How I fixed my flooding back patio (DIY drain, home inspector)

By Jacob Knapp, Virginia-licensed home inspector, Virginia Beach. Every heavy rain, water pooled on my back patio and ran toward the house. I am a Virginia-licensed home inspector, and water against the foundation is one of the things I flag most, so I fixed my own.

Fixed my flooding back patio (YouTube Short, PlantLegit)

Steps

1. Watch it rain first: see where roof, patio and yard water actually goes.
2. Call Miss Utility (VA811) before you dig. It is free and required.
3. Set surface drain grates at the low spots where water collects on and next to the patio.
4. Trench from the grates out toward a lower spot, away from the house and neighbors.
5. Run solid PVC drain pipe with solvent-glued joints, checking slope the whole way (UGA recommends at least 1%, about 1/8 inch per foot).
6. Send part of the water to a buried dry-well tub wrapped in landscape fabric.
7. End the line at a pop-up emitter that sits lower than the grates, or it will not drain.
8. Run a hose test, then check it in the next heavy rain.

Materials

• Surface drain grates (channel/area drains)
• 3–4 inch solid PVC drain pipe and fittings
• PVC primer and solvent cement
• Pop-up emitter with elbow
• Buried drainage tub / dry well
• Landscape fabric (weed barrier)
• Shovel, level or string line

What I did in my own yard, not an engineered spec. Check your local code and call 811 before you dig.

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