Foundation & Yard Drainage in Seattle
Soggy yard, water against the foundation, a basement that leaks after every storm? We move water away from your home for good — French drains, catch basins, and grading engineered for Seattle's rain and clay soils.
Why drainage is the cheapest foundation insurance
Nearly every foundation problem we fix in Seattle starts with water. Our heavy rain, clay-rich soils, and sloped lots send water straight at the house, where it pools against the foundation, saturates the soil, and builds the pressure that cracks walls, floods basements, and settles footings. Getting that water under control is the single most cost-effective thing you can do for your home.
The right fix is rarely one product. We figure out where your water actually comes from and where it needs to go, then combine the right tools — subsurface drains, surface drains, downspout management, and grading — into a system that carries water safely away and keeps it away.
Signs you have a drainage problem
Catch these early and you may avoid the far more expensive foundation or basement repair they lead to.
Standing water in the yard
Puddles or soggy ground that linger long after the rain stops.
Water pooling at the foundation
Water collecting against the house instead of draining away from it.
A wet basement or crawl space
Seepage after storms is often a drainage problem before it is a waterproofing one.
Soggy or dying lawn
Ground that stays saturated, with grass thinning or turning to moss.
Erosion and washouts
Mulch and soil that wash away, or bare channels where water has been running.
Flooded driveways or patios
Hardscapes that sheet water toward the house or never seem to drain.
The full drainage toolbox
We use the right combination for your lot — not a one-size-fits-all French drain.
French Drains
Gravel-bedded perforated pipe that collects subsurface water and carries it safely away from the foundation.
Footing & Perimeter Drains
Exterior drains at the foundation footing that intercept groundwater before it reaches your basement or crawl space.
Curtain Drains
Uphill drains that cut off water flowing toward your home from a slope — essential on Seattle's hillsides.
Catch Basins & Channel Drains
Surface inlets and channel drains that clear standing water from patios, driveways, and low spots.
Grading & Swales
Re-shaping the ground so water runs away from the foundation instead of toward it.
Downspout & Discharge Lines
Buried downspout extensions, pop-up emitters, and dry wells that carry roof water well past the foundation.
French drain, or something else? How we decide
A French drain is the right answer for subsurface water — water moving through the soil and building pressure underground. But many Seattle drainage problems are surface water: roof runoff, a patio that sheds toward the house, a low spot that collects rain. For those, a catch basin, a channel drain, or simply regrading and redirecting downspouts solves it faster and more cheaply than digging a French drain.
So we start by figuring out where your water comes from and where it needs to go, rather than selling one product. Sometimes the fix is a single curtain drain across a slope; sometimes it is a combination — footing drain, downspout lines, and grading working together. Just as important is where the water discharges: a city storm connection where it is allowed, a dry well that lets it soak away, or daylight at a lower point on the lot. Getting that right is what keeps the fix working through the wet season.
From first call to fixed — four simple steps
Free Inspection
We come out, assess the problem, and give you a straight answer in writing — usually within 24–48 hours.
Custom Plan
A fixed, written quote with the scope, timeline, and financing options spelled out. No vague ballparks.
We Do the Work
Licensed crews work clean and on schedule, protecting your home and property throughout.
Warranty
We walk the finished job with you and back the repair with a written, transferable warranty.
Get your free inspection
Tell us what you're dealing with and we'll schedule a no-pressure visit — usually within 24–48 hours. A real diagnosis and a written price, not a sales pitch.
- A licensed inspector who finds the source, not just the symptom
- Photos and a clear explanation of what's happening
- A firm written quote — and financing if you want it
Request received!
We'll call within one business day to schedule your free, no-obligation inspection.
What does drainage work cost in Seattle?
Drainage is usually priced by the linear foot. Surface solutions like channel drains and regrading tend to run lower; a buried French or footing drain costs more because of the excavation, gravel, and pipe. As a rough guide, French drains often land around $30 to $50 per linear foot installed — so a typical 40-foot run might be $1,200 to $2,000, with larger or deeper systems costing more.
Put that next to the alternative: a wet-basement or foundation-settlement repair can run many thousands of dollars. Drainage really is the cheapest foundation repair — the one you prevent. Your free inspection gives you a firm written price and an honest read on exactly what your lot needs.
Foundation Drainage, answered
In our climate it is the most effective prevention there is. The water pressure that cracks foundations, floods basements, and settles footings comes from poorly managed water in the soil. Control the water and you remove the cause.
Yes — they are usually the same problem. We address surface water in the yard and subsurface water at the foundation together, so the whole system works as one.
Most residential drainage projects are completed in one to three days, depending on the length of the system and the grading involved.
A French drain is a buried, gravel-bedded perforated pipe that collects water from the soil (subsurface water). A channel or trench drain is a surface grate that catches water running across a patio or driveway. Many Seattle lots need both — one for groundwater, one for surface runoff.
Usually, yes. Managing water outside — with grading, surface drains, and downspout lines — is often less expensive than an interior basement drainage system, and it stops the water before it ever reaches the house. We will tell you which approach fits your situation.
Somewhere safely away and lower than your foundation — a city storm-drain connection where it is allowed, a dry well that lets it soak into the ground, or a daylight outlet at a low point on the lot. Designing the discharge correctly is half of a drainage job done right.
Often it is a big part of the fix. If groundwater pressure is driving the leak, intercepting that water outside relieves the pressure. Sometimes we pair exterior drainage with interior waterproofing for a basement that stays dry for good.
A properly built French drain — clean drain rock, a quality filter fabric, and the right pipe — lasts for many years. Clogging comes from skipping the fabric or using dirty gravel, which is exactly what we avoid.
Water where it shouldn't be? Let's route it away.
No cost, no obligation, no pressure — just a straight answer about your home, usually within 24–48 hours.