The Brothers That Just Do Gutters · Tacoma
Live on a Slope or Bluff? How Tacoma Homes Should Drain Their Gutters
On a bluff, a ravine edge or a steep lot, where your downspouts let the water out matters as much as the gutters themselves. Here is what the Pierce County guidance says, a quick Slope Check for your lot, and where a gutter crew’s job stops.
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The Brothers That Just Do Gutters
Tacoma
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- Seamless gutters formed on-site
- Serving the South Sound
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Quick answer
Gutter drainage on slopes and bluffs in Tacoma, WA: On a sloped lot, roof water should never be dumped on the slope. Pierce Conservation District’s bluff guidance says gutters should be “tightlined with a carefully designed system that outlets water at the toe of the slope,” using strong, closed pipe, because “thin, corrugated drainage pipe is prone to leaks.” An outlet on a beach may need a permit from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. If you see new cracks in the ground or a slumped slope, call a geotechnical engineer first. Call (253) 777-1572 or book a free drainage check.
Source: Pierce County, 2020 landslide hazard plan.
Slopes and roof water
Why your downspouts matter more on a slope
On flat ground, a short downspout is a nuisance. Near a bluff or ravine, it is water going exactly where it should not.
Pierce Conservation District explains the problem plainly in its guide for bluff owners. Many South Sound slopes are built in layers: sand and gravel that drain well, sitting on clay, silt or hardpan that does not. Rain soaks down through the top layers until it hits the tight one, then travels sideways toward the face of the slope. That weakens the soil above and can speed up erosion or contribute to landslides.
A roof is one of the biggest single sources of that water on a lot. Every inch of rain on a square foot of roof is about 0.623 gallons. Send it to splash blocks at the top of a bank, and you are concentrating the runoff from your whole house into a few spots on the ground that can least afford it. The district also notes that lawn “functions somewhat like pavement during storms,” so a cleared, grassy yard above a slope does little to slow it down.
How we got these: roof square feet x inches of rain x 0.623 gallons. 2,000 x 39.3 x 0.623 is about 49,000. Sea-Tac average computed from NOAA ACIS daily records.
What Pierce County’s landslide plan says
Pierce County’s 2020 landslide hazard plan counts 1,276 landslides in its mapped inventory, with 1,658 buildings sitting on mapped deep landslides and about 71,225 buildings in areas rated a moderate hazard for shallow landslides. It points back to the 1996 storms, which triggered 20 to 30 slides and damaged or destroyed eight homes, and it notes that parts of the City of Tacoma “slide on a regular basis.” None of that means your house is at risk. It does mean that on a sloped lot, roof water deserves a plan.
Bluff and ravine lots we work on
We see sloped lots all over the South Sound: homes along the Puget Sound bluffs in Northeast Tacoma, Browns Point, Dash Point and Ruston, waterfront streets in Redondo, Des Moines, Normandy Park and Seahurst, and houses that back onto the wooded ravines that cut through Tacoma neighborhoods. The gutter work is the same as anywhere else. Where the water goes afterward is not.
Slope Check
Four questions about your lot, and an honest read
This is not a hazard map and it is not an engineering opinion. It is how our crew sizes up roof water on a sloped lot, so you know whether you need a gutter fix, a drainage check or a geotechnical engineer.
Tell us about your lot
Your read
Answer all four questions and press Get my read. Nothing you pick is saved or sent anywhere.
See the mapped hazards near you. The Washington Geological Survey’s Geologic Information Portal is free and public. Its Natural Hazards topic includes a landslide hazards layer you can zoom to your street.
Open the Washington Geologic Information Portal (opens in a new tab)
Book a free drainage check. We trace every downspout to where it lets out, test any buried line, and tell you plainly what is a gutter job and what is not.
How this works / Sources
The read. Each answer adds points for how much roof water could end up on or in a slope: steeper ground and a nearby drop add more, downspouts that empty onto the slope add the most. Under 2 points reads as low, 2 to 4 as worth a check, and 5 or more as a priority. Any sign of ground movement skips the score and sends you to a geotechnical engineer, because that is beyond a gutter crew.
