French Drain Installation & Yard Drainage in Metro Detroit
Standing water in your yard, a lawn that never dries out, or water running toward the house. We find where the water comes from and build the exterior drainage that moves it.
- 4.9 on Google (46 reviews)
- Licensed MI builder #262400278
- Free inspection, written price first
- Free 6-month check-up after every job
- Based in Farmington Hills
Yard drainage, in short
Yard drainage moves standing water and runoff away from your house and out of your lawn. Depending on the property that means a French drain, catch basins at the low spots, a trench drain across a driveway, regrading, or buried downspout extensions, usually some combination.
We walk the property first, work out where the water comes from and where it can legally and safely go, then design and price the system.
Signs your yard needs drainage
- Standing water in the yard for days after it rains
- A soggy lawn, spongy ground, or ruts from the mower
- Water pooling against the foundation or running toward the house
- Water in the basement or crawl space after heavy rain
- Soil erosion, washed-out mulch, or sediment on the driveway
- Grass that will not grow in the low spots
French drain installation: what it is and when you need one
A French drain is a trench with a perforated pipe in a bed of stone, usually wrapped in fabric, that collects water below the surface and carries it by gravity to an outlet. It is the right answer when the ground stays wet because water is moving under the surface: along a foundation, at the bottom of a slope, or across a yard of compacted clay.
The two things that usually go wrong are pitch and outlet. A line that is close to level holds water instead of moving it, and a line that empties into a low spot or a sanitary line makes a new problem. We set the pitch so it drains by gravity and discharge to a legal outlet for your municipality.
French drain or trench drain?
A French drain handles water under the ground. A trench drain, also called a channel drain, is a grated channel set flush with a driveway or patio that catches water running across the surface. Driveways that pitch toward a garage or house often need a trench drain; soggy lawns usually need a French drain.
Book your free yard drainage inspection
We come out, find the cause, and give you a written quote. Call 248-635-3767 or request a visit online.
- 4.9 on Google (46 reviews)
- Licensed MI builder #262400278
- Free inspection, written price first
- Free 6-month check-up after every job
- Based in Farmington Hills
Exterior drainage: downspouts and downspout extensions
Roof water is often the biggest source of water next to a foundation, because each downspout drains a whole section of roof into one spot. Short splash blocks leave that water at the wall. Where it makes sense we tie downspouts into buried extensions that carry roof water well out into the yard or into the drainage system, with cleanouts so it can be serviced.
See buried gutter extensions →
Standing water in your yard: where it comes from
Water that sits in a yard has usually travelled there: down a roof into one downspout, along a slope that pitches back toward the house, or off a neighboring lot, and then it has nowhere to soak in on compacted clay.
That is why we walk the property before we design anything.
Grading and slope
The ground should fall away from the foundation, about six inches over the first ten feet. On a lot of Metro Detroit homes it has settled flat or backward over the years, and no amount of pipe fixes that on its own. We regrade where regrading is the answer.
How the work goes
What a real drainage job involves
Drainage is a system matched to how water moves across your property. Here is what we do and why.
We find where the water comes from
Standing water almost never starts where it collects. It comes from roof runoff dumping in one spot, a yard that pitches back toward the house, compacted clay that will not absorb, or a neighboring property draining onto yours. Putting a drain in the wrong place moves the puddle instead of removing it.
Underground drainage sized to the water
That can mean a French drain to intercept subsurface water, catch basins at the low points, drain tile, a dry well where there is nowhere else to send the water, or a channel drain across a driveway. Pipe size, depth, stone and fabric are chosen for the water you get in a heavy storm.
Utility locating and code
Every dig goes through Miss Dig 811 so gas, electric and communication lines are marked before a shovel goes in the ground. We discharge to an outlet that is legal for your municipality rather than onto a neighbor or into a sanitary line.
Restoration
We trench only where the system runs, keep the trench as narrow as the work allows, and restore soil and sod or seed behind us. We show you the route on the assessment so there are no surprises.
