Process
Diagnosis first. Hardware second. Always in that order.
Most drainage disappointment traces back to a system chosen before anyone established where the water could actually go. This process is built to make that mistake structurally difficult.
Six stages
- 01
Written diagnostic
You complete the two-step estimate request describing the drainage problem, ownership and timing. This replaces a phone call and captures what matters up front.
- 02
Desk review
Your answers are read against known conditions for your area — clay depth, typical lot grading, common outlet options — before anyone sets foot on the property.
- 03
On-site assessment
Grades are checked across the whole lot, not just the wet area. Downspout discharge, soil condition, existing buried lines and every candidate outlet get evaluated.
- 04
Matched plan
A written approach: what gets intercepted, what gets collected, what gets regraded, where it discharges, and what the restoration looks like afterward.
- 05
Installation
Work performed to the plan, with routes confirmed before excavation and grades verified as backfill goes in — not after.
- 06
Verification
The real test is the next real rain. Performance is checked against the original symptom, and adjustments are made if the water disagrees with the design.
What the site visit actually looks at
The wet spot is the least informative part of a drainage assessment. It is the result, not the cause. The useful information is upstream and downstream of it.
Upstream: how much roof area discharges nearby and where, whether the neighboring grade sends water in, whether hardscape concentrates flow, and how the surface falls in the first ten feet around the house.
Downstream: whether anything within reach is genuinely lower, how much fall exists over the distance, what the discharge point can accept without creating a new erosion problem, and what is buried in between.
Checked on every visit
- Relative elevations across the full lot
- Downspout count, size and discharge points
- Foundation perimeter grade
- Soil profile and compaction depth
- Existing buried lines and their condition
- Candidate outlets and their capacity
- Utilities, irrigation, septic and easements
- Restoration scope: turf, beds, hardscape
Answers
Process questions
Why is there no phone number on this site?
Drainage cannot be diagnosed over the phone, and rushed calls lose the details that matter — how long water stands, where it enters, what is downhill. The written diagnostic captures those properly and creates a record both sides can work from.
How long does the form take?
Less than a minute. Two short steps: your ZIP code, the drainage problem, ownership and timing, then your name and phone number.
What happens after I submit?
Your submission is reviewed against the conditions typical for your area, and you are contacted through the method you selected to arrange an on-site assessment.
Do I need to know what system I want?
No — and it is better if you do not arrive committed to one. Describe the symptom and the property; matching that to grading, a drain, a basin or a swale is the job.
Is a site visit necessary?
For anything beyond the simplest roof-water correction, yes. Grade has to be observed and the outlet has to be confirmed on the ground. No credible design happens from photos alone.
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