Drainage Solutions

French Drains

What is a French Drain? A French drain is an underground drainage system designed to collect and redirect excess groundwater away from wet or problem areas of your property. It typically consists of a perforated drainage pipe installed in a stone-filled trench and wrapped with filter fabric to help prevent soil and sediment from clogging the system.

When are French Drains best used? French drains are an effective solution for soggy lawns, standing water, poor yard drainage, oversaturated soil, and water collecting near foundations or landscape areas. As water enters the stone trench, it flows into the perforated pipe and is carried to a safe discharge point, helping keep your property drier and protecting your landscape from long-term water damage.

A properly designed French drain considers the source of the water, property elevations, soil conditions, pipe sizing, and available discharge location. Correct installation is critical—a French drain should be designed specifically for the drainage conditions of your property rather than used as a one-size-fits-all solution.

Downspout Extensions

Downspout extensions are drainage systems designed to carry roof runoff away from your home’s foundation and discharge it in a safer location. Instead of allowing large amounts of rainwater to empty directly next to the house, downspouts can be connected to underground solid drainage pipe that redirects water away from foundations, landscaping, patios, and other problem areas.

Underground downspout extensions can help address foundation drainage problems, soil erosion, standing water, soggy lawns, landscape washout, and water collecting around the home. Depending on the property, the system may discharge through a daylight outlet, pop-up emitter, dry well, infiltration system, or another approved drainage location.

Window Well Extensions

Window well extensions are designed to increase the height of an existing basement window well, helping prevent surface water, soil, and landscape runoff from entering the well and potentially leaking into your basement. They are especially useful when surrounding grades, mulch beds, patios, or landscaping have been raised too close to the top of an existing window well.

When a window well sits too low compared to the surrounding ground, heavy rainfall and runoff can collect inside the well and put unnecessary pressure on the basement window. Installing a properly sized extension creates a higher barrier and helps redirect surface water away from the window and foundation.

Seepage Pits & Dry Wells

A seepage pit is an underground drainage system designed to collect, temporarily store, and gradually disperse stormwater into the surrounding soil. Seepage pits are commonly used when a property does not have a suitable location to discharge water at the surface and can be an effective solution for managing runoff from downspouts, patios, driveways, and other impervious surfaces.

A typical seepage pit consists of an underground stone reservoir, drainage chambers, or other approved storage system connected to drainage piping. During rainfall, water is directed into the system where it is temporarily stored and allowed to slowly infiltrate into the surrounding soil, helping reduce standing water and uncontrolled runoff across the property.

Swales & Berms

Swales and berms are landscape grading solutions designed to control, redirect, and manage surface water across your property. Rather than allowing stormwater to flow toward your home, pool, patio, or other problem areas, the land is strategically shaped to guide runoff toward a safer drainage or infiltration area.

A swale is a shallow, gently sloped channel that collects and directs surface water, while a berm is a raised area of soil used to intercept or redirect the natural flow of runoff. These solutions can be used individually or together to address standing water, poor yard drainage, hillside runoff, erosion, and water flowing toward foundations or outdoor living areas.