Why homeowners call us for drainage
- Free on-site assessment and one upfront written price
- Licensed Michigan residential builder, license 262400278
- 4.9 rating on Google (46 reviews)
- Miss Dig 811 utility locating before every dig
- Lawn restored when we finish
- Based in Farmington Hills, serving Metro Detroit since 2023
What you get with every job
Before you let anyone into your basement, you should know what you are signing up for. Here is what every Swift Dry customer gets.
Warranty terms are set job by job; when one applies, it is written into your quote.
- A free inspection, inside and out
- We look at the basement and the ground around the house to find where the water or movement starts. No charge and no obligation.
- A written scope and price first
- You get the work, the walls involved and the price in writing before anything starts. If a smaller fix will do, we say so and quote that.
- A licensed, insured Michigan builder
- Swift Dry is a licensed and insured Michigan Residential Builder Company, license 262400278. You can look it up on the state's LARA search.
- A free check-up about six months later
- After the work is done, we come back for a free visit to check it. Every job gets one.
- Financing if you want it
- Three financing options on your quote, with pre-approval on request.
Articles on yard drainage & french drains
- Crawl space moisture and cold floors: what is going on under the houseWhy rooms over a crawl space get cold floors and damp smells in winter, how air and moisture rise from the crawl space, and what fixes it in the right order.
- Frozen sump pump discharge line: why it freezes and how to prevent itWhy a sump pump discharge line freezes in a Michigan winter, what happens to the pump when it does, how to prevent it, and what to do if yours is frozen.
- Gutters, downspouts and grade: what to fix before the ground freezesRoof water is behind a lot of wet basements. What to check on gutters, downspouts and grade this fall, and when a buried extension or French drain makes sense.
What Metro Detroit homeowners say
Rated 4.9 on Google from 46 reviews. Read the reviews.
Yard drainage questions
Do you install French drains near me?
Yes, if you are in Metro Detroit. We are based in Farmington Hills and take drainage jobs across Oakland, Wayne, Washtenaw and Macomb counties. Recent jobs include Ann Arbor, Detroit, Ypsilanti, Saline, Canton, Livonia, Warren, Waterford, Troy and West Bloomfield. Call 248-635-3767 and we will tell you straight whether we can get to your address.
What does a French drain or yard drainage system cost?
It depends on what the inspection finds: where the water or movement starts, how much of the house is involved, and how much digging or clean-out comes first. A small catch basin job and a full system are very different prices, so we do not publish a range. The inspection is free, and you get a written price before any work starts.
Could I put in a French drain myself?
People do, and the two things that usually go wrong are pitch and outlet. A line that is close to level holds water instead of moving it, and a line that discharges into a low spot, a sump crock or a sanitary line creates a worse problem than the one it solved. There is also the risk of hitting a gas or communication line. If you try it, at minimum call Miss Dig 811 first and check your grades.
How long does a drainage install take?
Most residential drainage installs are one to three days on site. Bigger systems, heavy regrading, or work that has to wait on utility locates can run longer. The schedule is in writing with the quote.
Will this stop water getting into my basement?
Often it is a large part of it. Water in a basement usually starts as water sitting against the foundation outside, so moving surface and roof water away is the first fix. If water is coming through a crack or the wall itself, that also needs fixing at the wall, and we will tell you if that is what we see.
What is the difference between a French drain, a catch basin and regrading?
Regrading reshapes the ground so water runs away from the house. A catch basin collects surface water at a low spot. A French drain is a buried perforated pipe in gravel that carries water that soaks into the ground to a place where it can leave. We pick the one or the combination that fits where your water comes from.
Where does the water go?
Swift Dry discharges a drainage system to an outlet that is legal for your municipality, not onto a neighbor's property or into a sanitary line, and sets the pipe at a pitch so the water moves by gravity. We choose the outlet when we design the system.
Do you call 811 before digging?
Yes. Every Swift Dry dig goes through Miss Dig 811, so gas, electric and communication lines are marked before any digging starts. We also pull permits where the work calls for one.
Get your free yard drainage inspection
Honest quote, no obligation. Serving Metro Detroit from Farmington Hills.
- 4.9 on Google (46 reviews)
- Licensed MI builder #262400278
- Free inspection, written price first
- Free 6-month check-up after every job
- Based in Farmington Hills