Storm drainage is a different system from the waste line inside your house. Yard drains, downspout runs, channel drains and French drains all exist to move surface water away from the building — and when they block, the water goes somewhere you would rather it did not, usually against a foundation.
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How a contractor actually diagnoses it
- They establish that it is storm and not sanitary. Water appearing only during rain, with no sewage smell, points at storm.
- They trace the run — downspouts, gullies, channel drains and where the line discharges.
- They check the outfall first. A blocked or buried discharge point backs up the entire run and is the commonest single cause.
- They jet or rod the line from the accessible end, and camera it if it has blocked more than once.
Three ways this actually fails
Silt and leaf litter
Storm lines carry grit, leaves and roof debris. Without a catch basin or a leaf guard they fill from the bottom up over a few seasons.
A blocked or buried outfall
Where the line discharges to a soakaway, ditch or kerb, that end can silt over, get covered by landscaping, or be crushed.
Root intrusion and crushed pipe
Storm lines are often shallow, thin-walled and laid under lawns and driveways. They are more easily crushed than sanitary pipe and equally attractive to roots.
Signs this is urgent rather than annoying
- Water pooling against the foundation during rain
- A basement that takes water only when it rains hard
- Channel or yard drains overflowing rather than draining
- A downspout discharging at the wall instead of running away
What it costs
Published third-party ranges shown so you can sanity-check a quote. Not our prices, not an estimate, not a quote.
| Job | Published national range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Storm / French drain cleaning | $200–$600 | HomeGuide |
| Camera inspection | $125–$500 | HomeGuide |
| Hydro jetting | $350–$600 (avg ~$475) | Angi |
Published national ranges, shown for educational context only. These are not quotes and they are not our prices. Sources disagree with each other — that spread is real. Only the contractor who sees your line can price your job.
Full cost guide, by fixture and by method →
Questions people ask
How do I find storm and yard drain cleaning near me?
Call the number on this page and give us your town or ZIP code. We match it against partner coverage and connect you with an independent licensed contractor who works that area. We do not charge you anything — the contractor sets their own price.
Is this the same as my sewer line?
No. Storm drainage carries surface water and is usually a separate system with its own pipework and discharge point. Mixing the two is prohibited in most jurisdictions.
Why does my basement only flood in heavy rain?
Either surface water is not being carried away and is finding its way in, or storm water is entering your sanitary line through a defect. A camera distinguishes the two, and they have very different fixes.
Can a French drain be cleaned?
Sometimes. A perforated pipe in gravel can be jetted if there is access and the pipe is intact. If the surrounding gravel has silted up, cleaning the pipe does not restore the system.
Where does my yard drain actually go?
Often nobody knows, which is half the problem. Tracing the run and finding the outfall is usually the first hour of the job.
Do leaf guards help?
On downspout-fed lines, considerably. Most storm blockages are organic debris from the roof, and stopping it at the gutter is far cheaper than removing it from the pipe.
Is this urgent?
Not in the way a sewage backup is, but water repeatedly directed against a foundation is expensive over time. It is worth dealing with before winter rather than after.
What does it cost?
Published national ranges for storm or French drain work run $200–$600 (HomeGuide). Context only, not a quote.