Water in the right place, every time.
French drains, catch basins, and downspout tie-ins designed to move water away from your foundation, hardscape, and lawn — before it becomes a problem.
Most landscape failures start with bad drainage. We solve it at the source — proper grading, perforated pipe in clean gravel, and outlets that actually daylight. Done once, done right.
- French drains & curtain drains
- Catch basins & area drains
- Downspout extensions & tie-ins
- Sump pump installations
- Regrading & swales
- Foundation perimeter drains
Hidden work that protects everything else.
A french drain is only as good as the gravel, fabric, and outlet behind it. We use the right materials in the right order, so the system keeps working long after the lawn grows back over it.
- Filter fabric to prevent silt clogging
- Properly sized perforated pipe
- Clean drain rock — not pea gravel
- Outlets that daylight or tie to storm drain
Drainage problems we solve
Standing water on the lawn 24 hours after rain. Water tracking against the foundation. Mossy retaining walls. Sloped backyards in Lafayette and Orinda that turn into mudslides in January. Downspouts dumping at the corner of the house. Each of these is a different problem with a different fix — and lumping them all into 'put in a french drain' is how systems get installed that don't actually solve anything.
- Standing water and soggy lawn areas
- Foundation moisture and crawlspace humidity
- Hillside runoff and slope erosion
- Downspout pooling and splash-back
- Retaining-wall hydrostatic pressure
- Hardscape edge erosion and undermining
Systems we install
French drains for saturated soil, catch basins and area drains for surface puddles, channel drains across driveways and patio edges, solid downspout extensions out to daylight, sump pumps where gravity won't cooperate, and full perimeter foundation drains on hillside lots. Most Contra Costa drainage jobs we do combine 2–3 of these into one coordinated system.
- French drains and curtain drains
- Catch basins, area drains, and channel drains
- Solid downspout tie-ins and pop-up emitters
- Sump pump pits with battery backup
- Foundation perimeter drains
- Regrading and engineered swales
Materials done right
We use 4-inch perforated SDR-35 pipe (not flimsy corrugated black pipe that collapses), 3/4-inch clean angular drain rock (not pea gravel that packs and clogs), and non-woven geotextile filter fabric wrapped completely around the rock to keep silt out of the perforations. Solid pipe runs are SDR-35 too, glued at every joint, so nothing leaks under your lawn over time.
- SDR-35 perforated pipe — rigid, long-lasting
- 3/4-inch clean angular drain rock
- Non-woven geotextile fabric burrito-wrapped around the rock
- Glued solid pipe for all conveyance runs
- Pop-up emitters or NDS atrium grates at outlets
Outlets — where the water actually goes
A drain system is only as good as its outlet. The best outlet is to daylight downhill — water exits a pop-up emitter or open pipe end onto a splash pad or rock weir. Second-best is into the public storm drain at the curb (legal in most Contra Costa jurisdictions, but never the sanitary sewer). When neither is possible, we install a sump pit with a submersible pump that lifts water to where it can leave gravity-fed.
- Daylight outlet to splash pad or rock weir
- Tie-in to public storm drain (where permitted)
- Sump pump with float switch and check valve
- Pop-up emitters that stay closed when not flowing
Fix it once, fix it right.
- 01
Site visit during or after rain
Whenever possible we walk the property during or right after a storm — that's when we can see exactly where water collects, where it flows, and where it should be going. We map the problem before specifying the fix.
- 02
Design & locate utilities
We design pipe runs, catch-basin locations, and the outlet path, then call USA for utility locates before any digging. You see a written scope with materials and elevations.
- 03
Trenching
Trenches are dug to a consistent slope (typically 1–2% to the outlet). On tight Walnut Creek and Lafayette side yards we hand-dig around mature roots and irrigation we want to keep.
- 04
Fabric, rock & pipe
Filter fabric is laid in the trench, drain rock goes in, perforated pipe is set with the holes down, and the rock-and-pipe assembly is wrapped completely with fabric — the 'burrito wrap' that keeps it working for 20+ years.
- 05
Catch basins & outlets
Surface drains and basins are set flush with finished grade. The outlet is installed last so we can verify slope with a level run of water before backfill.
- 06
Backfill, restore & test
Trenches are backfilled, sod or planting is restored, and we run a garden hose into every inlet to confirm everything flows to the outlet as designed.
Contra Costa County's mix of expansive clay soils, steep Lafayette and Orinda hillsides, and concentrated winter rain make drainage the most under-appreciated part of any landscape — and the most expensive to ignore.
Drainage, answered.
Real answers to what Contra Costa County homeowners ask us most.
How do I know if my yard has a drainage problem?+
Common signs in Contra Costa homes: standing water 24+ hours after rain, soggy spots that never dry out, water staining at the foundation, efflorescence on retaining walls, mushrooms or moss in the lawn, and downspouts that dump right next to the house. If you see any of these, it's worth a site visit before winter.
What does a French drain installation cost?+
A standard residential French drain typically runs $35–$70 per linear foot installed, including trenching, perforated pipe, drain rock, filter fabric, and an outlet that daylights or ties into a storm drain. Catch basins, sump pumps, or pumping uphill add to the cost.
French drain vs. catch basin — what's the difference?+
A French drain is a buried, perforated pipe that collects water from soggy soil along its full length. A catch basin is a single grated inlet that captures surface water from a low spot. We often combine both — catch basins for puddles, French drains for saturated ground.
How long does a drainage system take to install?+
Most residential drainage projects in Walnut Creek, Lafayette, and Martinez are 2–5 days. Tight access, hand-digging around mature roots, or long runs to a daylight point can extend the timeline.
Can you tie my downspouts into the drainage system?+
Yes, and we recommend it. Roof water is the biggest volume hitting your foundation. We tie downspouts into solid (non-perforated) pipe that carries the water past your hardscape and lawn to a daylight outlet or the public storm drain where allowed.
Will a French drain clog over time?+
Not if it's built right. We wrap drain rock in filter fabric to keep silt out of the perforations, use clean angular drain rock (not pea gravel), and size the pipe for the load. A properly built system can run 20+ years with no maintenance.
Let's plan your project.
Free estimates · Same-week site visits