Drainage
Drainage Solutions
French drains, catch basins, buried downspout lines, regrading, and dry creek beds — diagnosed at the source so standing water, soggy yards, and erosion actually stop.
Standing water is the most common yard problem in North Georgia, and it almost always comes back to the same cause: dense red clay that barely lets water soak in. When a heavy afternoon storm drops an inch of rain in an hour, that water has to go somewhere — and without a planned path, it goes to the lowest spot it can find. Too often that's a corner of the yard that never dries out, a flower bed that turns to soup, or the foundation of the house.
The fix depends entirely on where the water is coming from. Surface water sheeting across the yard from a slope or a neighbor's lot needs to be intercepted and redirected. Water dumping out of downspouts right next to the foundation needs to be piped away underground. A low spot with nowhere to drain needs a catch basin and a discharge point. Guessing wrong means paying for a drain that doesn't solve the problem — so we diagnose first and quote second.
Every drainage system is only as good as where it sends the water. A French drain that ends in the middle of the yard just moves the puddle. We plan the whole path — from where water collects, through properly sloped pipe, to a discharge point that can actually handle it — and we build it so it keeps working after the first big storm, not just on install day.
What's included
- French drains for soggy yards and wet slopes
- Catch basins and channel drains for low spots, driveways, and patios
- Underground downspout lines that carry roof water away from the foundation
- Regrading to slope water away from the house
- Dry creek beds — drainage that doubles as a landscape feature
- Erosion control on slopes and washouts
Our drainage process
- 01
Find the source
We walk the property — ideally during or right after rain — to see where water comes from, where it collects, and where it's able to go. The source decides the fix.
- 02
Plan the full water path
Collection point, pipe route, slope, and discharge are all planned before digging, so water has somewhere real to go instead of just being moved to a new puddle.
- 03
Trench and set pipe on slope
Trenches are dug to a consistent fall so water keeps moving through the pipe. French drains get washed stone and fabric so clay silt doesn't clog them over time.
- 04
Tie in and discharge
Downspouts, catch basins, and drains get connected and routed to a pop-up emitter, a dry creek bed, or another safe outlet away from the house and neighbors.
- 05
Restore and test
We backfill, restore the sod or beds we disturbed, and run water through the system to confirm it flows where it should before we call it done.
North Georgia considerations
- Red clay drains so slowly that water has to be actively moved, not just given time to soak in — most North Georgia drainage problems won't fix themselves.
- Summer thunderstorms dump a lot of water fast — pipe size and discharge points need to handle a real storm, not a light shower.
- Water can't just be pushed onto a neighbor's property — discharge points get planned so the fix doesn't create someone else's problem.
- Drainage should go in before patios, walls, or new sod, not after — fixing it later means tearing up finished work.
Good fit if…
- A yard that stays soggy or has standing water for days after it rains
- Water pooling against the foundation, or a damp or wet crawlspace or basement
- Downspouts that dump water right next to the house
- Erosion washing out mulch, beds, or soil on a slope
- A low spot where sod keeps dying no matter how often it's replaced
Materials: Drain pipe, catch basins, fabric, and washed stone sourced through Stovall, The Rock Yard, and Luxury Landscape Supply.
Drainage FAQs
What's a French drain, and do I need one?
A French drain is a sloped trench with perforated pipe wrapped in washed stone and fabric. It collects water that's soaking through the ground or running across the surface and carries it somewhere it can drain safely. You likely need one if part of your yard stays wet for days after rain, or water is collecting near the house. If the water is just running off in the wrong direction on the surface, regrading alone may be enough — we'll tell you which one you have.
Why does my yard hold water for days after it rains?
North Georgia's red clay is dense and drains very slowly, so water sits on top instead of soaking in. Add a low spot, compacted soil from construction, or downspouts dumping water nearby, and you get standing water that doesn't go away. The fix is to give the water a planned path off the property.
Can you bury my downspouts?
Yes. Underground downspout lines carry roof water away from the foundation and release it through a pop-up emitter or into a dry creek bed farther out in the yard. It's one of the simplest, most effective ways to keep water away from the house.
What's a dry creek bed?
A dry creek bed is a shallow channel lined with river rock and boulders that carries water through the yard during storms and looks like a natural landscape feature the rest of the time. It works well where water already flows across the yard and you'd rather feature it than hide it.
How much does drainage work cost?
It depends on the source of the water, how far it needs to travel, and how much of the yard has to be dug up and restored. We don't quote drainage blind — you'll get a clear, itemized quote after we walk the property and find where the water is actually coming from.
Will drainage work tear up my yard?
There will be trenches while the work is being done, but we plan the route to limit the disturbance and restore the sod or beds we dig through before we leave. Most residential drainage jobs take one to three days.