The Spring Storm Drainage Checklist for NJ Homeowners

Ten minutes of inspection and one jetting appointment before April rains — the checklist that keeps NJ basements dry through storm season.

Walk the property once, dry

On a dry March day: confirm every downspout connects to something and that something goes somewhere — buried leader lines that 'back up so we disconnected them' are a solvable jetting job, not a permanent condition. Check yard drains and area drain grates for winter debris. Find your trench drain (driveway/garage) and confirm the channel is clear of grit. Note any spot that ponded last year — ponding maps your drainage gaps for free.

Test with a hose before the sky tests for you

Run a garden hose at full volume into each downspout leader and yard drain for two minutes. Water backing out at the inlet means the buried run is blocked — leaves, silt or roots — and a jetting appointment now costs a fraction of a flooded basement in April. Water disappearing steadily means you're done; that line passed.

The basement's role

Test the sump pump (lift the float; it should run and discharge outside, not into the sanitary sewer). Pour water into the basement floor drain and confirm it takes it. If last spring brought water up that floor drain during storms, this spring is when you ask whether that's a blocked line, a surcharging main, or a missing backwater valve — before the answer arrives wet.

What we handle in one visit

Jetting buried downspout leaders, yard and area drain runs, French drains and trench drain discharge lines; camera-checking any run that fails the hose test; and clearing private catch basins before storm season. One spring appointment, and the property drains the way it was built to.

Keep Reading

• How Long Does Professional Drain Cleaning Take?
• Frozen Drains and Winter Backups: New Jersey's Cold-Weather Drain Problems
• DIY Drain Cleaning: What Actually Works and What Makes It Worse