You might know this as french drain installation. Same work, either name. We fix yards that hold water — French drains, surface drains, regrading and downspout runs that take water somewhere sensible. We work out where the water actually goes before we dig anything.
Walking the site to find where water enters, where it collects and where it could plausibly discharge. Roof area, driveway runoff and uphill neighboring ground all feed the total volume.
Ground should fall away from the foundation over the first several feet. Where it does not, regrading is often cheaper and more effective than any buried pipe.
Perforated pipe bedded in washed stone, wrapped in filter fabric, laid to a consistent fall. Consistent slope matters more than depth; a pipe with a belly holds water and silts up.
Catch basins at low spots, channel drains across driveways, and downspout connections tie surface water into the buried system rather than letting it find its own way.
Gravity daylight to a lower point is best. Where the ground does not fall enough, a sump and pumped discharge is the alternative and brings ongoing power and maintenance.
Backfill, topsoil and turf or planting over the trench line. Settlement along a new trench is normal and usually needs topping up after the first wet season.
If you are seeing any of this, call us before it gets more expensive.
| What you are seeing | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Water pools against the foundation after rain | Negative grade; regrading may fix it without a drain |
| Whole yard soggy for days after rain | High water table or clay pan; needs a routed system |
| Basement seeps only in heavy storms | Surface water entering; check downspouts and grade first |
| Existing drain that used to work has stopped | Silted or crushed line; camera survey before replacing |
Establish where the water is coming from before designing anything. Roof, hard standing, uphill ground and groundwater are different problems with different solutions.
Identify where the water will discharge and confirm it is permissible. Discharging onto a neighbor's land is a dispute waiting to happen and in many places is not lawful.
Trench cut and graded to a steady slope toward the outfall, checked with a level rather than by eye. Consistency matters more than steepness.
Washed stone base, perforated pipe with holes oriented per the design, more stone over, and filter fabric enveloping the aggregate to keep fines from migrating in and blinding it.
Downspouts and catch basins connected, trench backfilled, topsoil and turf restored. Ask to see the finished layout photographed before it disappears underground.