average cost of a dog bite claim is now nearly $70,000, driving insurers to restrict coverage to mitigate financial exposure.
When it comes to insuring your home, the 80% rule is an important guideline to keep in mind. This rule suggests you should insure your home for at least 80% of its total replacement cost to avoid penalties for being underinsured.