Can I connect my driveway drain into the foul drain?

No. Surface water must not be discharged into a foul drain. Approved Document H sets out where rainwater can go — a soakaway, a watercourse or a surface water sewer — and the wrong connection overloads the system and can cause flooding elsewhere.

Do I need permission to re-lay my front drive?

Permeable surfacing of any size, or a surface draining to a lawn or border, does not need planning permission. Impermeable surfacing over five square metres that does not drain to a permeable area does.

Why has my permeable drive stopped draining?

The joints have silted up. Permeable paving relies on open graded material in the joints, and dust, moss and detritus gradually seal it. Cleaning and recharging the joints restores most of the original infiltration.

How close can the paving be to the damp-proof course?

Approved Document C expects at least 150mm between the finished ground level and the damp-proof course. Paving that reaches or passes that line lets moisture into the wall above the barrier.

Caution

Updated 30 August 2026

Puddles Standing On The Driveway

Water lies on the drive for hours after rain, or runs towards the garage and the house instead of away from them.

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Driveway and patio work, illustrative image

What's happening?

Paving sheds water two ways: it falls to a drain or a permeable margin, or the surface itself lets water through. Puddles mean neither is working. A drive with a fall but no outlet just moves the water to the lowest point and leaves it there; a drive with an outlet but no fall never gets it there; and a permeable drive whose surface has silted up has stopped soaking anything away. Where the water runs matters more than that it stands. Front gardens paved with impermeable surfacing over five square metres need planning permission unless the water drains to a permeable area, precisely because runoff onto the road and into drains has to go somewhere. Water heading for the garage or the house is a building problem, not a puddle.

What usually causes it?

No fall across the surface, so water has nowhere to run
A fall towards the house, garage or a threshold rather than away from it
A drainage channel, gully or linear drain that is blocked, silted or was never connected
Permeable paving clogged with silt, moss and detritus so it no longer infiltrates
A settled area holding water in a local dip
Impermeable surfacing laid without any permeable margin or drain to take the runoff
A soakaway that is undersized, silted up or sitting in ground that will not accept water

Is it dangerous?

Standing water is a hazard in winter, when a shallow puddle across a driveway freezes into a sheet you cannot see in the dark. The greater risk is to the building. Water running to a garage threshold or against the house wall works its way in, and paving that has risen to within 150mm of the damp-proof course over successive re-lays bridges the barrier that keeps ground moisture out of the wall. Water standing over a soakaway near foundations is also worth taking seriously.

Can I fix it myself?

Watch it rain, then measure. Note where the water arrives, where it stands and where it is trying to go, and mark the standing area when it is at its worst. Put a spirit level across the drive to see whether there is any fall at all. Lift the gratings on every channel and gully and clear the silt and leaves — a blocked linear drain is the single most common cause and the easiest to put right. On permeable paving, brush and vacuum the joints and refill them with the correct grit, which restores infiltration on a surface that has simply clogged. Check the distance from the paving to the damp-proof course. Re-grading, adding drainage or forming a new outlet is contractor work.

When should you call a driveway and patio installer?

Call a driveway specialist when water runs towards the garage or the house, when clearing the drainage has not stopped the puddle, when the paving sits level with or above the damp-proof course, or when the drive has no outlet to drain to at all. Those are levels and drainage design problems. If the drive was recently laid and has never drained, take it up with the installer first — a new drive that ponds was not built to falls.

What will the driveway and patio installer actually do?

Survey the levels to establish the existing falls and where a new low point and outlet can go
Trace and test every channel, gully and soakaway to find what is blocked and what was never connected
Clean and rehabilitate clogged permeable paving, or replace the jointing material where it cannot be recovered
Re-lay the affected area to a positive fall away from buildings and towards a drainage point
Install linear drainage or a threshold channel and connect it to a soakaway or surface water outlet that is sized for the area
Lower the paving or form a drainage margin where the surface has risen too close to the damp-proof course

Frequently asked questions

We’re happy to answer all your questions.

Sources & References

Patio Slippery With Green AlgaeCaution Block Paving Sinking In PatchesCaution Tarmac Driveway Cracking And CrumblingCaution

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