Big Garage leading to Big Problem with neighbor

[gto65goat]

Water run-off from garage roof...what are my options.
Plans are to build a 33' wide X 24 deep X 17 foot tall garage and workshop.
My neighbor, who joins my property line is concerned about the rain water run-off from the roof of the garage...because the slope of our land is such that water naturally runs 'down' and into his yard.
Admittedly, I have my concerns about it too.
So, I'm asking the forum memebers...what can be done to alleviate his fears?
Is there an engineer specialist who I can contact about the water flow concerns?
Any suggestions appreciated.

 

[Stuart in MN]

How about simply putting up some rain gutters? Another possibility is grading the land around the garage so there's a natural swale to guide the water away from your neighbor's property.

 

[imported_banzaitoyota]

french drains, gutters

 

[SCOOTER]

OK here is what I had to do cause the soil around my place get's kinda hard....Included in my building plan, I had to have a GEO Tech Engineer design a displacement PIT....30'L X 4'W X 5'D filled with rock and clean pea gravel with my downspouts from my gutters piped into a catch basin/sedement and oil seperator then piped into the "pit"...something along these lines (not as intence) should calm both you and your neighbour's nerves.....good luck

 

[Der Bugmeister]

A pit like Scooter suggested would work, if you have a suitable location to put it. How detailed you need to go all depends on your local code. In my case (30' x 30' garage), I dug a hole 1 yard deep, 2 yards wide and 3 yards long and filled it with 3/4" drain rock. My perimeter drain and gutters both flow straight in (no catch basin or separator).

That was all at the suggestion of the building inspector, and he was happy with how it was all done.

 

[SCOOTER]

Well here the city is trying to overturn the use of such pits that's why I had to go with one from a geo-tech..he designed one for my 28x36 shop and said we needed only 20' long BUT I have a future house addition in mind so I am making it bigger to accomodate that also

 

[astroracer]

Just a question (or two)... When you build a "structure" over a plot of land does that cause it to rain more on the "structure" then it did on the open ground? I mean, is there MORE water to disperse when it rains on a roof as compared to open grass or field?
If the lay of the land drains in a certain direction why does a roof create MORE water to drain then open grass? I realize the water is not collected in one or two central spots by open grass as it is by a roof but is there more?
Maybe I am just being stupid but I don't see the problem here... Garage or no garage the same amount of water will fall on your yard and drain across your neighbors... Just direct your downspouts to the farthest point from your neighbors yard to give the water time to soak in...
Mark

 

[Bradley Miller]

Garage roof creates more water to drain because you have less soil to absorb it. Ever wonder why there are more flooded areas during rains -- subdivisions/houses/etc... are eating up ground that normally absorbs the water. For more meatier explainations, google watershed, etc...

Good info:

http://water.usgs.gov/wsc/glossary.html

 

[bmwpower]

OK here is what I had to do cause the soil around my place get's kinda hard....Included in my building plan, I had to have a GEO Tech Engineer design a displacement PIT....30'L X 4'W X 5'D filled with rock and clean pea gravel with my downspouts from my gutters piped into a catch basin/sedement and oil seperator then piped into the "pit"...something along these lines (not as intence) should calm both you and your neighbour's nerves.....good luck

Wow. That's a lot of stone. Not sure I would want to invest that much in stone to be put underground.

 

[Slatewear]

You could always clean and bottle it. Have you seen how much they're getting for a bottle of water these days? It's MUCH worse than gas prices. Nobody complains about bottled water prices though. Hell, beer's cheaper. Well, maybe just the beer I buy.

Seriously, there must be a logical way to difuse the water. I don't think it's the volume that's the issue, but the convergance into a specific area. Or, you could even collect the water for gardens, etc.

My shed is 30x60. I didn't want down spouts in the front, so both sides go down one spout each in the back. But, I did have to difuse the rush of water coming down.

 

[SCOOTER]

Wow. That's a lot of stone. Not sure I would want to invest that much in stone to be put underground.

Trust me it's the economical route...other options (1) run a pump system to the stormdrain over 350' away..OR (2) trench over 350 + ft' across my yard , my neighbors yard then across a driveway then another neighbors yard to the drainage ditch that runs down another sidestreet...yes I will be spending $$$ on rock going underground..but at least it will be all in my yard


Also I should have listened to others that told me to buy a place with a shop already....I said "naaaaa I'm in construction I can do it"...didn't think I was gonna get "City Code Raped"

I can't complain to much it's a great lil city to live in, awesome schools for my kids and last but not least house values are real good.

I bought the "DOG" of the neighborhood..so investing in it doesn't hurt so much...5 houses away two sold for over 500k, now granted they are a bit larger and nicer than my place ,BUT I don't even have 1/2 that invested in mine ....with the shop I have planned and the remodel it should put my value close to the others.

I'm not saying that home ownership is a business, I'm just saying that making my lil hunk into something the family and I enjoy without being upsidedown and fighting an uphill battle is my ultimate goal.......

 

[customperformance]

Scooter what kind of city code problems did you face? In my area some people do some things a while down the road after they get final sign off from county or city so they dont have to deal with certain restrictions. Like for example I have known people to build a garage with no utilites then down the road add heat power and finish inside etc. Many do this to avoid extra permitt fees and to avoid having their house re evaluated for higher taxes . I dont advocate this but I have known it to go on.

 

[SCOOTER]

Well there is the drainage thing, then the building set backs I felt 7' and 7' was a lil more that was needed...but the drainage being the most trouble so far ....the Stormwater Manager wanted to change the set backs on my pit from 10' all around to 25' off the property lines( and this would have caused a big headache ) BUT in all fairness the "Building Official" has been the greatest so far....He help in the design, hooked me up with my floor joist system (saved 50% over using TGI's) He also let me do some work around my place to get ready for construction unpermitted.. he said "Ahhhh your gonna be into us (the city) for the building so just follow my guidlines and I'll let ya go ahead and get started".......I must say he has been one of the coolest Inspectors I have ever delt with .......


(Budweiser Music On) ........"real american hero...''

"Here's to you Mr. Building inspection guy"

(bud music off)

 

[TER]

How about simply putting up some rain gutters? Another possibility is grading the land around the garage so there's a natural swale to guide the water away from your neighbor's property.

Stuart in MN has the easy solution above.

I was on the receiving end of water runoff when a new house and garage went up on an adjacent lot. Our driveways abutted, separated by a small side yard; both driveways sloped to the street, but while my garage entrance faced the street, the neighbor's was 90 degrees to the street and required a large turnaround and consequently much more concrete. The contractor graded the concrete so the neighbor's drive sloped toward my lot as well as toward the street. When I complained to the builder that my yard was flooding because of his runoff combined with mine, his reply was "water runs downhill".

Rather than pitch a *****, over a weekend, I "borrowed" some lumber and topsoil from the site and raised the grade of the sideyard to create a berm preventing the neighbor's runoff from reaching my yard -- problem solved. Hope something cheap like that will work for you.

 

[4t64rd]

How about a cistern? gutters to a plastic drum with a bibb on the bottom. Fill the drum with ping pong balls to keep the skeeters down. Run a garden hose (or permanently PVC plumb) from the bibb to a drip irrigation on some landscaping that needs extra water. Close the valve unless the plants need watering.