Think like water
Start at the highest point of your lot and follow the path rain would take to the lowest. On a hillside, water arrives from uphill neighbors, the street, your own roof and driveway, and sometimes open space behind the house. It leaves through a swale, a side yard, a street gutter or a drainage channel. Anywhere along that route where the ground dips toward the house, water can pool against the foundation and find a way in.
Walkout doors, window wells, garage doors, basement egress windows and gaps around utility penetrations are the usual entry points. Mark each on a rough sketch of the house and note how high it sits relative to the ground around it.
Walkaround checklist
Prioritizing what you found
- IfWater is aimed at an opening, like a downspout dumping beside a walkout doorFix first. A downspout extension or redirect is quick and has a big effect.
- IfSoil slopes toward the house on the uphill sidePlan regrading before July; it is the most common cause of foundation water on slopes.
- IfA fence or wall blocks a swaleTalk to your HOA and neighbor; drainage easements may limit what can stay.
- IfA public inlet or channel looks undersized or cloggedReport it to the Town of Castle Rock or Douglas County rather than clearing large structures yourself.
- IfEverything looks right but water still gets inConsider a drainage engineer or contractor to evaluate the lot as a whole.
Common questions
Is it safe to do the rain walk during a thunderstorm?
No. Lightning is a real danger on exposed Castle Rock hillsides. Do the wet-weather walk during a steady, non-thunderstorm rain or with a garden hose run from the high side of the lot to simulate flow.
How often should I repeat the walkaround?
Once each spring, and again after any landscaping, fencing or construction project on your lot or a neighbor's.
General information for Castle Rock, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.