Old houses have personalities. They also have quirks, like the stubborn perimeter drains that quietly protect your foundation until they don’t. I have crawled enough damp crawlspaces and opened enough clogged cleanouts to know this: a home’s perimeter drainage is out of sight, out of mind, and then suddenly very much in your face. When it backs up, you see muddy water pooling along a basement wall, paint bubbling near the slab, or a sump that never stops cycling. By the time you notice the symptoms, the drain field may have been struggling for months.
So how often should you schedule perimeter drain cleaning? The honest answer is, it depends on your soil, landscaping, rainfall, and the age and material of your system. That’s not a dodge, it’s experience. Still, there are practical intervals that work for most properties and specific clues that tell you when to move faster. Let’s break it down in plain terms, with stories from the field and numbers where they matter.
What your perimeter drain actually does
A perimeter drain, sometimes called a French drain or drain tile, runs around your foundation, usually at the footing level. Its job is simple: collect groundwater and roof runoff that migrates through soil, then send it to a storm connection, sump, or daylight outlet. In Coquitlam and the Lower Mainland, many homes built in the 1970s to early 2000s use perforated PVC or ABS. Older homes might still have clay or concrete tile. These systems do not fail all at once. They silt up slowly, they collect fine roots, they trap sand that slipped past the filter fabric, and they choke at the first bend where a contractor skimped on slope.
I once scoped a 1986 PVC system that looked great near the cleanout but heavy with silt near the rear corner. The homeowners had replaced the back patio and raised the grade by 6 inches without realizing they turned a shallow low point into a collection point. The drain was doing its job, it just needed help keeping up with the new reality.
The baseline schedule that works for most homes
If you want a starting rule before we talk about edge cases, hydro jetting kcplumb.ca use this:
- Inspection every 2 to 3 years, cleaning every 3 to 5 years for modern PVC systems in average conditions.
That rhythm keeps ahead of silt buildup and small root intrusions. An inspection is not guesswork. It means a camera down the line from at least two access points, a flow check if you have a sump, and a quick roof-to-groundwater review of how water reaches the system. A cleanout happens when the camera finds accumulations, flat spots, or a partial blockage. In many cases, a hydro jetting service clears the line and restores proper flow with minimal disruption.
This schedule gets shorter as conditions get tougher. If your property sits on fine silt or you have a thick cedar hedge hugging the foundation, I push clients to inspections every 1 to 2 years and cleanings every 2 to 3 years. On steep lots with lots of roof area draining to a single side, same idea: move the dial toward more frequent checks.
The telltale signs you should call sooner
You do not need to wait for puddles. There are earlier, gentler signs.
- A sump that cycles frequently after routine rain, not just once-in-a-decade storms. Efflorescence (white mineral staining) spreading on basement walls along the perimeter. Musty odor near the baseboards after a wet week. Gutters overflowing or downspouts that splash too close to the house, pushing extra water toward the drain. A surface depression along the foundation where soils have settled, sometimes a hint that fines are migrating into the drain trench.
These are not emergencies yet. But they are your window to schedule perimeter drain cleaning service while it is still simple. A reputable perimeter drain cleaning company will scope first, clean second, and show you the before and after footage. If someone jumps straight to perimeter drain replacement after a short look from a single cleanout, push for more diagnostics. Replacement has its place, but cleaning and minor repairs solve most performance issues when you catch them early.
Coquitlam’s soil and weather realities
For clients asking about perimeter drain cleaning Coquitlam way, local context matters. The Tri-Cities see heavy fall and winter rainfall. A string of atmospheric river events can send hundreds of millimeters of rain our direction over a few weeks. We also have a patchwork of soils: river silts along the lowlands, glacial till and gravel up on the slopes. Silts travel, and they travel into perforated pipe. That is why properties down near the Coquitlam River or in older, flatter neighborhoods often need shorter service intervals.
Tree selection is the other silent factor. Cedars, maples, and willows do not respect your foundation. They chase moisture. Even when a system was wrapped in filter fabric during installation, hair roots eventually find perforations. In Coquitlam’s older subdivisions, I have pulled root masses the size of a soccer ball from a single tee. If you have thirsty trees within 10 to 15 feet of the wall, plan inspections annually for the first couple of years to set a baseline. You might get lucky. Many don’t.
