Piedmont clay holds water
Most yards around Gastonia sit on red clay. It packs tight, drains slowly and stays wet for days after a storm. Add a builder's grade that was set quickly, and downspouts that empty right at the foundation, and you get the same problems over and over: a lawn that squishes, mulch that washes onto the walk, and a damp crawl space.
The fix is rarely just one thing. Before we price anything, we walk the property and work out where the water comes from, where it collects and where it can go.
What actually fixes it
Each of these solves a different problem. Most yards need one or two of them together.
- Regrading: reshaping the ground so it falls away from the house and doesn't trap water in low spots
- French drains: a fabric-lined trench with perforated pipe in clean stone that collects water underground and carries it off
- Downspout lines: solid pipe buried from each downspout out to daylight, so roof water stops landing at the foundation
- Dry creek beds: a rock-lined channel that carries runoff across the yard and looks like it belongs there
- Drainage behind walls: stone and pipe behind retaining walls so water pressure doesn't push them over
Which one do you need?
A puddle in the middle of the lawn is usually a grade problem. A wet strip along the house is usually downspouts and grade together. A yard that stays soggy below a slope, even when it hasn't rained, usually needs a French drain uphill to catch the water before it gets there.
We'll tell you which one it is and why, and we won't sell you a French drain when moving two downspouts would do the job.
What it costs
Drainage fixes start around $1,500. Most land between $1,500 and $5,000.
We won't guess over text, because the length of the run and what's in the way decide the number. But you shouldn't walk in blind either.
- A single downspout line or short French drain sits at the low end
- Long or deep runs and regrading a whole side yard push it up
- Re-laying sod or working around hardscape adds time
Drainage questions we get
How much does a French drain cost in Gastonia?
Drainage fixes start around $1,500, and most of our drainage jobs land between $1,500 and $5,000. A single downspout line or a short French drain sits at the low end. Long runs, deep trenches, regrading a whole side yard or re-laying sod push it higher. After a free visit you get an exact, itemized number.
Do I need a French drain or regrading?
If water collects in a low spot after rain, regrading usually fixes it. If water keeps coming from uphill or out of the ground, even on dry days, a French drain intercepts it. If the wet area is along the house, start with the downspouts. Many yards need two of these together, and we'll tell you which and why.
Why does my yard stay wet for days after it rains?
Red Piedmont clay drains slowly, and new-construction soil is often packed hard by equipment. Water that can't soak in sits on top until it evaporates. Moving surface water off with grade, and giving the rest a path through stone and pipe, is what dries it out.
Where does the water go?
Downhill to a lower part of your property where it can leave, through a pipe that ends at daylight or into a rock-lined channel. We don't fix your yard by aiming the problem at your neighbor's.
Will a drainage fix tear up my yard?
Less than you'd think. A French drain or downspout line is a narrow trench. We cut the sod, set the pipe and stone, backfill and put the sod back. A typical single run takes a day or two, and you get the schedule with your estimate.