# Drainage contractor in University Park, TX

> Drainage in University Park: roof water must be piped to the curb or alley, side yards are capped at 5 percent, and a drainage plan comes before the permit.

URL: https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/service-areas/university-park/

Service area

University Park does not leave roof water to chance. Its building code says where gutters must discharge, how steep a side yard can be, and when a drainage plan is required.

[Rein Irving Drainage Company](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/) works in University Park, and it is the one city in our area where buried downspout lines are not a recommendation but a requirement. The town’s amended residential building code sets out where roof water goes, how lots must drain, how steep a side yard can be and when a plan is required. For homeowners, builders and anyone planning an addition, those rules decide the shape of the [downspout drainage](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/downspout-drainage/), [grading](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/yard-grading/) and [catch basin](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/catch-basins/) work before anyone looks at the yard.

## What the code requires

University Park adopted its drainage requirements as section R401.3.1 of its amended residential code, through Ordinance 22-034. The main points:

| Requirement | What it says | What it means on site |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Surface water | Contained on the lot and conveyed to the front property line, the alley, or both | Water is not sent across side or rear lines to a neighbor |
| Roof drainage | Gutters connected to a properly sized underground conduit discharging through the curb or at the alley property line | Every downspout is piped, and the line ends at the curb or the alley |
| Side yards | Grade capped at 5 percent | Side yards are shaped to carry water, without steep drops |
| Plans | Drainage plan approved before a building permit | New houses and many additions are reviewed first |
| Diversion | Diverting water so it damages another property is an offense | Matches Texas Water Code 11.086 statewide |

## Roof water to the curb or alley

The roof requirement is the one most homeowners notice. A pop-up emitter in the front lawn, a splash block or a downspout extension does not satisfy it. Each downspout connects to buried solid pipe, sized for the roof feeding it, that runs to a core through the street curb or to the alley line.

Sizing matters because roof water arrives in bursts. Each inch of rain on 1,000 square feet of roof is about 620 gallons, and NOAA’s Atlas 14 puts the 2-year storm for central Irving, a few miles west, at 1.77 inches in one hour. A large two-story roof draining to a handful of corners needs a main line with real capacity to the curb. The guide to [how much water comes off a roof](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/guide/how-much-water-comes-off-a-roof/) has the arithmetic, and [solid or perforated pipe](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/guide/should-downspouts-drain-into-perforated-pipe/) explains why roof lines are solid.

## Side yards and the 5 percent cap

Side yards between closely built houses are where water from two roofs and two lots meets. University Park caps side-yard grade at 5 percent, which keeps them from being cut into steep chutes and keeps water moving toward the front or the alley at a controlled rate. In narrow side yards, that often means a shallow swale with a line of small [catch basins](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/catch-basins/) tied into the same pipe as the downspouts, rather than a steep slope.

## Plans before permits

Because a drainage plan has to be approved before a building permit, new houses and additions are planned for drainage from the start. That is easier and cheaper than fixing drainage after a house is finished. For existing homes, the code still describes where roof and surface water belong, which makes it a useful target for any retrofit. The [drainage permits guide](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/guide/drainage-permits-irving-dallas/) compares University Park’s process with Irving and the nearby cities.

## The ground underneath

The USDA soil survey sample points closest to University Park are in Dallas, where much of the north and east side maps as Houston Black clay: about 55 percent clay particles, with a plasticity index of 47 and a linear extensibility near 17 percent. Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, so roof water dumped at one corner of a slab is a real concern. University Park’s requirement to pipe that water to the curb or alley works with the soil, not just the street. A test hole confirms what is under a particular lot.

## Alleys

Many University Park lots back onto alleys, and the code lists the alley property line as an approved outlet for both surface water and roof drainage. On deep lots, a line to the alley can be shorter than one to the front curb, and it keeps the trench out of the front lawn. The choice depends on the elevations of the curb and the alley relative to the house.

## Common University Park jobs

- **Bringing existing downspouts into line** with buried solid pipe to the curb or alley.
- **Side yards between houses** with a swale and basins tied into the downspout line.
- **Drainage for additions and new houses**, built to the approved plan.
- **Patios and drives** sloping toward the house, with a [channel drain](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/channel-drains/) at the low edge.

## What University Park drainage work costs

As national budgeting ranges, buried downspouts run about $150 to $350 each and catch basins about $500 to $1,500 each. University Park jobs tend to sit toward the upper end per downspout, because every line has to reach the curb or alley rather than a nearby emitter, and curb cores and walk crossings add cost. The [downspout drainage cost guide](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/guide/downspout-drainage-cost-irving/) explains the drivers, and the [cost tool](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/tools/drainage-cost-estimator/) gives a quick range.

Rein Irving Drainage Company plans and manages each job; installation is carried out by licensed and insured drainage contractors we work with.

## Nearby

We also work across [Dallas](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/service-areas/dallas/), which surrounds University Park, and in [Coppell](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/service-areas/coppell/) and [Grand Prairie](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/service-areas/grand-prairie/). See all [service areas](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/service-areas/).

## Questions people ask

### Where must downspouts drain in University Park?

University Park's residential code requires roof drainage by gutters connected to a properly sized underground pipe that discharges through the street curb or at the alley property line. A pop-up emitter in the lawn does not meet that on its own.

### Is there a limit on side-yard slope in University Park?

Yes. The town's amended residential code caps side-yard grades at 5 percent, so side yards are shaped to carry water toward the front or the alley without steep drops between houses.

### When does University Park require a drainage plan?

A drainage plan has to be approved before a building permit is issued. That brings new houses and many additions under drainage review before construction begins.

### Where does surface water have to go on a University Park lot?

The code says surface water is to be contained on the lot and conveyed to the front property line, the alley, or both, rather than across a side or rear lot line onto a neighbor.

### Is diverting water onto a neighbor an offense in University Park?

The town's code makes diverting water in a way that damages another property an offense, in line with Texas Water Code section 11.086 statewide.

## Get an estimate

Tell us where the water stands and send a photo. After a site visit, you get a written price.

[(469) 680-8773](tel:+14696808773)

## Related services

- [Downspout drainage](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/downspout-drainage/)
- [Yard grading and swales](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/yard-grading/)
- [Catch basin installation](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/catch-basins/)
- [Channel drains](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/channel-drains/)

## Guides

- [Drainage permits in Irving and Dallas](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/guide/drainage-permits-irving-dallas/)
- [Downspouts and perforated pipe](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/guide/should-downspouts-drain-into-perforated-pipe/)
- [How much water comes off a roof](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/guide/how-much-water-comes-off-a-roof/)
- [Neighbor water runoff in Texas](https://reinirvingdrainagecompany.com/guide/neighbor-water-runoff-texas/)

## University Park drainage project?

Send your address, the number of downspouts and whether the lot has an alley.