A Bucket Next to Your Foundation
Window Well
Drain
Installation in Maryland
A window well without a drain is a bucket next to your foundation. Every heavy rain fills it with water that has one path forward.
Through your window frame and into your basement. OBW adds or fixes the drainage on window wells that are already the right size, a faster, narrower fix than a full well rebuild.
Why Window Wells Flood in Maryland
A Well Without a Drain
Just Fills Up
Window wells are recessed areas below grade that expose basement windows to light and air. They also expose those windows to every rainstorm. In Maryland's clay soils, the gravel at the base of a window well saturates quickly, and once the gravel bed is full, any additional rain has nowhere to go except up and through the window.
A properly installed window well drain connects the base of the well to a perforated pipe that routes water away from the foundation. OBW ties that pipe into your existing foundation drain system, runs it to a sump basin, or daylights it at a lower elevation on the property. The result is a well that empties itself during every rainstorm rather than filling up.
OBW assesses whether the well itself needs replacement or simply a working drain before recommending anything
Signs Your Window Well Needs a Drain
When the Well Is Fine but the
Drainage Isn't
Window well failures are often incremental: the well works fine for years, then one heavy season pushes more water than the clogged gravel can handle.
- Water visible inside the well after rain, more than an hour or two to clear
- Water has entered the basement through or around a window after heavy rain
- The gravel at the bottom of the well looks packed or muddy
- The well was installed without any drain connection at all (common before 1990)
- A previous waterproofing job addressed interior water but never got to the window wells
What's Included
OBW's Window Well
Drain Services
A targeted drain fix for a well that's already properly sized, without the cost of rebuilding it.
Gravel Bed Excavation
The existing, often clogged or undersized, gravel bed is excavated below to make room for a proper drain.
4-Inch Perforated Drain Pipe
Installed at the base of the well, wrapped in filter fabric to prevent Maryland clay from migrating in.
Routed to a Real Discharge
Tied into your existing foundation drain system, run to a sump basin, or daylighted at a lower point on the property.
Clean 57-Stone Replacement
The gravel bed is replaced with clean stone so water reaches the drain instead of sitting on compacted sediment.
Filter Fabric Liner
Prevents surrounding clay soil from migrating into the gravel bed and clogging the system again over time.
Written Workmanship Guarantee
Every window well drain installation is backed by a written workmanship guarantee. Ask your inspector for the terms that apply to your job.
The Process
How OBW Adds Drainage
to an Existing Window Well
Confirm the well itself is sound. Excavate the old gravel. Install the drain pipe. Restore with clean stone.
Assessment
OBW confirms the well itself is properly sized and assesses just how the base gravel bed and drain, or lack of one, is performing.
Excavation
The existing gravel bed is excavated below to expose room for a proper drain pipe at the base of the well.
Drain Pipe Installation
A 4-inch perforated pipe wrapped in filter fabric is installed and routed to your foundation drain, a sump basin, or daylight.
Gravel Replacement & Restoration
Clean 57-stone and a filter fabric liner replace the old gravel bed, and the surface is restored.
Photos From the Field
Job Site Photos
A closer look at the equipment, materials, and job site conditions involved in this kind of work.
Honest Answers
Window Well Drain Questions
from Maryland Homeowners
Call (410) 879-3360 if a window well is holding water. Our inspectors will tell you whether it needs a drain or a full replacement.
Why do window wells flood in Maryland specifically?
Window wells are recessed areas below grade that expose basement windows to light and air. They also expose those windows to every rainstorm. In Maryland's clay soils, the gravel at the base of a window well saturates quickly, and once the gravel bed is full, any additional rain has nowhere to go except up and through the window.
Is this the same as installing a new window well?
No, and the distinction matters for scope and cost. This page covers adding or fixing drainage on a window well that already exists and is the right size, a narrower, faster fix. If the well itself is undersized, pulling away from the foundation, or you're adding a new code-compliant egress opening, that's covered on our egress window well installation page, since that involves rebuilding the well itself, not just its drain.
What does a proper window well drain actually connect to?
A properly installed window well drain connects the base of the well to a perforated pipe that routes water away from the foundation. OBW ties that pipe into your existing foundation drain system, runs it to a sump basin, or daylights it at a lower elevation on the property. The result is a well that empties itself during every rainstorm rather than filling up.
How long does adding a drain to an existing well take?
We excavate below the existing gravel bed in the well, install a 4-inch perforated drain pipe at the base wrapped in filter fabric, and route it through the foundation wall or below the footing to your sump pit or daylight discharge. We replace the gravel bed with clean 57-stone, install a filter fabric liner to prevent clay migration from the surrounding soil, and restore the surface. The work is typically completed in a half-day per window well.
What are the signs a window well needs this specific fix?
Water visible inside the well after rain that takes more than an hour or two to clear. Water that's entered the basement through or around a window after heavy rain. Gravel at the bottom of the well that looks packed or muddy. A well that was installed without any drain connection at all, common in homes built before 1990. Or a previous waterproofing job that addressed interior water but never got to the window wells.
Why Oriole
Why Maryland Homeowners Trust
OBW with Window Well Drains
The Right-Sized Fix
If your well itself is fine and only the drainage is the problem, OBW fixes exactly that, not a full well replacement you don't need.
Half-Day Turnaround
Most window well drain installations are completed in a half-day per well, without disturbing the window or well structure itself.
No Subcontracting
OBW's own crew handles every excavation, drain install, and gravel replacement, in house, start to finish.
Family-Owned Since 1953
Founded by Frank Pirog Sr. in 1953. Amber Pirog leads the company today. Written workmanship guarantee on every installation.
Reviews
What Our Maryland Neighbors Say
Stop Window Well Flooding.
Get a Window Well
That Actually Drains
We assess all window wells as part of our standard foundation inspection. If yours is draining into your basement instead of away from it, we'll fix that.
Free Inspection
OBW assesses your well's condition and confirms a drain-only fix is the right scope. Free, no obligation.
Written Drain Plan & Quote
You receive a written quote specifying the drain routing your well needs, before any work is scheduled.
Installation & Restoration
OBW's crew excavates, installs the drain, and restores the gravel bed, typically in a half-day per well. Written workmanship guarantee issued upon completion.
Window Well Filling Up Every Time It Rains?
Free inspection. A targeted drain fix, not an unnecessary full rebuild.
Family-owned since 1953 · MHIC #4247 · Written Workmanship Guarantee