South Burlington, Vermont · Chittenden County
South Burlington includes established neighborhoods, additions and newer construction with varied foundation and lot-drainage details. Water at a wall-floor joint, settlement near an addition, or a sump that struggles during storms should be traced across the interior and exterior before a method is selected.
Request service in South BurlingtonLocal conditions
South Burlington reaches from the Winooski River at its northern edge toward Shelburne Bay, and much of its housing was built or expanded through the postwar decades. Additions, finished lower levels and reworked grading are common here, and each of those is a place where the drainage that once worked can quietly stop working.
Neighborhoods and places in South Burlington include Shelburne Bay shoreline and Winooski River corridor.
Local conditions on record
In South Burlington, 70% of the natural soil is rated very limited for basements by USDA. Expect wet-soil problems even on newer lots.
Just 6% of the city sits in the 100-year flood zone, yet 26% of its soil has a water table within 20 inches. Groundwater is the likelier basement visitor than river water.
South Burlington's radon tests show 7.5% of homes at or above the EPA action level. Results exist for only 14.2% of residences. A sump earns its keep here.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Precipitation per year (Burlington International Airport) | 37.53 in |
| Land in the 100-year flood zone | 6% in zone |
| Named settlements | Twin Orchards and Queen City Park |
| Named rivers | Winooski River |
| Numbered highways | I-89, I-189, US 2, US 7 and VT 116 |
| Tested homes above radon action level | 7.5% above |
| Soils very limited for basements | 70% limited |
| Bedrock within 40 in | 6% shallow |
| Soil that often floods | 5% floods |
| Water table within 20 in | 26% wet |
South Burlington's City Plan 2024 says the city regulates the 500-year floodplain as a stand-in for the expanding 100-year floodplain, and keeps development out of today's 100-year floodplain.
South Burlington's City Plan 2024 says the city's stormwater system covers about 180 miles of pipes, ditches and culverts, of which 100 miles are city-owned, plus more than 6,750 storm drains.
South Burlington runs its stormwater system apart from the sanitary sewer. Its regulations page lists Chapter 38, Article V of the city code, which covers stormwater systems. The city's planning commission says South Burlington created a stormwater utility that is now entering its third decade. Stormwater is kept separate.
A sump discharge changes how water leaves your property. In South Burlington that can need the city's approval first. The state's stormwater program sets the wider rules.
City Plan 2024 takes most of its flood hazard recommendations from the city's All-Hazards Mitigation Plan, which was updated in 2022. City Plan 2014 set a goal of removing every watershed from the list of stormwater-impaired waters.
That matters for an older basement near the Winooski River. Get it in writing.
Services in South Burlington
Planning a project in South Burlington
The written estimate should say, item by item, what drywall, flooring, trim or built-ins must come out to reach the wall or floor being repaired, and exactly what finish restoration is included afterward, because that line is where the biggest cost surprises tend to hide.
Paved areas and walks can concentrate runoff or limit trenching. Drainage work should include a stable outlet and surface restoration.
For a finished basement that depends entirely on pumping to stay dry, backup power and a working high-water alarm can end up mattering just as much as the primary pump itself, especially during the exact storms most likely to cut electricity in the first place.