French drains, tile systems, yard drainage, swales, and erosion control across the Iowa City corridor. We engineer water away from your foundation, your lawn, and your driveway — and we document the whole thing.
Most "drainage problems" are actually three problems stacked on top of each other — bad grade, bad gutters, and bad downspout extension. We diagnose all three and fix the one that's actually causing it. Free on-site assessment.
Perforated pipe in a gravel-wrapped trench, set to grade, that catches groundwater and moves it where it belongs. The right fix when water comes up from below. From $1,200.
Catch basins, drain boxes, and sub-surface piping for yards that hold water after every rain. Tied into daylight or a drywell, depending on your lot.
Perimeter drains around foundations, downspout extensions, and grade correction that pushes water away from the house. Stop the seepage before it starts.
Tile drainage systems for residential lots, rural acreages, and new construction. Same principle as field tile, sized and routed for your property. From $1,500.
Sometimes you don't need pipe — you need the dirt moved. Regrading to fix slope, fill in low spots, and route water by gravity. From $850.
Shallow, vegetated channels that move stormwater across a yard without looking like infrastructure. Good for lots where you can't bury pipe.
Decorative drainage channels lined with stone. Move water, hide the drain, and add a feature to the yard at the same time.
Silt fence, straw wattles, sediment logs, and topsoil stabilization. Required on most new builds, smart on any sloped lot. From $450.
Drainage problems get worse, not better. The earlier you catch them, the cheaper they are to fix. Here's what to watch for.
Seepage at the foundation wall, damp corners, musty smell after heavy rain. Usually a grading or downspout problem before it's a foundation problem.
Puddles that sit for days after rain. Soft spots that won't dry out. Spots where the mower sinks. The yard is telling you something.
Bare strips where water carves a channel down a slope. Mulch washing onto sidewalks. Soil ending up where it shouldn't.
Yellow patches that won't recover. Moss instead of grass. Soggy ground that kills the lawn from the roots up.
Cracks, low corners, water pooling against the slab. Often a sign that water is undermining the base.
If your downspouts end three feet from the house, your foundation is wearing the water. Cheap and easy fix when caught early.
Real starting prices. Final cost depends on length of run, depth, soil, and where the water has to go — but you'll never get a vague answer. Free on-site assessment with a written quote within 24 hours.
Every drainage estimate includes walking the yard, identifying the source of the water, and recommending the right fix — not the most expensive one.
If you don't see your question, text Craig at (319) 430-6779.
French drain installation starts at $1,200 for a typical residential run. Final cost depends on length, depth, soil conditions, and where the water gets discharged. A 40-foot perimeter drain along a foundation usually lands between $1,800 and $3,500. We'll quote yours in writing within 24 hours of the on-site visit.
Usually no for preventive drainage, sometimes yes when it's part of a documented water damage claim. We can provide written assessments and photos for insurance use, but we don't bill insurance directly.
Always. We call in an Iowa One Call (811) locate before any excavation work. It's free, it's the law, and it keeps everybody safe.
Most residential drainage projects are one to two days on site, plus cleanup. We schedule the work to leave your yard usable as quickly as possible, and we put it back together when we're done — topsoil and seed where we dug.
Most of the time, yes — and the fix is almost always outside. Grade away from the foundation, extend the downspouts, and add a French drain if the water table is high. Wet basements are usually a yard problem before they're a foundation problem.
A French drain is a perforated pipe inside a gravel-wrapped trench. It catches groundwater that's moving through the soil. A regular drain (catch basin, area drain) catches surface water from puddles. Different problems, different fixes — we install both.
Yes. Topsoil over the trench, seed or sod where we dug, and a final walk-through. We don't leave you with a mud strip and call it done.
Free on-site drainage assessment. Written quote within 24 hours. We'll find the source and fix the problem — not just the symptom.
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