Downspouts, grading and window wells
A surprising number of wet basements start with roof water dumped at the corner of the house. Fixing the outside is often the first step.
A roof sheds a lot of water in a single storm, and gutters collect it into a few downspouts. If those downspouts empty right beside the foundation, that water soaks into the backfill, which is usually looser than the undisturbed soil around it, and heads straight for the basement wall. Add a yard that tips toward the house or a window well with no drain, and a basement can leak without anything being wrong with the wall itself.
Signs the problem is outside
- The basement only leaks near one corner, under a downspout
- Gutters overflow during heavy rain
- Water collects in a window well and seeps in around the window
- Soil, mulch or a patio has settled and now slopes toward the house
- Leaks start during hard rains rather than days later
What does the work include?
- Downspout extensions and buried lines. Solid pipe carries roof water well away from the foundation to a spot that drains, a pop-up emitter or, where allowed, the street.
- Regrading. Soil is added and shaped so the ground falls away from the house. The EPA recommends grading the ground away from the foundation to keep water from collecting near it.
- Window wells. A well can be cleaned out, given a gravel base and a drain to the footing tile, or fitted with a cover to keep rain and snow out.
- Swales on hillside lots. A shallow, shaped channel can steer runoff from uphill around the house rather than into it.
Things to know before you start
Burying a downspout line or digging a swale is still digging, and Iowa law requires contacting Iowa One Call through 811 at least two business days ahead. Make sure the water won't end up on a neighbor's property or across a sidewalk where it can freeze. In the City of Dubuque, roof and yard water must not be tied into the sanitary sewer, the same rule that applies to sump pumps and foundation drains.
What affects the price?
- How many downspouts and how far the lines run
- How much soil is needed and whether machines can reach the area
- Window well size, drain work and covers
- Patios, walks or landscaping that sit in the way
We don't quote prices. The waterproofing company sets its price after someone has been in the basement, looked at the walls, floor joint and sump pit, and walked the outside to check gutters, downspouts and grading. Any figure offered before that visit is a guess.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Can fixing downspouts really stop a leak?
Sometimes, yes, especially when the leak is at one corner and shows up during the storm itself. It's the cheapest thing to try before paying for drainage inside or out.
Should my window wells have covers?
A cover keeps rain and snow from filling the well. If the window is an emergency exit from a bedroom, the cover must be one that can be opened easily from below.
Related services
More background: Dubuque basement water guide.
Water on the floor after a storm, or a sump pit that never rests?
Call and a Dubuque-area waterproofing company will come see what's going on.