The Ultimate Guide to Yard Drainage Solutions

Diagnosing Your Yard Issue

Before buying pipe or renting an excavator, you need to observe how water behaves on your property. The "symptom" tells us exactly which system you need. For example, if your ground stays squishy and soggy for days after a rainstorm, you are dealing with soil saturation or a high water table—a subsurface problem.

In contrast, if you see big puddles forming on the surface during heavy rain that disappear relatively quickly once the rain stops, the issue is likely compaction or low spots—a surface grading problem. The most common issue we see, however, is simply poor roof water management: water pours off the roof, overwhelms the gutters, and pools directly against the foundation because the downspouts dump it right there.

Solution 1: The French Drain

A French drain is designed specifically for that "squishy ground" scenario. It collects water from the soil itself. The system consists of a trench filled with washed drain rock and a perforated pipe. Water migrates through the soil, finds the path of least resistance (the rock), enters the pipe, and flows away.

The Boise Context: Installing a French drain in the Treasure Valley requires specific attention to our soil conditions. Because our soil is high-clay, we use a "burrito wrap" method with heavy-duty non-woven geotextile fabric. This fabric allows water to pass through but blocks the fine clay silt. Without this critical barrier, a French drain in Boise will fill with silt and clog within 2-3 years, rendering it useless.

Solution 2: The Dry Well

Sometimes you can't "drain to daylight" because your yard is completely flat or you don't have a legal discharge point like a street gutter. In these cases, a dry well is the answer. A dry well is a large underground chamber, often a Flo-Well system, that holds 50+ gallons of surge water and allows it to percolate slowly into the subsoil over time.

Solution 3: Catch Basins & Solid Pipe

If you can see the water flowing across your yard or driveway, you need a catch basin. Unlike a French drain which pulls water from the dirt, a catch basin is a surface intake—a plastic box with a grate set at a low point. It captures rapid runoff and directs it into a pipe.

Crucially, catch basins should connect to solid pipe, not perforated pipe. The goal here is strict transport: grabbing water from Point A and moving it to Point B without letting it leak back out along the way. See our Yard Drainage Services page for diagrams of how these systems function together.

Solution 4: Regrading / Swales

Sometimes the Best solution involves no pipes at all. A "swale" is simply a shallow, intentionally graded ditch that guides water using gravity. When designed correctly with a laser level to ensure a perfect 2% grade, a swale moves water away from your foundation effectively while being easy to mow over and practically invisible to the eye.