The gutter's grade, called the flow line, works together with a sidewalk's transverse slope to keep water moving off the pedestrian surface and into the drainage system rather than pooling near the curb. A sidewalk repair that ignores the existing flow line can create standing water or ponding right at the point where pedestrians step off the curb, which is why contractors check gutter grade as part of scoping drainage-related defects. Gutter maintenance itself is generally a city responsibility, separate from the adjacent sidewalk repair.
← Back to Full Glossary