How much does yard drainage cost in Northeast Ohio?
A French drain typically runs $25–$50 per linear foot, a catch basin added to a drain run $200–$500 each, and a buried line carrying one downspout away from the house $250–$2,000. Regrading the soil around a house runs about $1,000–$3,000. The length of the run, the depth and where the water can discharge move the price most, and our cost guide has every range.
Can fixing the yard alone stop a wet basement?
Sometimes it can, and that is the cheapest outcome. When the water is surface water from downspouts, a bad slope or a neighbor's runoff, moving it away solves the problem. When groundwater is pushing up from below, yard work helps but will not finish the job.
What is the difference between a French drain and a catch basin?
A French drain is a buried perforated pipe in gravel that collects water along its length, good for a soggy stretch of lawn. A catch basin is a grated box at a low spot that takes standing water at one point. Many Northeast Ohio yards need both, tied into one outlet.
Our yard stays soggy for days after rain. Is that just the clay?
Clay is part of it, since it drains slowly by nature. The other part is usually grade, compaction from construction, or roof water dumping in the same spot every storm. We look at where the water arrives before recommending where it should go.
Where can the drainage line legally discharge?
To daylight on your own property, to a storm sewer where the municipality permits a connection, or to a dry well when there is nowhere else. Sending it onto a neighbor's lot causes problems you do not want. We plan the outlet as part of the design.
Will the drainage work wreck our lawn?
There is trenching, so the lawn is disturbed along the run. We backfill, compact and restore the surface, and grass fills back in over a season. We walk the route with you before the first cut so there are no surprises.
Can you handle drainage on a sloped lot where water runs toward the house?
Yes, and those lots need it most. The usual answer is intercepting the water uphill of the foundation with a swale or a drain line and carrying it around the structure. Done right, the wall never sees that water at all.
