Perimeter Drains in Duncan, BC
Footing-drain repair for older Duncan houses that take on water in a crawlspace or basement after winter rain. Scheduled from Victoria.
Local plumbing context for Duncan
Inside the City of Duncan and the connected North Cowichan neighbourhoods, homes are on municipal water and sewer, and sewage goes to the Joint Utilities Board treatment lagoons shared by Duncan and North Cowichan.
Footing drains, not the sewer
A perimeter drain is the perforated pipe around the footing. It is supposed to carry rain away from the foundation. It is not the sanitary lateral. In Duncan that distinction matters: homes in the City and in connected North Cowichan neighbourhoods send sewage to the Joint Utilities Board lagoons, while the footing drain should daylight or reach a storm connection, not the sanitary line.
Houses built before 1961 — about 30% of Duncan's housing — often have clay or early concrete footing tile that has filled with silt and roots. The symptom is a damp crawlspace or a basement seam that weeps after a wet week, while the toilets and sinks still drain. If the fixtures are slow too, start with drain cleaning so we are not digging a foundation to fix a kitchen line.
What the visit looks like
We locate the drain where it leaves the foundation, camera it if there is a cleanout, and only excavate the section that has collapsed. A full wrap of the house is a different project from one crushed corner under a downspout. Tell us which wall gets wet, and whether there is a sump, when you request an appointment.
Excavation beside a foundation can need a permit from the City of Duncan, the Municipality of North Cowichan, or the Cowichan Valley Regional District, depending on the civic address. We pull that permit. We do not run emergency dispatch to Duncan, so an active flood in the house should go to a local plumber first.
Other Duncan plumbing pages
- Plumber in Duncan — scheduled Cowichan Valley visits
- Drain cleaning
- Hydro jetting
- Sewer line repair
- Water main repair
- Hot water tank replacement
- Perimeter drains
- Poly B replacement
- Emergency plumbing
No. A sanitary backup comes up through floor drains and fixtures. A footing-drain failure shows up as seepage at the wall or a wet crawlspace while the plumbing fixtures still drain.
Only when the camera or the excavation shows the pipe has failed in more than one place. One crushed corner does not justify wrapping the house.
Yes, for scheduled work. Call (778) 265-6446 and we will tell you whether a scheduled visit is the right fit.
Perimeter Drains in Duncan
Footing drains on older in-town houses. We separate this from the sanitary lateral before anyone digs.
Call (778) 265-6446