The fixes. The tightline guidance comes from the Pierce Conservation District’s technical memo on coastal bluffs: collect roof water and carry it away from steep slopes in a strong closed pipe, outlet it at the toe of the slope or a safe point above the beach, and use an energy diffuser at the outlet. The district notes that “thin, corrugated drainage pipe is prone to leaks” and that a beach outlet may need a Hydraulic Project Approval permit from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Limits. This tool does not look up your parcel or any hazard map. Use the Geologic Information Portal for mapped hazards, and your city or county planning department for permit rules.
Sources: Pierce Conservation District, TAM 4: Low-Impact Living on Coastal Bluffs; Washington DNR, Geologic Information Portal.
Tightlines
What a good tightline looks like
A tightline is a solid pipe that carries roof water from your downspouts to a safe place to let out. On a slope, the details decide whether it helps or hurts.
- Collect every downspoutOne downspout left dumping at the top of the bank undoes the rest of the system. Every one gets tied in or carried well away from the slope.
- Use strong, closed pipePierce Conservation District prefers Schedule 40 PVC or other strong pipe, and warns that thin corrugated pipe is prone to leaks.
- Keep joints to a minimumThe district suggests a single length of pipe where possible, because every joint is a place a leak can start.
- Anchor itPipe running down a slope should be securely anchored so it cannot shift, pull apart or slide.
- Let it out in the right placeAt the toe of the slope or another safe outlet, with an energy diffuser so the water does not dig into the bottom of the bank.
- Inspect it every yearThe district puts it simply: consistent maintenance and inspection of all drainage systems is critical. A tightline you never check is a leak you never find.
Your options, from the top of the slope down
| Option | When it fits | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Tightline to the toe of the slope | Bluff and ravine lots where water has to get past the slope | Strong closed pipe, anchored, energy diffuser at the outlet, and professional design for a run down a bluff face |
| Tightline to the street or storm system | Lots where the street side is lower than the house, or a line already exists | Test it every year, since a blocked line backs up at the top elbow |
| Extensions or splash pads | Flat or gently sloping ground with no drop nearby | Release onto open, planted ground well away from the house and well away from any slope |
| Soaking it in on site | Flat lots with room and soil that drains | Not between the house and a bluff. The district’s goal is to minimize the water added to the soil there |
Source: Pierce Conservation District, TAM 4: Low-Impact Living on Coastal Bluffs.
Why the cheap pipe costs more
Thin corrugated pipe is cheap and easy to lay. Its joints can pull apart, it can crush, and a leak underground on a slope nobody walks can go unnoticed for years. The water you meant to carry to the bottom ends up soaking into the middle. That is the case the district warns about, and it is why we would rather tell you a line needs replacing than flush it and call it fixed. Our underground gutter drainage page covers how we approach buried lines.
Not sure where your downspouts end up? Call (253) 777-1572
Book a Free Drainage CheckKnow the limits
Where a gutter crew’s job stops
We handle roof water from the gutter to the outlet. The ground itself is a job for a geotechnical engineer.
Everything from the roof edge to where the water lets out is ours: troughs, outlets, downspouts, extensions and the buried lines that carry the water away. We will clean, repair and reroute those, and we will tell you plainly when a run down a bluff face needs a designed plan instead of a crew’s best guess.
What we will not do is guess about the slope. Pierce Conservation District tells bluff owners to seek guidance from geotechnical engineers and geologists, and to “never hesitate to call for professional help” if they see signs of instability. If we see any of the signs below on a visit, we stop and say so before we touch a downspout.
Call a geotechnical engineer first if you see
- New cracks opening in the ground, especially running along the top of a slope.
- Fences, retaining walls or trees that have started to lean.
- Ground that has slumped, bulged or dropped since last season.
- New seeps or springs coming out of the slope face.
- Fresh erosion or a small slide where a downspout or pipe lets out.
- Any change after a big storm that you did not see before.
Permits and paperwork
Simple drainage work on a single home generally does not need a permit, but the district says it is critical to check local rules first. In unincorporated Pierce County, that means the Critical Areas Ordinance and Shoreline Master Program in Pierce County Code Title 18. Inside a city, start with that city’s planning department. If a tightline would let out on a beach below the high water line, a Hydraulic Project Approval from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife may be required.
