Burlington, Vermont · Chittenden County
Burlington homes range from older masonry foundations and compact lots to renovated finished basements where access and finish protection matter. Burlington's hillside streets, older masonry foundations and Winooski River floodplain each change how a basement is drained and where a sump can discharge.
Request service in BurlingtonLocal conditions
Burlington sits between the Winooski River to the north and Lake Champlain to the west, and the city's housing runs from nineteenth-century masonry to recently renovated lower levels. That range matters more than any single map feature: two houses on the same street can have a rubble-stone wall and a poured wall, and they do not leak the same way or get repaired the same way.
Neighborhoods and places in Burlington include Downtown, Old North End, New North End, Hill Section and The Intervale.
Local conditions on record
USDA rates about 59% of Burlington's natural soil very limited for homes with basements, and 28% has a seasonal high water table within 20 inches. A city basement often needs a drain plan, not just a sealer.
FEMA maps 20.9% of Burlington's land as 100-year flood zone. Lower floors near the Winooski River and the Intervale get checked first.
Of the homes tested, 5.5% reached the EPA action level, so test before and after any basement work. Drains work harder here.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Precipitation per year (Burlington International Airport) | 37.53 in |
| Land in the 100-year flood zone | 20.9% in zone |
| Named settlements | Starr Farm Beach, Bernard J Leddy Park, Redstone Park and Oakledge Park |
| Named rivers | Winooski River |
| Numbered highways | US 2, US 7 and VT 127 |
| Tested homes above radon action level | 5.5% above |
| Soils very limited for basements | 59% limited |
| Bedrock within 40 in | 8% shallow |
| Soil that often floods | 23% floods |
| Water table within 20 in | 28% wet |
Burlington's 2019 Comprehensive Plan describes the Intervale as an 870-acre Winooski River floodplain that holds the city's largest natural area and its working farms.
Burlington has charged for stormwater since 2009, when the city set up its stormwater utility. The utility pays to maintain and replace the drains, pipes and basins that carry runoff, and it helps protect Lake Champlain and its tributaries. Since 2009, Chapter 26 of the city code has set the fees and the review that projects go through. Fees follow the parcel.
Single-family homes, duplexes and triplexes pay a flat fee. Larger properties pay by the impervious area on the parcel. For a basement, the fee matters less than the outlet.
Burlington's Department of Permitting and Inspections sets building permit fees at $8.50 per $1,000 of estimated construction cost, with a $30 minimum, under Chapter 8-28 of the city code. Applications run through the city's OpenGov system, and short-form applications exist for simple projects such as windows and repairs. Ask the contractor whether your job needs a permit and who pulls it.
A new sump line, curtain drain or downspout extension must end on your own lot or in a place the city's system can take. Older masonry in the Old North End and the Hill Section often sits close to the lot line, so a sump outlet there has little room. Ask the contractor where the water goes. Get the answer in the written scope. The state's stormwater program explains the permits behind it. Ask early.
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Stone, brick and block walls that have carried a house for a century or more may need repointing, partial rebuilding, or drainage work addressing the water first, well before anyone even starts talking about a coating or a cosmetic finish over the surface.
A close neighboring house, a shared driveway, a porch built right to the property line, or a walk running along the foundation can each change the equipment, the excavation method and the restoration scope included in any exterior work on the property.
Burlington requires sump water to stay on the owner's property and prohibits discharge to the public sewer, a neighbor or the City right of way.
Local resource: City of Burlington sump pump guidance: Official guidance for sump pump outlets, public sewers and electrical outlets.