Excavating · B-Rock
French drains that actually move water
Standing water, a soggy yard, water against the foundation — I cut a proper drain that carries it away and keeps it gone.
Excavating
If your yard holds water after every storm, or you’ve got water sitting against the house, the ground is telling you it has nowhere to send it. Upstate red clay is the usual culprit — it doesn’t drain, so water pools and rots whatever it touches. A french drain fixes that: a gravel-and-pipe channel, cut with the right fall, that collects the water and carries it somewhere safe. I run the excavator, so I can trench it clean and deep instead of hand-digging a shallow ditch that clogs in a year.
Almost every drainage job in the Upstate comes back to clay. I grade and pipe for how this soil actually behaves — not a generic fix that fails the next wet season.
What it covers
- Yard & surface french drains
- Foundation & footing drains
- Downspout tie-ins & burial
- Gravel, perforated pipe & filter fabric
- Proper fall so it drains for good
- Clean backfill & site cleanup
The work
How I approach it
- 1
Walk the site
I find where the water comes from and where it needs to go — the whole path, not just the wet spot.
- 2
Cut the trench
I trench it with the excavator to the right depth and grade so gravity does the work.
- 3
Pipe & gravel
Filter fabric, washed gravel, perforated pipe, more gravel — built so it won’t silt up.
- 4
Backfill & test
Backfill clean, restore the surface, and run water through to prove it flows.
Answers
French Drains — questions I get
How do I know I need a french drain?
If water pools in the same spot after rain, your yard stays soggy for days, or water runs toward the house, that’s the sign. I’ll come look and tell you straight whether a drain is the right fix or something simpler is.
Will it fix water in my crawlspace or basement?
Often yes — moving surface and footing water away is the first step, and I handle both exterior and crawlspace drainage. I’ll come look and tell you exactly what your situation needs.
How long does it take?
Most residential drains are a one-day job. Bigger runs or tie-ins can take longer — I’ll tell you when I look at it.
You might also need
Drainage & Erosion Control
The whole water picture — downspouts, regrading, swales, and erosion control on slopes, plus french drains where they’re needed.
Learn moreGrading & Driveway Prep
A gravel driveway that washes out, a pad for a shed or addition, a yard that won’t level — I shape it so water sheds and the surface holds.
Learn moreLand & Lot Clearing
Brush, small trees, stumps, and overgrown lots — cleared, pulled, and hauled off so you’ve got a clean spot to build, plant, or fence.
Learn moreGot a project? Let’s take a look.
Call or text and tell me what you’re working on. Free estimates.