Small habits that help a slope
The same guide has a few habits worth keeping. Never dump yard waste, grass clippings or fill on a slope, since it soaks up water and can add to a slide. That includes the needles and moss that come out of your gutters, which is why our crews bag every bit of it. Keep trees and shrubs on and near the slope, avoid watering the ground between the house and the bluff edge, and check the property after every big storm, because slopes are most at risk during and after heavy rain. Our atmospheric river prep guide covers getting ready for the biggest of those, and the fir needle and moss calendar shows when to keep your gutters clear.
Get your downspouts off the slope before the wet season. Call (253) 777-1572
Book a Free Drainage CheckFrequently Asked Questions
A tightline is a solid, closed pipe that carries roof water from your downspouts to a safe place to let out, such as the toe of a slope or the street storm system. On a bluff or ravine lot, Pierce Conservation District recommends tightlining gutters so the water is carried past the slope instead of soaking into it.
It is not what we would choose. Pierce Conservation District warns that “thin, corrugated drainage pipe is prone to leaks” and prefers Schedule 40 PVC or other strong pipe, in single lengths where possible and securely anchored. A leak halfway down a slope puts water exactly where you were trying to keep it out.
You may. Pierce Conservation District notes that a tightline that lets out on a beach may require a Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA) permit from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and that work near shorelines and bluffs should be checked against local critical areas and shoreline rules before it starts.
The Washington Geological Survey’s free Geologic Information Portal has a landslide hazards layer under its Natural Hazards topic that you can zoom to your street. Pierce County’s 2020 landslide plan counts about 71,225 buildings in moderate shallow-landslide hazard areas, so a mapped area is common and is a reason to plan drainage, not to panic.
Not between the house and the bluff. Pierce Conservation District’s stated goal for bluff owners is to minimize the water added to the soil between the home and the edge of the bluff. On those lots, carrying the water past the slope in a tightline is usually the better answer, designed with professional help.
Any time you see new cracks in the ground, fences, walls or trees starting to lean, slumped ground, or new seeps coming out of the slope. Those are signs about the ground itself. A gutter crew can fix where the roof water goes, but only an engineer should judge whether the slope is moving and what it needs.
We look at the gutters, then follow every downspout to where it lets out. Buried lines get a water test to see whether they flow, and we note any downspout emptying onto a slope. You get a written estimate that separates gutter work from anything that needs an engineer.
Reviews
What the South Sound Homeowners Say
“I had a great experience with The Brothers That Just Do Gutters on my Tacoma home. The crew were professional, communicative, and did outstanding work. The new gutters and gutter guards look great, everything was installed with attention to detail, and they left the job site spotless. Highly recommend them to anyone looking for quality work and great service.”
Posted on Google“I had the Brothers Gutters put new gutters on my 26×108 ft building. They not only gave me the best price but their customer service was outstanding. They were on time with the appointment and finished in 2 hours. I would highly recommend them when doing your gutter repair or primary install.”
Posted on Google“At the start, Zeke was willing to work with my schedule, and they were prompt and on time. They worked with me, giving me options on the locations and directions of the downspouts, explaining the pros and cons of each option. Their pricing was very competitive… I highly recommend their services, even if it is not the lowest price. You won’t regret it.”
Posted on GoogleService area
Tacoma communities we serve
Every community on this list is inside our service area and gets the same local crews, on-site seamless gutters and free written estimates. Cities with an arrow have their own local page. For anywhere else on the list, call (253) 777-1572 or request a free quote and a Solutionist will come out.
- Auburn
- Bonney Lake
- Browns Point
- Burien
- Des Moines
- Eastside
- Edgewood
- Federal Way
- Fife
- Fircrest
- Kent
- Lake Tapps
- Lakeland Hills
- Lea Hill
- Midland
- Milton
- Normandy Park
- North End
- Northeast Tacoma
- Pacific
- Puyallup
- Ruston
- South Hill
- South Tacoma
- Stadium District
- Sumner
- Tacoma
- University Place
- West End
- Fircrest
- Sumner
- Fife
- Milton
- Edgewood
- Burien
- Normandy Park
- Pacific
Free drainage checks
Get your roof water off the slope
Seamless gutters, downspouts and tightlines from local Solutionists who will tell you plainly what your lot needs, and when it needs an engineer instead. Book a free drainage check and get a written estimate first.
The Brothers That Just Do Gutters · Tacoma · (253) 777-1572 · Serving Tacoma, WA and the South Sound
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Licensed, Bonded & Insured · Washington Contractor License #BRTHRBT745J1