Yard Drainage & Storm Drain Solutions
Standing water in the yard isn't a plumbing leak. It's surface water with nowhere to go — and that's a different problem with a different fix.
We get called out for suspected leaks that turn out to be drainage constantly. The tell is usually timing: a leak is wet all the time, while a drainage problem is wet after rain and dries out between. If your soggy patch tracks the weather, this is your page.
The fix is about giving water a path away from the structure — French drains, catch basins, area drains, and proper downspout discharge, all pitched toward somewhere it can actually go. That last part matters more than the hardware: a drain that runs to a low spot in your own yard has relocated the puddle, not solved it. We'll be straight about where the water can realistically be taken, and about the cases where the answer is grading work by a landscaper rather than pipe by us.
When this is likely your problem
What's included — and what isn't
In the quoted price
- Walk of the property to identify where the water comes from and where it can go
- Installation of French drains, catch basins, or area drains as agreed
- Downspout tie-ins to the drainage system
- Trenching, pipe, gravel, and fabric for the installed system
- Backfill and rough grading of trenches
Quoted separately
- Landscaping restoration — sod, plants, beds, irrigation repair
- Regrading or reshaping the yard, which is landscaping and grading work
- Hardscape cutting and replacement — patios, driveways, walkways
- Foundation waterproofing, sealing, or structural repair
- Permits or approvals where discharge crosses a property line or public right-of-way
- Retaining walls and erosion control structures
How this job gets priced
Drainage is quoted after walking the property, because the length of run, the depth, and — most of all — where the water can legally and physically be discharged determine the cost. We'll tell you upfront if we think part of the answer is grading rather than pipe, even though that's work we don't do.
Related services
What the work involves
Find the source and the outlet
Where water arrives matters less than where it can go. The outlet usually decides the whole design.
Confirm it isn't a leak
If the wet area doesn't track rainfall, we test for a supply leak before selling you a drain.
Install with real pitch
Trench, pipe, gravel, and fabric set at a fall that actually moves water, not just installed level.
Test with water
We run water through the finished system and watch where it goes before calling it done.
Questions about yard drainage & storm drain solutions
How do I know if it's a leak or a drainage problem?
Timing. A supply leak keeps an area wet continuously, including through dry spells, and often shows on the water bill. A drainage problem appears after rain and dries out between storms. If you're not sure, say so when you call — we'd rather test for a leak first than install a drain that doesn't address the cause.
Where does the water actually go?
That's the central design question and the honest constraint. Ideally to a lower point on your own property, a street gutter, or an approved discharge point. What we can't do is send it onto a neighbouring property, and some discharge points need approval. We'll tell you what's available on your site before designing anything.
Will a French drain fix a wet crawlspace?
Sometimes, if the water is arriving as surface runoff that a drain can intercept. If it's groundwater rising from below, that's a sump pump situation instead. And if there's a foundation or waterproofing issue involved, that's a specialist's scope and we'll say so rather than selling you drainage that won't solve it.
Is this covered by my regular plumbing warranty?
Drainage systems are installed work we stand behind, but their performance also depends on things outside the pipe — grading, extraordinary rainfall, landscaping changes made later. We'll be specific about what we're guaranteeing when we quote, rather than implying a drain makes standing water impossible forever.
Ready to find out what's going on?
Call and describe the symptoms. You'll get an honest read before anyone drives out.