Drainage in front of house

[DumbStick 13]

Now there's an interesting topic!

 

Anyone had any experience making drainage space (can't think of better way to say it) in front of their house? The bit between your place and the road, running along the side of the road. So that rain water can flow away.

 

It seems we need to see to it ourselves unfortunately, after believing that the town would do it for us.

 

It turns out there is a (buried) drainage route, which if we take the dirt out of we can use... but it hardly looks good and isn't that wide. But the fact that there is something there apparently precludes us from getting it done by the town. Which seems perhaps a bit odd, but that's the info I have. So if we want something that looks decent, we might have to cough up.

 

Getting a costing now, but as that takes time I thought I'd see if anyone had any experience or know a kind of per m cost. We have about 12m at the front of our place.

[snowdude 44]

Not sure sorry. Ours is all handled by the local ward office so all drains are already in place. We had to pay for the connection part from the house to the drain though as part of building the house!

[DumbStick 13]

It seems that the town office will pay for them to be done if there's nothing there.... ie nowhere for the water to go.

As we have an old cut out going alongside the road, seems they won't pay, but it's crappy and I would want a more proper thing in front of the house.

Thats my understanding.

Going to get mrs DumbStick to go and find out and see if a little charm will work anything!

[Chriselle 158]

What does the water do now on it? Where is the slope and what kind of grade do you have leading to the (planned) drainage channel? Manipulating water is such a bitch of a job...!!

[DumbStick 13]

Drainage channel. That is the kind of words I was looking for!

 

Right now the concrete base is surrounded by 'ground'/earth and rain from the roofs is directed to run off into a neighbouring channel. Or the bit that is by the side of our land.

 

The plan for the slight slope etc is quite simple really, it's just the cost of doing it!

[Chriselle 158]

It's simple in theory but a pain in the ass to do and do it right. If you could post a picture of it that would help. It's always hard to visualize property. Not that I can really offer much but I have done some concrete work where water needed to be shed is a specific direction. Again, it isn't rocket science but not all that easy either.... especially if you've got existing concrete in the mix.

[DumbStick 13]

Actually Chriselle, I'm very confident that they will do it well. They have explained how it will work. So that's not my worry.

 

It's basically just whether to spend the money on a nice wide drainage channel or leave the much more crappy one that is there now really.

I actually know which of those we'll end up choosing, so I might as well stop 'faffing about' as pie-eater would say and stop wasting time thinking about it.

 

Looks like it might cost best part of 300-400,000 yen to get it done proper. Hopefully less. Still waiting for a costing.

[Chriselle 158]

Ya..what's another 3 or 4 grand really.... It might come back and bite you if you don't get it done when you have the chance.

[NoFakie 45]

Have you talked to the neighbours? They'll know best about the runoff from your plot. They'll know about any specific issues and will care about them. The bureaucrats at city hall will just give you what's in the big book of rules and won't know about any site specifics. If there are no issues, non-busybody neighbours won't care whether your place is compliant with the rules.

 

We're the top house on a slope with woods behind and there were all kinds of drains and concrete channels (the letter "U" -ji kou in Japanese) in place for the big runoff we get. However, the most obvious channel by the road directly in front of the house that looks like a big deal hardly gets any water in it in reality. It can silt up with soil washed down from our garden without creating an issue. The big runoff from the mountain is all routed elsewhere.

 

Japanese people tend to be proactive on this type of thing, so if you're existing draining channel silting up was a problem, your ku would have done something about it.

[DumbStick 13]

Neighbours have been really helpful actually and spoken with our building company as well.

I think what is needed is fairly clear.

They were lucky enough that the town did it for them so it cost them 0 yen.

Jealous!

[DumbStick 13]

Just in case anyone interested in such things....

 

Latest is that it seems that we will only have to pay for the bit directly in front of the garages.

No idea why.

So hopefully we might be down to about half the total cost.

Damn this is one of those 'hard to get a clear answer' things that drives you up the wall.

[Chriselle 158]

Re-allocate those funds to booze and steaks for all your SJ friends you're going to have over for the house warming. I'm assuming I'm high up on the list...I prefer a nice bottle of Pinot and a med-rare porterhouse...

 

edit... umm...when and where?

[DumbStick 13]

This work has at last been done.

And in the end, for some reason the construction company has done the whole lot so covers all the way along.

Don't know why but I'm not going to argue as that is what I wanted.

It looks nice.

 

BUT.

Builder guy has told me don't be surprised if town office come and take a look and ask for some to be removed to comply with the rules.

And if that is the case, just keep the covers and put them back on at a later date when they have taken their photos and the project has been completed to their satisfaction.

 

Nuts.

[merryJim 1]

I can't believe they would do that.

Please let it not be so!!

[muikabochi 208]

sounds like you have faced a few different nonsensical situations dumbstick.

Glad to hear that they are doing all the front - lets hope the town office don't be extra silly.

[Chriselle 158]

I think they'll remind you of the regs.....suck a little air through their teeth.....think a bit more.....nod at one another.....and say "OK,...this time"...