Heavy Rain in Salt Lake: How to Keep Water Out of Your Basement, and What to Do if It Gets In

Most basement water during a long Salt Lake rain comes in through a short list of places: driveways that slope toward the garage or a basement entrance, window wells, downspouts that empty next to the foundation, soil that slopes toward the house, and cracks or gaps where the wall meets the floor. If your driveway angles toward the house, put sandbags across the low point before the rain starts. A multi-day soaking rain is different from a summer cloudburst. The ground fills up, and water that would normally soak in pushes against the foundation instead. Most of the prevention steps take an hour or less. If water does get in, stop it, shut off power to the wet area and start drying the same day.

Water in your basement right now? Call 24/7 · (801) 948-2501.

How does rain actually get into a basement?

Rainwater follows the easiest path down and in. In a typical Wasatch Front basement, that's one of these:

• Driveways that slope toward the house. Many homes in Cottonwood Heights and Sandy have driveways that angle down toward the garage or a basement door. In a heavy rain, the whole driveway drains straight at the house. Water pools at the garage door or the basement entrance and finds its way in.
• Window wells. A well with a clogged drain or no cover fills like a bucket. Once the water reaches the bottom of the window, it pours in. (Our monsoon post covers window wells in detail.)
• Downspouts. A downspout that empties right at the foundation puts a whole roof's worth of water against one stretch of basement wall.
• Grading. Soil, flower beds or a patio that slope toward the house steer water to the foundation.
• Cracks and the floor joint. When the soil around a basement is saturated, water pressure pushes it through foundation cracks, pipe openings and the joint where the wall meets the slab.
• Floor drains. In heavy rain, city sewer and storm lines can back up. When that happens, water can come up through a basement floor drain. That's a sewer backup, not seepage, and it's handled differently (more below).

What can I do before and during a heavy rain?

Work through this list while it's still dry, or during a break in the rain:

1. Sandbag the low point if your driveway slopes toward the garage or a basement door. Lay the bags across the opening and tight against the door, so water is pushed away instead of pooling against the house. Check whether your city offers free sand and bags before a storm.
2. Clear window well drains of leaves and debris. Add covers if you have them.
3. Clear gutters and check that each downspout flows freely. Fall leaves are the usual clog. See our roof and gutter prep checklist.
4. Extend downspouts well away from the foundation with an extension or splash block.
5. Test the sump pump if you have one. Pour a bucket of water into the pit and make sure it turns on and drains.
6. Get things off the basement floor. Boxes, rugs, electronics and anything stored in cardboard.
7. Know your shutoffs. Find the main water valve and the breaker for the basement before you need them.
8. Walk the basement during the storm. Check corners, window wells and under stairs a couple of times a day. Finding water early is the difference between a small drying job and a big one.

Why do sloped driveways cause so much basement water?

A sloped driveway acts like a funnel. Everything that lands on the concrete, plus runoff from the yard and street, runs downhill toward the garage or basement door. Garage doors and basement doors aren't watertight at the bottom, so once water pools there, it gets in. From a garage, it often runs under the wall into a finished basement or a room next to the garage.

"We've done tons of jobs in Cottonwood Heights and Sandy where water comes in that way, and it's a big pain," says Seth Saxton, Keystone's owner. "Get sandbags down before the storm."

A trench drain across the bottom of the driveway is the long-term fix. Sandbags are what you can do today.

Why is a long fall storm different from a summer cloudburst?

A summer storm dumps a lot of water fast. Most damage comes from window wells and gutters overflowing in the moment.

A multi-day fall rain does something else. It saturates the soil. Dry ground soaks up water, but wet ground can't take any more. After a day or two, rain that keeps falling runs toward the lowest point it can find. That's often your foundation. That's why a basement that stayed dry through a summer storm can still take on water during a long, slow fall rain.

Fall also brings leaves. A downspout or window well drain that was clear in August may be packed by mid-October.

What should I do if water gets in?

1. Stay safe. Don't walk into standing water if outlets, cords or appliances are wet. Shut off power to the basement at the breaker first.
2. Stop what you can. Clear the window well or redirect the downspout that's causing it.
3. Photograph everything before you move or throw anything out.
4. Get the water out and start drying the same day. Wet drywall, carpet pad and insulation start growing mold quickly. Here's how fast mold can grow.

For the full step-by-step, see what to do when your basement floods.

What drying looks like on a Keystone job: every affected area is moisture-mapped and checked with a Protimeter MMS3 meter, from day one until it reaches the dry standard. Mitigation usually takes 3 to 7 days. Before we close the job, we go back for a final check, and you get a final report with photos of the meter readings. If water got under floating LVP on a concrete slab, that floor comes up every time; here's why.

Will homeowners insurance cover rainwater in my basement?

It depends on how the water got in. Use this as a starting point, then check your own policy with your agent.

The Utah Insurance Department notes that flood damage and backed-up drains or sewers aren't covered under most standard policies. Some insurers sell endorsements for them. We cover this in more detail on our water damage insurance claims page.

If you're considering flood insurance, buy it before you need it. National Flood Insurance Program policies typically have a 30-day waiting period before coverage starts.

What's not included

Keystone Restoration handles mitigation: water removal, tear-out and drying. We don't regrade yards or waterproof foundations. That's work for a landscaper or a foundation waterproofing contractor. Rebuilding drywall, flooring and finishes is handled by our sister company, Keystone BuildWorks, not Keystone Restoration.

Quick reference

Basement taking on water? Call 24/7 · (801) 948-2501.

Questions about your specific situation? Talk to us — advice is free, 24/7.