Perimeter Drain Replacement for Failed Systems

When replacement is the right call

Replacement becomes the honest recommendation when three things are true: the camera inspection shows the system has failed in more than one area, the materials used originally have reached the end of their service life, and the cost of repeated repairs would exceed the cost of doing it once properly. We will show you the footage and explain exactly which of these applies to your home before quoting a replacement.

What the replacement involves

A full replacement means excavating a trench around the foundation down to the footing, removing the old pipe, and installing a new perforated drainage system. The build-up is specific: a bed of clean crushed gravel, the perforated pipe with the holes facing down, more gravel around and over the pipe, and filter fabric wrapping the gravel to keep fine soil from migrating in and clogging it over time.

The new drain connects to a sump pit (with a pump if the property does not have a gravity storm connection) or to an existing storm sewer. We compact the backfill and restore the surface — concrete, pavers, lawn, or garden — as close as practical to how we found it.

Working around occupied homes

Most replacements are done on homes people are living in. We plan the excavation in sections so the property remains accessible, we shore up where needed, and we keep the site safe and contained. The work is noisy and messy for a few days, but a properly replaced perimeter drain protects the foundation for decades, and the alternative — repeated basement flooding and potential foundation damage — is more disruptive and more expensive in the long run.