French Drain Installation
Perforated pipe in a washed-stone trench with filter fabric and continuous fall to a real outlet.
Learn moreAtlanta metro · Georgia
Yard Drainage Solutions in Atlanta, GA
Fix standing water, soggy yards, runoff and foundation drainage problems. Tell us what is happening on your property and request a free drainage estimate — Yard Drain Fix helps Atlanta-area homeowners connect with local drainage professionals for French drains, catch basins, grading and buried downspout work.
- Every request starts and ends with this form
- Residential outdoor drainage only
- Atlanta metro service areas
- Free, no-obligation project estimate
Start with the symptom
What Drainage Problem Are You Dealing With?
Different symptoms point to different solutions. Pick the one that looks most like your property to see how it is usually addressed in the Atlanta area.
Standing Water
Puddles that sit for a day or more in the same low spot after every storm.
Yard drainage solutionsSoggy Yard
Broad areas of saturated, muddy turf that rut underfoot and never fully dry.
French drain installationFoundation Runoff
Water collecting against the house, a damp crawl space or a wet basement wall.
Foundation drainageDriveway Flooding
Runoff racing down the drive toward a garage door or ponding on the pavement.
Driveway drainageDownspout Runoff
Roof water dumped beside the foundation, washing out mulch and soil.
Buried downspoutsErosion & Poor Grading
Slopes cutting channels, or ground that pitches toward the house instead of away.
Yard gradingDrainage solutions
Outdoor Drainage Services for Atlanta Homes
Stormwater, surface water and shallow subsurface water each need a different tool. These are the residential drainage solutions used most across the metro.
Local conditions
Why Atlanta Homes Have Drainage Problems
Metro Atlanta receives substantial rainfall, and a good share of it arrives in intense bursts rather than steady drizzle. What matters for a yard is not the annual total — it is how much water lands in an hour and where it goes next.
Under a shallow topsoil layer, much of the region sits on dense red clay. Clay accepts water slowly, so infiltration alone rarely empties a low area. Water instead stays near the surface and travels, which is why ponding can persist for days after the rain stops.
Add the way local neighborhoods were built — pads cut into rolling terrain, graded and compacted by equipment — and you get lots where the back yard sits below the house, receives roof and driveway runoff, and also takes water moving downhill from neighboring properties.
Substantial, intense rainfall
Heavy storms deliver more water than compacted clay can absorb in the moment.
Slow infiltration in clay subsoil
Water stays high in the soil profile and moves sideways instead of down.
Sloped, graded residential lots
Cut-and-fill construction leaves low areas and pads that collect flow.
Roof and downspout discharge
A roof concentrates rain into a few points, often right at the foundation.
Runoff from uphill properties
Water crossing from a neighboring lot adds volume the yard was not graded for.
Grading that has settled over time
Foundation backfill compacts, quietly reversing the original slope away from the house.
How it works
Three Steps, All Online
1
Describe Your Drainage Problem
Tell us what you are seeing: standing water, soggy turf, runoff, foundation water or a drain that quit working.
2
Submit Your Property and Project Details
Add your address or ZIP, the service you think you need, and photos if you have them.
3
Get Connected With a Local Drainage Professional
Your request is routed to drainage professionals serving your part of the Atlanta metro.
Most requested
Popular Drainage Solutions
Catch Basins
Grated inlets set at the true low points, with sumps that trap silt before it reaches the pipe.
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Channel Drains
Linear drains cut into driveways and patios to intercept sheet flow across the full width.
Learn moreWhere we help
Atlanta Metro Service Areas
Requests are accepted from across the Atlanta metro area. These pages cover the local terrain, soil and drainage patterns in each community.
Budget guidance
How Much Does Yard Drainage Cost in Atlanta?
Pricing depends on the problem, linear footage, excavation conditions, grading, access and where collected water can be discharged. As approximate Atlanta market reference ranges, most residential yard drainage projects fall between roughly $2,000 and $10,500 or more, with catch basin work typically lower and large drainage-plus-grading projects higher.
View Atlanta Drainage Cost Guide- Yard drainage systems
- ~$2,000 – $10,500+
- French drain installation
- ~$2,000 – $7,000+
- Channel / trench drains
- ~$2,500 – $8,000+
- Catch basin projects
- ~$600 – $2,000+
- Surface drainage systems
- ~$1,200 – $5,000+
Approximate market estimates only, not quotes or guarantees. Large drainage and grading projects can exceed these ranges.
Not sure which solution fits your yard?
Describe the problem in the form and choose “Not sure — recommend a solution”. That is the most common answer.
Questions
Atlanta Yard Drainage FAQs
What causes standing water in Atlanta yards?
Usually a combination of three things: dense clay subsoil that accepts water slowly, a low area with no outlet, and concentrated runoff from roofs, driveways or an uphill property. Fixing it normally means collecting the water and piping it to a lower discharge point.
Does Georgia clay soil cause drainage problems?
Clay does not create the water, but it changes what works. Because it infiltrates slowly, water stays at or near the surface and travels. Amending the top few inches of soil rarely solves ponding — the water needs a route out.
When is a French drain appropriate?
When soil stays saturated across a broader area, or when water moves through the ground toward a foundation. A French drain collects water along a line in the ground and carries it to an outlet.
Do I need a French drain or a catch basin?
If the problem is a defined puddle on the surface, a catch basin is usually the simpler and less expensive answer. If the ground is broadly saturated, a French drain fits better. Many Atlanta yards use both tied into one pipe run.
Can downspouts be buried underground?
Yes, and it is often the highest-value improvement on a lot. Downspouts are connected to solid underground pipe that carries roof water well away from the foundation, ending at daylight or a pop-up emitter.
How much does yard drainage cost in Atlanta?
Most residential yard drainage projects in the metro fall in an approximate range of $2,000 to $10,500 or more, depending on linear footage, excavation conditions and how many collection points are needed. See the Atlanta drainage cost guide for a breakdown by project type.
Can drainage help protect a foundation?
Managing exterior water — roof discharge, grading and subsurface flow toward the wall — reduces how much water collects against foundation walls, which is a recognized part of keeping basements and crawl spaces drier.
How long does a typical drainage installation take?
Single-run projects are often finished in a day. Larger systems with multiple basins, long pipe runs or regrading commonly take several days, and wet weather can extend the schedule because saturated clay is hard to excavate cleanly.