French drains
A gravel-filled trench with perforated pipe that collects groundwater and carries it away. The go-to fix for soggy lawns and wet foundations.
Drainage solutions
Get the water out of your yard.
Standing water, soggy spots, washed-out beds and water against the foundation. We find where the water is coming from, where it needs to go, and build a system that moves it there for good.
Signs you have a drainage problem
If any of these sound familiar, water is sitting where it shouldn't.
- Puddles that last a day or more after it rains
- Soft, spongy spots that feel like a mud pit
- Water pooling against the foundation or getting into the crawlspace
- Mulch and soil washing out onto sidewalks and driveways
- Gutters dumping right at the base of the house
- Ruts and erosion on slopes
- Bare patches or moss where grass keeps dying
- Mosquitoes hanging around the same wet areas
What we build
Every yard is different. Most fixes use one or more of these.
Gutter tie-ins and tie-downs
We bury your downspouts into solid pipe and carry roof water away from the house to a pop-up emitter, a creek bed or the street.
Catch basins and channel drains
Grates that catch surface water in low spots, along driveways and at the edge of patios before it can pool.
Dry creek beds and river rock
A rock-lined channel that moves water across the yard and looks like a natural feature when it's dry.
Regrading and swales
Reshaping the ground so water flows away from the house instead of toward it. Often the root cause of the whole problem.
Erosion control
Stabilizing slopes and banks with rock, matting and plantings so they stop washing out every storm.
Walls built to drain
Retaining walls with drain stone and pipe behind them, so water never builds up and pushes the wall over.
Commercial site drainage
Drainage installed to plan for GCs, including large-diameter pipe runs. In-house drawings, engineer-certified as needed.
How a French drain works
Built to move water for years
Water in the soil takes the easiest path. A French drain gives it one: loose stone around a perforated pipe, wrapped in fabric so dirt can't clog it, with the pipe sloped downhill to an outlet. Done right, you never think about that wet spot again.
Done wrong, with no fabric, no slope or nowhere for the water to go, it clogs up in a couple of years. We see a lot of those. We fix a lot of those.
Recent drainage work
From soupy new-construction yards to finished creek beds.
How it works
- We walk the property
We look at the slope, the soil, the gutters and where water is coming from. After a rain is the best time to see it.
- We draw up a plan
You get a clear plan and a written, line-by-line price. Drawings in-house, engineer-certified if the job needs it.
- We build it
Trenching, pipe, stone and outlets, all tied together and sloped the right way.
- We put the yard back
Sod, straw and beds restored, so the only sign we were there is the water being gone.
Drainage questions
Text us a photo of the problem area at (706) 570-3795.
Will a French drain fix my yard?
It depends on where the water comes from. Sometimes it's groundwater, sometimes it's roof water or a neighbor's slope. We figure out the source first so you pay for the fix that actually works.
Will you tear up my whole yard?
There's digging involved, but we keep it to the trench lines and restore the grass, straw and beds when we're done.
Where does the water go?
To the lowest safe point: a pop-up emitter, a creek bed, a storm drain or the street, depending on your property and local rules.
How much does drainage cost?
It depends on the length of the run, the depth and what's in the way. The assessment is free, and you get a written price before any work starts.
Tired of the swamp?
Send us a photo or book a free assessment, and we'll tell you exactly what's going on.