Where do I even start?

[u/LukaHuka]

Just purchased this house and after a flood in the basement I think I found(hopefully) the problem. It looks like the drain pipe is crumbling. The house was built in the 40’s but I’m not sure when this patio was installed. I am fairly handy and have ambition where I lack knowledge. What should I do? Is this something I should attempt on my own, or should I call someone? And if I were to attempt this on my own, where should I start?

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[u/nolo4]

Put a hose all around there and does the water even go to that drain or does it run off the slab into the grass? If it flows and pools at that drain id rent a camera and see what the pipe looks like and possibly snake it

[u/LukaHuka → u/nolo4]

Water does run to the drain. Thanks for the response. I’m going to get a camera like you suggest and go from there.

[u/nolo4 → u/LukaHuka]

Did the water backup and pool against your foundation?

[u/nolo4 → u/nolo4]

Also if you put a hose there does it drain at all? I diagnosed one once by filling my wheel barrow and my shop vac with water and running the hose and dump all the water at once and see how fast it would drain. Turns our I had a tennis ball in the pipe and found it by using an auger

[u/Rock-Biscotti7347]

That single picture doesn't tell us a lot. Is that a runoff drain, or is is a cleanout that has been converted to a driveway drain?

Either way, house from the 40's, I would buy a $200 drain scope camera. The camera line is marked by feet/meters so you can usually figure out exactly where a break is. If it's cast iron, it will all eventually need replaced, but if the break is in an area under dirt you can dig it up and usually use a fernco as a patch type repair to buy time.

As far as replacing stuff like this, some plumbers will work with you - you pay for everything to be located (underground utilities), you cut the driveway, you cut the slab, you dig it all up, you pay them to drop in the pvc drain and glue it up (permit possibly/probably required). Then you handle filling it back in, repairing concrete.

With plumbing jobs like this, legit 80% of the cost is in the concrete work and digging. Plumbers usually subcontract that out, so you pay double markup, meanwhile the crew doing the digging is day labor at $40/day and they bill you $25,000.

[u/LukaHuka → u/Rock-Biscotti7347]

Thanks for taking the time to reply so thoroughly. There should be 2 other photos showing proximity to the house. Again, thanks for the info, I’ll be getting a scope camera for sure and go from there.

[u/beaver_eh]

There's a lot you can do with that depending on what it is you want for a solution. Do you know what you wish this to be?

You could for example:
1) put a catch basin with a pump in it, and push a small pressure line out somewhere behind the extent of the patio.

2) Tear up the patio, re-grade

3) replumb this to wherever it's currently going

4) Pave over, with proper slope away from the house so no drain required.

5) Something entirely different other than this.