French Drains and Yard Drainage in Raytown, MO

Post-war houses, original drainage

Raytown is largely post-war housing: 1950s and 60s ranches and split-levels with full basements, on streets off Raytown Road, Blue Ridge Boulevard and the M-350 corridor. Many still have their original drainage setup, which usually means gutters feeding short downspouts that empty right at the foundation, and backfill that has spent seventy years settling toward the house. When a Raytown basement that has been dry for decades starts leaking, the house has not changed. The path the water takes has.

The usual fixes, in order

First, get roof water away from the walls with buried downspout lines. Second, rebuild the slope next to the house with regrading, which on these lots often means working carefully around driveways and walks poured tight to the foundation. Third, if water still comes in at the base of the wall, the original clay-tile footing drain is likely clogged or broken, and interior drain tile with a sump takes over its job.

Smaller lots, fewer outlets

Raytown lots are modest and fairly flat, so finding somewhere lower to send water takes planning. Pop-up emitters toward the street side, lines to the rear of the lot and catch basins in low side yards are all common. Utilities are marked through Missouri One Call (MO811) first. We also work in neighbouring Kansas City, Independence and Lee's Summit.

Raytown drainage questions