Drainage Solutions — built right.
Most Hill Country properties have a drainage problem they don't realize until water reaches the foundation, the patio cracks, or fire ants surge after every storm. Drainage correction is the most under-quoted, under-explained part of residential landscaping. We engineer drainage as a system — read where the water comes from, where it sits, where it needs to go, and how to move it there without dumping the problem on the neighbor.
Local conditions.
Caliche soil drains slowly, runoff routes around it. After a 2-3 inch rain, problem zones reveal themselves: standing water by the foundation, water-stressed beds, mosquito-pressure spots, and fresh fire-ant mounds on the slope changes. We walk after rain events on purpose — that's when the property tells the truth.
How we build it.
- Post-storm or post-rain walk to map runoff patterns and standing-water zones.
- Drainage plan — french drain placement, channel drain locations, regrade routing, downspout integration, optional bioswale for ecological treatment.
- Excavation to required depth (typically 18-30" for french drain, 4-8" for channel).
- Geotextile-wrapped gravel envelope around perforated pipe.
- Bioswale option: regraded swale + check dams + native filter plantings + river rock.
- Test with a hose — confirm flow direction and capacity before backfill.
- Restore surface — sod, mulch bed, or finish hardscape.