Who installs underground downspout drains?

Most underground downspout drains are put in by landscape and drainage contractors. Many gutter companies and home improvement contractors do them as well, especially when the job is a few short runs from the downspouts to the lawn. What matters more than the trade name on the truck is that the business is licensed for the size of the job, plans the line the way a buried drain should be built, and handles the utility locate before anyone digs.

The trades that do this work

Landscape and drainage contractors. Virginia's Board for Contractors has a Landscape Service Contracting specialty covering the alteration or improvement of a land area "by means of excavation, clearing, grading," among other work.^[3] A buried downspout line is trenching and grading, so this is the usual fit, and the right call when the water has to go a long way, the yard needs regrading, or the line ends in a dry well or rain garden.

Gutter companies and home improvement contractors. The Home Improvement Contracting specialty covers repairs or improvements to dwellings and townhouses, and it excludes electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas fitting.^[3] The same regulation says the HIC specialty, like the broader building classifications, also provides for landscape service work,^[3] so a gutter company or general home improvement contractor holding it can take on short buried lines as part of a gutter job.

Soil and water conservation districts. These do not install anything, but they help you pick the right fix. In Fairfax County, the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District visits properties for its cost-share programs and gives each visitor a list of designers and installers.^[9] Other districts run similar programs; ask yours.

The licence to look for

The Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) explains: "Contractor licenses consist of two parts: the class of license (A, B, or C), which determines the monetary value of contracts/projects that may be performed, and the classification/specialty, which determines what type of work is allowed."^[1] Under Virginia Code § 54.1-1100, a Class C licence applies where "a single contract or project" is "over $1,000 but less than $30,000",^[2] and Class B covers $30,000 or more but less than $150,000.^[2] Check both parts on DPOR's License Lookup: the class should cover the price you were quoted, and the specialty should cover the work.

What a good installer will build

Ask each bidder to describe the line. The answer should match what the Building America Solution Center, run for the U.S. Department of Energy, recommends: non-perforated, smooth or corrugated plastic pipe, connected and sealed to the downspout,^[8] sloped at least 0.5 inch per foot away from the home for at least 10 feet,^[8] and never tied into the perforated foundation drain, which would soak the foundation.^[8] The far end should come out on ground that slopes away, at a pop-up outlet, or in an underground catchment system, such as a dry well, at least 10 feet from the foundation.^[8]

A bidder who wants to use perforated pipe right beside the house, or to connect roof water to the footing drain, is describing a different job.

The utility locate

Digging in Virginia starts with a locate request, and when you hire the work out it is the contractor's job. Virginia 811's homeowner FAQ says: "Your contractor is responsible for contacting Virginia 811."^[6] Confirm it was done before the crew digs.

The locate does not find everything. Virginia 811 lists private lines it will not mark, including lines to a detached garage or shed, invisible pet fences, and septic and propane lines,^[7] and it notes that the water line from the meter to the house is private and will not be marked.^[7] Show the crew where yours run.

The contract and your rights

For residential work, Board for Contractors rules require a legible written contract, signed by both sides before work starts or payment is taken.^[4] It must state when work is to begin and the estimated completion date, the total cost, the amounts and schedule of progress payments including the down payment, and a listing of specified materials and work.^[4] For a buried downspout line, that listing should name the pipe, the outlets and the lawn repair.

If a salesperson sold you the job at your home, Virginia's Home Solicitation Sales Act generally lets the buyer cancel until midnight of the third business day after the day on which the buyer signs.^[5] Cancel in writing.

Stop and call a pro if

These are signs the job is bigger than a downspout line, and you need someone who handles that problem:

• Water is coming into the basement or the foundation is cracking. The Fairfax district warns that "Wet basements and wall or foundation cracking can have serious consequences"^[10] and should be handled right away.
• The yard stays wet for months. The district says that is commonly caused by leaks from damaged water pipes or other sources or naturally occurring high groundwater,^[11] which no downspout line will fix.
• A hole or sinkhole has opened along the foundation. The district's advice: "Never enter a sinkhole that is deeper than chest height."^[12]
• The house is new and the subdivision is still under bond. The district notes the builder may be responsible for fixing drainage problems caused by inadequate grading.^[10]

To price the job, read how much it costs to bury downspouts in Virginia; to do the above-ground version yourself, see how to extend a downspout away from the foundation. Browse downspout and drainage businesses, drainage and French drain specialists, excavation pros around Blacksburg or the other exterior answers. When you are ready, describe the downspout job once and licensed local businesses quote it.