Drainage
Yard Drainage in Charleston, SC
Grading, downspouts and where the water is coming from.
Grading, downspouts and where the water is coming from.
Quick answer: Most standing water in a Lowcountry yard comes from downspouts discharging at the foundation or ground that no longer falls away from the house, and both cost less to fix than a drainage system. Where a system is needed (a French drain, a swale or a sump), the design starts from where the water can legally go; draining onto a neighbor is not an option. Southeastern Renovation does yard drainage across the Charleston area as a licensed SC general contractor (CLG.127339). Call (843) 718-8177.
Related: Is Standing Water in My Crawlspace a Problem? · Why Does My House Smell Musty Downstairs (and Not Upstairs)? · French drain installation.
Downspouts discharging at the foundation are the single most common cause, and the fix is extending them somewhere useful rather than digging anything. It is worth eliminating before spending on a system.
Grading is the next thing. Ground should fall away from the house, and over years mulch, planting beds and settlement quietly reverse that. A bed built up against a wall is a very effective way of directing water at it.
Where a genuine system is needed, the design starts from where the water arrives and where it can legally go — discharging onto a neighbor is a dispute rather than a solution.
We take this work across greater Charleston, from Summerville, Goose Creek and North Charleston to Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, West Ashley and the sea islands. More on our drainage services.
Often not. Downspouts discharging at the foundation and ground that has stopped falling away from the house cause most of it, and both are cheaper to correct than to drain around.
Those get eliminated first.
No, and it is worth knowing before a system is designed around it. Where the water can legally go is part of the design, not a detail to settle afterwards.
Usually grade and roof area. A larger roof, downspouts pointed the wrong way, or a bed built up against the wall will each do it, and they compound.
Yes. Goose Creek, Summerville, North Charleston and Moncks Corner are in our Charleston-area drainage service area. See French drain installation for how the outlet is designed.