Frequently Asked Questions
These are the questions homeowners ask most on this site. Longer answers live on the service and decision pages.
Common questions
Cost depends on the length of the drain, how the yard is laid out, and what it takes to discharge the water safely. We don’t quote a generic price from a website. Call 815-940-9441 or request an estimate and we’ll look at the property.
It depends on the size of the job and access around the house. After we see the yard, we can give you a clear timeframe for your property.
If the yard stays wet, water pools after rain, or runoff collects near the house, a French drain may help. We’ll look at how water moves across the property and tell you whether that’s the right solution.
It gives groundwater an easier path. Water in saturated soil can move into a gravel trench, enter a perforated pipe, and travel to an outlet instead of sitting in the lawn.
The drain only works if collected water can leave. An outlet that points back toward the house, a neighbor’s yard, or another low spot can recreate the original problem.
No. A catch basin takes water at the surface through a grate. A French drain collects water in a gravel trench below the lawn. They solve different parts of a wet-yard problem.
It can replace a drain that was proposed for a surface puddle caused by a low spot. It cannot replace a drain needed for groundwater that stays in the soil after the surface is reshaped.
More detail: which solution to consider, whether you need a French drain, and the six drainage services.
