Repair methods
Drainage correction around concrete
My concrete keeps having the same problem. Is there something else I should fix?
Very often, yes, and it is usually water. Settlement, voids, freeze-thaw damage, scaling, leaking cracks and wet basements are all mechanisms with water as an input, which means changing where water goes addresses several of them at once.
It is also the work most likely to be missing from a concrete estimate, because it is a different trade and it is not what you called about.
What the method is
Drainage correction covers a range of interventions: extending downspouts so roof water discharges away from the building and the slab, regrading so surface water falls away, adding or repairing drains, and removing whatever is currently directing water where it should not go.
The scale ranges from a downspout extension costing very little to regrading and installing subsurface drainage as a substantial project.
The cheapest items are frequently the most effective, because roof water is concentrated and a downspout discharging beside a slab delivers a great deal of water to one spot.
What it does not do
- It does not repair concrete that has already been damaged.
- It does not restore elevation to a settled slab.
- It does not eliminate groundwater, only manage surface and roof water.
- It does not always fully solve a problem — sometimes the site's constraints limit what is achievable.
What you can safely check yourself
- Go outside during heavy rain and watch. Photograph where downspouts discharge, where water pools, and which way the ground falls. This costs nothing and is the highest-value observation on the site.
- Check gutters for blockage and downspouts for discharge close to walls or slabs.
- Note whether any hard surface directs water towards the house rather than away.
- Note whether landscaping, planting beds or added edging have interrupted a drainage path.
Questions to ask whoever comes out
- What are the cheapest changes here that would make a real difference?
- Where should roof water be discharging, and how far from the building?
- Does the grade need changing, and over what area?
- Is subsurface drainage needed, or would surface changes be enough?
- How will we know whether this has worked?
Where estimates for this commonly differ in scope
These are the places two prices for apparently the same work stop being comparable.
- This work is usually a different trade from concrete, so it falls between estimates and gets done by nobody.
- Downspout extension, regrading and subsurface drainage differ by orders of magnitude in cost and are all called drainage work.
- Responsibility for water arriving from a neighbouring property is a separate matter entirely.
Usually worth planning a repair
Conditions in this band do not usually become emergencies, but they rarely improve on their own and repair costs tend to rise with the affected area.
Who tends to do this work
- A drainage contractor or landscaper who does grading
- A waterproofing contractor
ConcreteOwner does not inspect, certify or approve contractors. This describes which trade usually holds this work, not a recommendation of anybody in particular.
Common questions
Is drainage really the cause of my concrete problems?
It is an input to most of the mechanisms on this site — settlement, voids, freeze-thaw damage, scaling, leaking cracks. That does not make it the whole story for your slab, but it does mean it is worth looking at before paying for concrete work that leaves the water arriving exactly as before.
What is the cheapest thing that helps?
Usually extending downspouts so roof water discharges well away from the building and the slab, and clearing blocked gutters. Roof water is concentrated — a single downspout delivers a great deal to one spot — so redirecting it is disproportionately effective for what it costs.
Why did my concrete contractor not mention this?
Frequently because it is not their trade and not what you called about. It is not necessarily an oversight, but it does mean the question is yours to ask. A good contractor will tell you when the water is the actual problem even though the fix is somebody else's work.
Where to go next
Worth comparing
What drives the cost
Methods that may apply
Want a straight answer about drainage correction?
Both decision tools are free and need no contact details. If you would rather have somebody local look at it, you can ask us to review whether we can match you — and we will say plainly if we cannot.