Where’s that icky odor in your home emanating from? You can tell your drainage system is backing up, and, boy oh boy, is the reek of sewage nauseating! If only you hadn’t overlooked the extra green patches in your lawn – the telltale signs of a drainage issue. But, you have little time to regret the choices you made – you need to take action by calling your go-to Greenville landscaping expert (if you live in the Palmetto State).
While at it, you realize you don’t have a drainage plan for your house. That means you can’t trace the source or cause of your current predicament. Bummer!
For the uninitiated, a drainage plan is a drawing that indicates the location of your home’s drainage pipes. Besides helping in the hypothetical situation we’ve alluded to, such a plan comes in handy if you plan to build an extension or make other changes to your home. It’s also a requirement if you’re applying for a building permit.
With that in mind, how can you find your home’s drainage plans? Here’re a few resources to help you:
1. Your Local Water Authority
When it comes to anything water, your local water authority is always a great starting point. And that’s precisely the case when trying to find your home’s drainage plans. They’re in charge of approving such plans before any construction can commence in your area. So, they should have a copy of your home’s drainage plans on file.
The only setback is that different water authorities have varying policies on sharing such information with the public. So, you might have to pay a small fee to get a copy of the plans. But it’s worth it considering you’ll be solving a pressing issue or the role such a plan might play in the future.
Still, there’s a chance that the drainage plans you get from your council or local authority might not match the system installed under your home. For instance, a contractor may have installed new drains or changed the layout of your drainage. In that case, check the other sources listed below.
2. Your Home’s Blueprints
Lady luck might also smile on you – meaning you could find your home’s drainage plans alongside other architectural drawings in the blueprint. These are usually kept by your local building department or stored at the title company handling your property’s sale. So, visit them to see what they might have on file. Who knows, you might find the drainage plans you so desperately need.
3. The Previous Home Owner
If none of the options above yield the results you’re after, try reaching out to the previous homeowner and asking if they have a copy of the blueprint. Most likely, if they had to request planning permission for an extension to the home, they probably submitted drainage plans and have a copy of the blueprint.
You could email them or call them to see if you can get ahold of the plans. If you’re considering buying the property in question, the current owner would be eager to streamline the process and might help you get the plans if they don’t have them.
4. Talking to Your Neighbors
This is where you can leverage your good old community spirit. Talk to your immediate neighbors and see if they have a copy of the drainage plans for their homes. You’ll luck out if they do – and if your homes are identical. Plus, they might offer insights into the location of the joint drainage systems and how they work.
Such information comes in handy if you plan to work on your drainage. And even if they don’t, at least they can point you in the right direction, making it easier to find such plans.
5. Your Home’s Builder
If you know who built your home, they should have a copy of the drainage plans. In fact, most builders keep such records for years after completing a project – just in case their clients need them.
However, tracking down your home’s builder can be quite challenging, especially if they constructed your home decades ago. Heck, you might not even remember their name, further compounding your predicament. In that case…
The Last Resort
Drainage plans are essential, especially if you want to avoid a repeat of the situation you might be facing. If all of the options above don’t yield results, a Greenville landscaping pro can use various techniques to identify drainage problems. Some of these techniques include ground penetrating radar and dye testing. By providing a full picture of your drainage system, such professionals may help you recreate the plans you need.
While it might be challenging to find your home’s drainage plans, it’s not impossible. We hope the approaches we’ve discussed can help you get your hands on them. If all else fails, consult a landscaping professional near you to have them assess your drainage system.