Downspout Extensions and Grading Near Fairfield Bay, AR

Downspout extensions from That Crawl Space Encapsulation Guy cost $50 to $600 each, and a surface extension takes 1 to 2 hours. Regrading the soil so it slopes away from the house starts at $500. Christian Olson works within 30 miles of Fairfield Bay, and the $100 inspection comes off your price if you hire him.

Typical price: $50 to $600 per downspout
Time on site: 1 to 2 hours for surface extensions
Where: Within 30 miles of Fairfield Bay

(501) 550-1115 See all prices

Roof water that lands beside the wall ends up under your house

A downspout gathers the rain off a whole stretch of roof and lets it out in one spot. When that spot is a foot from the foundation, the water soaks down along the wall and into the crawl space.

There's a lot of rain to move here. NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals put Clinton, about 9 miles west, at 53.77 inches a year, with May the wettest month at 5.80 inches.

The ground around Fairfield Bay is slow to take it. The NRCS describes the Enders soil mapped around town as very slowly permeable, with 35 to 60 percent clay in its top 20 inches. Water that can't sink in fast runs wherever the ground slopes.

Every rain that reaches the crawl space keeps the dirt under your house wet. Damp air from that dirt rises into the house, and wood that stays damp grows mold and, in time, rots.

Quick answers about downspouts and grading

Something not here? Call and ask Christian.

(501) 550-1115

How far should downspouts go from the house?

At least 5 feet where the soil is expansive or collapsible, under section R801.3 of the International Residential Code. That Crawl Space Encapsulation Guy lists every downspout on your written price, with its length and whether it runs on the surface or underground.

Will downspout extensions fix my wet crawl space?

They can, when the water comes off the roof. If water keeps coming in after the roof water is carried away, it's coming from the ground. That Crawl Space Encapsulation Guy prices crawl space drainage at $1,200 to $3,500 for that.

What if you cut a sprinkler line while digging?

Christian pays to fix it. That Crawl Space Encapsulation Guy pays for anything damaged while working, whether it's a sprinkler line, a drain line, or a duct.

Extensions and grading carry roof water away from the foundation

A downspout extension is a length of pipe added to the bottom of a downspout, so the water lets out away from the wall. It can lie along the top of the ground, or run in a buried line that carries the water farther out under the lawn.

The grade is the slope of the soil next to the house, and it decides where water goes once it lands. Soil that tilts toward the wall sends rain from the roof, the yard, and the end of the extension right back to the foundation. The International Residential Code (R401.3) calls for the ground to fall at least 6 inches in the first 10 feet out from the walls.

Regrading means reshaping that soil so it falls away from the house. It takes 1 to 3 days, depending on the yard.

Downspouts and grading are the cheapest water work under a house, so they're checked before the bigger fixes. Christian's order is water first, wood second, air last, and the roof water is part of the water step. An extension at $50 to $600 gets a look before a crawl space drain at $1,200 to $3,500.

Single-story ranch house with trees around it

How a downspout and grading job goes

The $100 inspectionChristian looks under the house for water, then at where each downspout lets out and which way the ground slopes.
A written price within 24 hoursEach downspout and any grading gets its own line and a reason, so you see what the outside fix costs before any bigger water work.
Extensions on and soil reshapedThe downspouts get their extensions, surface or buried, and the grading is done if your price lists it.
A stop and a written price for any surpriseIf more water, rot, or mold turns up once the work starts, Christian stops and gives you a written price for it before doing more.
Work done, and Christian a call awayIf an extension or the new slope isn't sending the water where it should, call Christian's own phone, answered 24/7.

Downspout extensions cost $50 to $600 each

Each downspout is priced on its own, from $50 to $600, and regrading the soil starts at $500. Your written price lists every downspout and the grading separately, each with its reason.

On a downspout job the $100 inspection is credited in full if you hire That Crawl Space Encapsulation Guy. The deposit buys the materials, and you pay the balance in stages as the work gets done.

See every service’s price range

What extensions and grading won't fix

Extensions and grading handle the water that comes off the roof and runs across the top of the ground. Water rising from the ground under the crawl space, or seeping in underground from higher ground uphill, keeps coming after the roof water is gone. That calls for drainage in the crawl space or a sump pump.

A leak inside the house won't stop either. A dripping supply pipe or drain line under the floor wets the dirt no matter where the downspouts let out, and it's fixed at the pipe.

Work that often goes with this

Crawl space drainage$1,200–$3,500Carries off the water that still gets under the house from the ground once the roof water is handled. Standing water removal$1,200–$3,000Clears water already sitting in the crawl space, while extensions keep new roof water from adding to it. Crawl space sump pumps$800–$1,500Pumps out water that collects under the house when the outside fixes can't keep it all out.

See all 14 crawl space services and their prices

Call Christian to book a $100 inspection of your downspouts and crawl space