Why is water still leaking after installing a perimeter drain?
Contractors sometimes install the drain pipe improperly by placing it above the top of the footer instead of directly next to and slightly underneath it. Because of this, the exact same amount of water continues entering from the exact same location despite expensive repairs. This unresolved flooding causes immense overwhelm and anxiety attacks every time it rains until the workers finally come back to fix it.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
Why is water still leaking after installing a perimeter drain?
- 1Installing an interior sump pump and drainage pipes around the inner perimeter.Did this help you?
- 2Contacting the tradesperson to demand they return and finish the job properlyDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“After spending $10,000 this last month installing a partial perimeter drain around the area where the water is coming from and rerouting the gutter downspouts to the street, I am still getting the exact same amount of water into my crawlspace, from the exact same location.”source ↗
“One thing i noticed when they were installing it is that the drain pipe is above the top of the footer, and doesnt sit directly next and slightly underneath the top of the footer.”source ↗
“Please help, I feel so overwhelmed by this problem and every time it rains its giving me anxiety attacks.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 131How to fix a leaking water pipe in a tight space
- 2Why is my outdoor spigot still leaking after replacing parts?
- 8Water leaking behind new gutters and soffits
- 2Dishwasher not getting water after plumbing work
- 6Water leak from screw after flushing water heater
- 7Sunroof leaking down the A-pillar after rain