Hydro jetting, snaking, and when each makes sense
There are two main cleaning methods: mechanical augering and hydro jetting. A drain snake can break through a blockage, but it often punches a hole without removing the surrounding sludge. Hydro jetting uses high-pressure water with a specialized nozzle to scour the pipe walls and flush debris toward an exit. For perimeter drains, hydro jetting is usually the right choice because the goal is not just to open a path, it is to restore the flow across long runs and multiple fittings.
A hydro jetting company that works on storm lines will carry a range of nozzles. I like starting with a warthog or a rotating head that cuts through roots while washing silt. Pressure settings matter. Old clay tile cannot handle the same force as modern PVC, so the tech must dial the pump appropriately and keep the nozzle moving. A good hydro jetting Coquitlam crew knows local pipe vintages and adapts on the fly. In tight soils, you may also see them pull the nozzle backward slowly to “drag” fines out in stages rather than pack them at the next bend.
One caveat: if your camera finds a collapsed section, a separated joint that is soil-packed, or a chronic belly with standing water, hydro jetting won’t fix geometry. It restores what is there. Structure still wins. That is when we talk about spot repairs or, if the system is end-of-life, perimeter drain replacement.
Replacement is not failure, it is timing
No one wants to hear they need a new system. But materials age. Clay tiles from the 1950s and 60s often fail at the joints. Concrete tile crumbles when roots pry at it for decades. Even some early PVC installations used minimal bedding and develop sags. When you are at the point of cleaning twice a year and still getting backups, you are throwing good money after bad.
In the last few years, perimeter drain replacement in Coquitlam has become more common simply because a wave of mid-century homes are reaching that age. The right contractor will stage it properly: protect landscaping where possible, maintain correct slope, use clean gravel with a true filter fabric wrap, and ensure downspouts are either tied in with backwater protection or isolated to a separate system. If your lot allows, we often add an accessible flush-out at each corner and near low points. Those cleanouts are cheap insurance and make future perimeter drain cleaning quick and targeted.
How to think about cost versus risk
People often ask me if they can wait a year. My answer weighs the cost of cleaning against the cost of water ingress. A typical hydro jetting service for a straightforward residential perimeter line might run a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars depending on line length, access, and the amount of debris. A single episode of seepage can wreck flooring, cause mold, and add thousands in repairs, not to mention the time and hassle.
If you have never had the system inspected and you are more than five years in the home, schedule a camera inspection regardless of symptoms. Think of it like a baseline colonoscopy for the house, not glamorous but smart. Once you have video and a map of the line, you can set a sensible cadence. Maybe you find a clean system that only needs a gentle flush in three years. Maybe you find a root-prone section that merits cleaning every year or two. The cost of knowledge is low compared to the guesswork.
What proper cleaning looks like, step by step
Some homeowners call me after a disappointing experience where a crew arrived, ran a snake for twenty minutes, and left a bill. Good companies follow a sequence. Here is the flow I expect on every job that truly respects your system:
- Survey the site: confirm cleanout locations, storm outlet or sump, roof downspout routing, and any signs of settlement or ponding. Camera the line before cleaning: identify material, diameter, slope issues, and blockages, and record footage. Jet from downstream to upstream when possible: use the outlet or the lowest cleanout to pull debris out of the system rather than pack it deeper. Verify with a second camera pass: confirm clear flow, check for stubborn bellies or joints, and document the improved condition. Provide a written summary with footage: include a service interval recommendation tied to what they actually saw, not a generic reminder.
Notice there is only one mechanical cleaning step. The rest is about knowing what you’re dealing with and confirming the result. This is where hiring a seasoned perimeter drain cleaning company pays off.
Small maintenance habits that stretch your interval
The best way to avoid frequent cleanings is to keep unnecessary load out of the system.
Keep gutters and downspouts clean. Twice a year in the Lower Mainland is a minimum. If your property has tall firs or maples overhanging the roof, you may need quarterly checks during shedding seasons. When gutters overflow, water runs right down the wall into the drain trench.
Extend or re-route downspouts that dump too close to the foundation. A three to six foot extension can dramatically reduce the flow demand on your perimeter system during heavy rains. In some cases, a simple splash block is enough, but extensions give you margin.
