What is a footing drain?
A footing drain is the buried pipe that keeps groundwater from pooling at the base of your walls. It works out of sight until it stops.
A footing drain is a perforated pipe laid beside the foundation footing, surrounded by stone, that collects groundwater and carries it away. Many houses have one. Few owners know where theirs ends.
This page prints no prices. It explains the pipe so you can ask better questions.
What it does
Soil beside a foundation fills with water after heavy rain. Without a way out, that water presses on the wall and the floor joint. A footing drain gives it a low path to follow instead.
The pipe has small holes or slots. Water enters, then runs along a slight slope to a daylight outlet, a storm line or a sump pit.
Where the water goes
- To daylight: a pipe that exits on a slope below the house.
- To a storm sewer, where local rules allow it.
- To a sump pit, where a pump lifts it out.
If yours ends at a sump, the pump becomes part of the system. The why sump pumps fail page explains what to watch.
How a footing drain fails
Silt, roots and crushed stone can fill the pipe. Fabric around the stone can clog. A section can collapse or sag so water sits instead of flowing. None of this shows from above.
The usual sign is a basement that was dry and now seeps at the floor edge after rain. A pump that cycles more often than before is another.
Footing drain, drain tile or French drain?
The names overlap. Many people use footing drain and drain tile for the same thing. The drain tile page covers the old clay-tile form, and the French drain comparison page shows how a yard drain differs.
What an owner can check
Find where the outlet is, if there is one. Look for a pipe end on the slope, or a pit in the basement. Keep the outlet clear of leaves and soil.
You cannot see inside the pipe. A licensed plumber can run a camera through it, and that is a fair first step before anyone proposes digging. Get the camera footage in hand and compare opinions.
Where to stop and call someone
Never dig along the footing yourself. Removing soil beside it can undermine the wall. If the walls are cracked or bowed, that is a question for a licensed structural engineer, and an independent one has no repair to sell you. Rules for where a footing drain may discharge are local, so ask your building department.
Frequently asked questions
What is a footing drain?
It is a perforated pipe beside the foundation footing, set in stone, that collects groundwater and carries it away from the base of the walls.
Is a footing drain the same as drain tile?
The terms overlap. Drain tile is the older name, from clay tiles. Both describe a buried drain at the footing.
How do I know if my footing drain is clogged?
A dry basement that now seeps at the floor edge after rain, or a pump that runs more often than before, are common signs.
Can I clean a footing drain myself?
You can keep the outlet clear. Inspecting the inside takes a camera, and a licensed plumber can run one.
Where does a footing drain empty?
Usually to daylight downhill, a storm line where permitted, or a sump pit. Local rules decide what is allowed.
Sources
What this page explains is based on these official sources. If you check one and it does not match what you read here, send it to us and the article gets corrected.
- US EPA. What You Can Do to Soak Up the Rain
- US EPA. Soak Up the Rain. Managing stormwater around a property