Drainage That Moves Water Off Your Property -- Not Into Your Foundation
$1,800 to $7,000 depending on complexity. French drains, catch basins, channel drains, regrading, and dry wells. We diagnose where the water comes from and engineer a path for it to leave. Free site inspections across Pinellas County.
Flat Land, Sandy Soil, 50 Inches of Rain -- The Perfect Flood Formula
Pinellas County sits at an average elevation of 15 feet. Many neighborhoods in St. Petersburg, Gulfport, and the Gulf Beaches sit at 5 to 8 feet. When 2 inches of rain dump in 30 minutes during a summer thunderstorm, flat terrain with sandy soil has nowhere to send it.
The water pools on the surface because the soil beneath is already saturated from the high water table. It stays there for hours or days, drowning grass roots, attracting mosquitoes, and slowly eroding the soil beneath your foundation. Every storm adds to the damage. Standing water is not an inconvenience -- it is active property damage happening in slow motion.
Proper drainage engineering creates a path for that water. We use gravity, pipe, and strategic grading to collect water where it accumulates and move it to an approved discharge point. The yard dries within hours instead of days. Your sod stays healthy, your foundation stays stable, and your backyard stays usable.
5 Drainage Tools -- Matched to Your Specific Problem
French Drains
Gravel-filled trenches with perforated pipe that collect subsurface water and redirect it via gravity. Best for soggy zones, standing water near foundations, and areas where the water table pushes moisture up from below. $1,800 to $3,500 per run of 50 to 100 linear feet. Our drains use geotextile fabric wrap to prevent sand clogging -- lasts 15 to 20 years.
Catch Basins
Below-grade boxes with grated tops that collect surface water at low points. Water enters through the grate, drops into the basin, and exits through underground pipe to a discharge point. Best for concentrated low spots in the yard, at the base of slopes, and where driveway runoff collects. $1,500 to $2,500 per basin installed with discharge pipe.
Channel Drains
Long linear drains with grated tops set into concrete or paver surfaces. Best for driveway aprons, patio edges, and pool decks where water flows across hardscape and needs to be intercepted before reaching the house or yard. $150 to $250 per linear foot installed. We use polymer concrete channels rated for vehicle traffic on driveways.
Yard Regrading
Reshaping the terrain so gravity directs water away from structures. Standard grade is a minimum 1-inch drop per foot for the first 6 feet from foundation. Beyond that, we create engineered swales that guide water toward collection points or property edges. $2,500 to $5,000 depending on yard size. Often combined with French drains for complete solution.
Dry Wells
Underground chambers that collect water and allow it to slowly percolate into the soil. Used when no storm drain, swale, or surface discharge option exists within a reasonable pipe distance. Common in older St. Petersburg neighborhoods where storm infrastructure is limited. $1,500 to $3,000 per well installed. We size the well based on catchment area and expected volume.
Combined Systems
Most properties need two or more solutions working together. A typical combination: regrading to direct surface flow toward a French drain, which feeds into a catch basin, which discharges through underground pipe to the storm system or a dry well. We design the complete system as one integrated project. $4,000 to $7,000 for full-property drainage.
Riviera Bay Flooding Fix: $4,200 Saved a $12,000 Foundation Problem
A homeowner in the Riviera Bay neighborhood of St. Petersburg called us after their third consecutive summer of backyard flooding. Water would pool against the back wall of the house after every afternoon storm, sit there for 24 to 48 hours, and slowly seep into the garage. They had already spent $800 on a sump pump that ran constantly during wet season and still could not keep up.
The diagnosis was straightforward: the backyard had settled over 15 years and now sloped toward the house instead of away from it. The neighbor's property sat 18 inches higher and sheet-drained directly into their yard. Two problems, two solutions needed.
We regraded the first 8 feet from the house to create positive drainage away from the foundation. We installed 60 feet of French drain along the back property line to intercept the neighbor's runoff before it reached the yard. Both systems discharge to a catch basin at the side yard that connects to the existing storm drain at the curb.
Total cost: $4,200. The sump pump has not run since. The garage stays dry. Their foundation engineer confirmed the settling stopped once the chronic saturation was eliminated.
Standing Water Gets Worse With Every Storm. Fix It Now.
Free site inspections across St. Petersburg and Pinellas County. We trace the water source, design a solution, and give you a written quote before any work begins.
Request a Free EstimateDrainage Questions
$1,800 to $7,000 for most residential projects. A single French drain run costs $1,800-$3,500. Catch basins run $1,500-$2,500 each. Full-property drainage with regrading and multiple components runs $4,000-$7,000.
Flat yards need a combination approach: slight regrading for surface flow, French drains or catch basins at low points, and pipe to carry water to a discharge. A single solution rarely works on flat Pinellas County terrain.
Simple French drains take 1-2 days. Multi-component systems with regrading take 3-5 days. We schedule dry weather for excavation and test every system before backfilling.
Yes in most cases. A channel drain across the driveway apron or catch basin at the low point collects water, and underground pipe carries it away. Common fix in older Pinellas County neighborhoods.
Most residential French drains and catch basins do not need a permit if they stay on your property. Connections to municipal storm systems and retaining walls over 4 feet do. We verify requirements for every project.
Solve the Complete Water Problem
Erosion Control
Drainage moves water. Erosion control holds the soil in place. Many projects need both for a complete solution.
Learn More →
Retaining Walls
Grade changes often need structural walls combined with drainage for a permanent fix.
Learn More →Dirt Work & Grading
Regrading the foundation of most drainage solutions. We reshape terrain so gravity does the work.
Learn More →