Watch the grade. If landscaping projects raise the soil next to the wall, make sure you maintain a gentle slope away from the house, roughly a 2 percent fall in the first six to ten feet. Negative slope sends more water to the trench than it was designed to handle.
Be mindful of planting near the foundation. Pick species with less aggressive roots. If you inherit a hedge that drinks like a sailor, factor in more frequent inspections.
If you have a sump, maintain it. Clean the pit annually, test the pump, and consider a backup if you live in an area with frequent power blips during storms.
These little habits often push a 3 year cleaning interval to 4 or 5, which is money kept in your pocket.
What I recommend for different property types
Not every house behaves the same. Here is how I set service intervals in the real world.
Newer PVC system on a modest lot with good slope and no big trees: camera at year 3, cleaning at year 3 to 5 only if debris is present. After that, inspections every 3 years.
Older clay tile with nearby cedars: camera now, hydro jetting now, re-scope in 12 months to see how fast roots return. If roots are back, set annual or biennial cleaning until a replacement is feasible.
Steep lot with large roof area draining to one side: camera every 1 to 2 years, clean every 2 to 3. Consider redirecting some roof area to a separate line or rain garden to balance flows.
Homes near silt-heavy lowlands or new infill with lots of disturbed soil: early and frequent checks in the first two years after construction. Disturbed soils move. Once things settle, you can often stretch the interval.
Townhomes or strata with shared storm infrastructure: treat the system like a network. Schedule coordinated inspections so you are not cleaning one segment only to have upstream debris migrate down. Stratas in Coquitlam often adopt a two year inspection and three year cleaning rotation across the complex.
When cameras reveal more than clogs
A camera inspection sometimes turns up surprises unrelated to cleaning. I once found a downspout that a previous owner had tied into the sanitary line rather than the storm, a code violation that also overloaded the sewer during rainfall. We rerouted it to the perimeter system and installed a backwater valve where appropriate. Another time, we found a buried cleanout that was capped under mulch. Bringing that access point back to grade saved the owners hundreds on every future service call.
You may also discover that your system daylights on a steep bank or into a rock pit you didn’t know existed. Daylight outlets can get blocked by leaves, gravel, or even small animal nests. A quick check after every storm goes a long way. If the outlet is too exposed, a simple screen or protective cover keeps critters and debris out, but make sure it doesn’t restrict flow.
Choosing the right partner for the job
Credentials matter less than the habits the crew brings to your driveway. When you look for perimeter drain cleaning service, ask for before and after video, ask what size jetter and nozzles they carry, and ask how they handle older materials. If you hear one-size-fits-all answers, keep looking. Local familiarity helps. A team that does hydro jetting Coquitlam wide has likely seen your street’s soil and your neighborhood’s typical drain layout.
If your system is failing and you are considering perimeter drain replacement Coquitlam contractors vary widely in approach. Good ones respect landscaping, phase the work to keep water moving during construction, and install proper cleanouts for future maintenance. The result should be a system that sets you up for easy, low-cost cleaning on a predictable cadence.
A practical plan you can live with
You do not need a complicated maintenance protocol. Fold drains into the same rhythm you use for roof and furnace care. Put two reminders on your calendar: a fall gutter check and a perimeter drain inspection every few years, sooner if your property fits the higher-risk categories I have outlined. Tie small tasks to big weather. After a heavy storm, walk the perimeter. Look for pooling, listen for the sump, check the daylight outlet if you have one. If something feels different, don’t wait for the next big rain.
The point of scheduling is not to spend money on services you don’t need. It is to keep a quiet system working quietly, so you never have to think about it. A smart interval, a dependable perimeter drain cleaning company, and a little attention after storms will do more to protect your foundation than any fancy gadget. When in doubt, get a camera in the line and let the footage tell you what to do next.
17 Fawcett Rd #115, Coquitlam, BC V3K 6V2 (604) 873-3753 https://www.kcplumb.ca/plumbing/coquitlam
17 Fawcett Rd #115, Coquitlam, BC V3K 6V2 (604) 873-3753 https://www.kcplumb.ca/plumbing/coquitlam