Downspouts and gutter drainage
Gutters collect the water. Downspouts decide where it ends up, and if that's against the foundation, the gutters only did half the job.
Every gallon your gutters catch leaves through a downspout. When the downspout empties right beside the wall, the water soaks the soil against the foundation, digs out flower beds and can find its way into a crawl space or basement. Good drainage moves roof water to a spot where it can soak in or run off harmlessly.
How do I know the downspouts are the problem?
- Puddles or soggy ground where a downspout lets out
- Mulch and soil washed away after storms
- Water in the crawl space or basement after heavy rain
- Downspouts backing up and overflowing at the top
- Runoff across a walk or driveway that freezes into a sheet of ice
- Splash blocks sunk into the ground or tipped toward the house
What are the options?
- Larger downspouts. Moving from 2-by-3-inch to 3-by-4-inch carries more water, clogs less and is standard with 6-inch gutters.
- More downspouts. Long runs and big roof planes often need a second outlet.
- Extensions and splash blocks. The simplest fix: carry water several feet out before letting it go.
- Buried drain lines. Pipe that takes water to a pop-up emitter, a downhill outlet or another safe spot.
- Rain barrels. Save some water for the garden, with the overflow routed away from the house.
Do buried downspout lines freeze up here?
They can, which is one more reason to lay them carefully in a climate this cold. A buried line works when it has steady fall the whole way, uses smooth-wall pipe that can be cleaned, has a cleanout and empties somewhere water can drain out. Lines that hold water, or fill with leaves and grit washed down from an unguarded gutter, back up in winter and push water right back to the foundation. Ask the installer how the line will drain between storms and where it will discharge. Don't aim it at a neighbor's yard or across a sidewalk.
How does hilly ground change things?
Much of Montgomery County is rolling or steep, and plenty of houses in Blacksburg, Christiansburg and Radford sit on sloped lots or have walk-out basements. Water released on the uphill side of a house runs straight back to it. Carrying those downspouts around to the downhill side, or into a drain that runs past the house, usually works better. On a steep yard, spread the water out or slow it with rock so it doesn't carve a gully.
What affects the cost of drainage work?
- Number of downspouts and how far the water travels.
- Above ground or buried. Trenching and pipe add cost.
- Obstacles. Driveways, walks, roots and rock.
- Where the water can safely go.
We don't give prices. The installer prices the job after measuring each gutter run, counting downspouts and seeing how tall and steep the roof is, so a figure quoted sight unseen wouldn't mean much.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
How far out should a downspout discharge?
At least several feet from the house, and farther where the ground slopes back toward the foundation. The goal is to keep water from soaking in along the wall.
Why does my buried downspout drain overflow?
Usually leaves or grit have built up in the pipe, roots got in, the pipe lacks slope, or ice is blocking it in winter. A cleanout and gutter guards help prevent it.
Related services
More background: New River Valley gutter guard guide.
Tired of scooping out gutters every fall?
Call and we'll pass your address to a gutter guard installer who works in Blacksburg, Christiansburg or nearby, who can come measure and quote.