Drainage, Sump Pumps & Cisterns
We handle drainage at every scale: sump pump service and repair, area and channel drains in hardscape, catch basins and storm drain lines, and commercial cisterns and rain-capture systems. On larger jobs we offer value-engineering alternates for the engineer's review. If an alternate isn't accepted, we build to the approved plans.
Who it's for
- Homeowners and property managers with a sump pump that fails, runs constantly or is due for service
- Owners whose patio, driveway or hardscape holds water against the house
- General contractors with site drainage, storm drain and cistern scope on commercial or multifamily jobs
- Developers and design teams with a rain-capture requirement who want a lower-cost alternate reviewed before buying a packaged system
How the work goes
- We walk the site and look at where the water actually goes. Where there are drainage plans, we build to them. Smaller fixes often have no plans, so we walk the drain and pipe locations with you before we price them.
- For sump pumps, we check the pit, pump, floats and discharge, then service or replace what is worn. Electrical power and wiring are by others.
- Hardscape drains, catch basins, SDR-35 pipe and chambers go in to the plan, sloped to a working outlet. Any substitution goes to the engineer for approval first.
- On cistern and rain-capture jobs, we can offer value-engineering alternates, such as a simpler basin and pump setup that cuts fabrication, delivery and rigging. Each alternate goes to the engineer for review, and if it isn't accepted we build to the approved plans.
- We jet and test the lines before we close out, so construction debris doesn't settle in the pipe.
What drives the cost
- Pipe length and depth, and how far the outlet is from the curb or street
- Hardscape that has to come out and go back
- Whether gravity works or the site needs a sump and pump
- Pumps, controls and alarms, which we price as options when you want us to supply them
- Cistern size, delivery access and the agency's rain-capture requirements
What we do differently
Value-engineering alternates go to your engineer for review, including a simpler rain-capture setup that passed LA County Health review on a past project.
Common questions
My sump pump keeps running. What do you check?
We check the pit, the pump, the floats and the discharge line, then service or replace what is worn. Electrical power and wiring are by others. If the real problem is water reaching the pit faster than it should, we look at the site drainage too.
Is the leak a waterproofing problem or a drainage problem?
Often it is both. Water behind a wall rarely has one cause, so we look at where the water shows up, expose and test what we need to, and price the waterproofing and the drainage as one scope. The details come from the Engineer of Record.
Is there a lower-cost way to meet a cistern or rain-capture requirement?
Sometimes. On cistern and rain-capture jobs we can offer a value-engineering alternate, such as a simpler basin and pump setup that cuts fabrication, delivery and rigging. Each alternate goes to the engineer for review. If it isn't accepted, we build to the approved plans.
From the field
Ready to talk about your project?
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