How to Put Drainpipes Under a Concrete Driveway

Pinpoint the area on your driveway where water gathers and stands for more than an hour. Hold a chalk line across the driveway along this section and snap a straight line. Snap another chalk line parallel and 10 inches apart from the first.

Saw through the chalk lines with a concrete wet saw. Wear earplugs, goggles and a face mask to protect yourself from the harmful dust. Use a sledgehammer to break the cut concrete up into removable sections. Pry each chunk loose with a pry bar and haul away the pieces in a bucket for future landscaping projects.

Dig out 18 inches of gravel and dirt from beneath the slab with a shovel. Dig a slight slope from the higher side of the driveway to the lower side.

Dig another trench 10 inches wide down the lower side of the driveway to carry away the water that drains into the pipe beneath the driveway. This trench should be 10 inches wide and 18 inches deep and slope away from the house by about 1/8-inch for every foot.

Fill the bottom of both trenches with a 6-inch layer of clean gravel to prevent dirt from floating up into the pipes.

Set 4-inch perforated PVC drainpipe across the driveway trench and down the side of the driveway. Use an elbow connector to attach the pipes at the corner.

Fill the remaining trench that goes across the driveway with clean gravel. Pour coarse sand over the gravel and add bricks on top to accent the concrete while allowing water to permeate. Butt the sides of the bricks against each other and adjust the sand bed beneath so the bricks are level with the rest of the driveway.

Cover the pipes along the side of the driveway with another 6 inches of clean gravel. Line the top of the gravel with a strip of landscape fabric to block large debris.

Fill the rest of the side trench with dirt and plant flood-resistant grass or ground cover over the top. The roots will prevent erosion and absorb some of the excess moisture.