Big Sandy, Texas
French drains & drainage in Big Sandy
French drains, regrading and downspout fixes for Big Sandy yards that hold water, starting with finding where the water really comes from.
- Upshur County, Texas
- Free written estimate within a day
- Same crew every visit, never subcontracted
Who does drainage and grading in Big Sandy, TX?
Yard Dog Landscapes, a family-owned, fully insured company based in Longview, fixes yard drainage in Big Sandy and across Upshur County. We've worked East Texas yards since 2017 and hold a 5.0 rating across 143 Google reviews. We trace the water first, then regrade, reroute downspouts, cut swales or install French drains with sock-wrapped pipe and #57 stone. Most projects run $2,000 to $3,750. Request a free walkthrough in Big Sandy online.
Drainage & Grading for Big Sandy yards
Big Sandy drainage problems tend to sit at the bottom of the lot: the low corner near the creek or ditch, or the side of the house where a downspout dumps into flat sand over clay. We regrade, build swales and dry creek beds, and install French drains that outlet to daylight or a pop-up emitter. Most projects run $2,000 to $3,750, and small fixes start around $450.
Half the yards we get called to for a French drain don't need one. Standing water is a symptom, so we start by finding the source. Roof water dumping at the foundation gets rerouted in solid pipe. Ground that tips back toward the house gets regraded to fall away, about six inches over the first ten feet. Only water that's trapped in the ground calls for a French drain.
What's included
- French drains with sock-wrapped pipe and #57 stone
- Surface grading and re-sloping away from the foundation
- Downspout extensions and solid-pipe reroutes
- Catch basins, channel drains and pop-up emitters
- Swales and dry creek beds
- Erosion control on slopes
- Drainage behind retaining walls
- Site prep for new builds and additions
How the job goes
We fix drainage year-round, but the best time to see the problem is during or right after a rain. Digging goes faster in a dry stretch, when the clay isn't saturated. Getting it done before the spring rains means you don't spend another season with a pond in the back corner.
Watch the water
We walk the property during or right after a rain when we can, and trace where the water comes from and where it sits.
Pick the right fix
Downspouts, regrading, a swale or a French drain. You get a written, itemized estimate that says what we're installing and why.
Trench to a real outlet
We dig with a steady fall toward somewhere the water can actually leave: daylight, a curb, a lower part of the lot, or a pop-up emitter.
Build the drain
Pipe, fabric and stone go in to spec, backfilled with stone so clay fines can't clog it.
Put the yard back
We cap the trench with soil and sod, or finish it in river rock or a dry creek bed.
Examples of our drainage and grading work
Real jobs by our crew around East Texas. Each photo says where it was taken.
Drainage & Grading questions in Big Sandy
Can you fix water standing near my house in Big Sandy?
Usually, yes. We find where the water comes from, then regrade the soil away from the slab, reroute downspouts, or run a French drain to a daylighted outlet. Small fixes run about $450 to $1,000, and most full projects run $2,000 to $3,750.
How much does a French drain cost in East Texas?
Most of our drainage projects run $2,000 to $3,750. A standard single French drain run is usually $1,900 to $3,000. Small fixes like a downspout reroute run $450 to $1,000, full systems $3,000 to $4,500, and large or combined projects $4,500 and up. Pipe length, dig depth, the outlet and what goes back on top set the number.
Do I really need a French drain?
Maybe not. Most soggy yards are fed by surface water: roof runoff, a neighbor's lot that sits higher, or a driveway sloping back toward the house. Those get fixed with downspout reroutes and regrading, for less money. A French drain is for water already in the ground, like a spot that stays spongy for days, a seep at the bottom of a slope, or the back of a retaining wall.
Why does my Longview yard hold water after it rains?
Our soil. Most yards here are sandy loam over dense red clay that water can't soak through, so once the top foot saturates, the water sits or runs sideways. Settled grading, downspouts that dump at the foundation and dead-flat lots make it worse. We trace the flow path first, then fix the source instead of guessing.
More we do in Big Sandy
Lawn Maintenance
Big Sandy lawns are often big and open, with fence lines, outbuildings and a long drive to work around.
Sod Installation
On a big lot, sodding the whole thing is rarely needed, and we usually recommend sodding the front and the area around the house where it shows and gets used.
Leaf Removal
Country lots around Big Sandy collect leaves and needles from the tree line every fall, and the wind pushes them across the open lawn and into the beds.
Flower Bed Installation
Big Sandy beds on open lots take full afternoon sun, so we plant what likes it: lantana, salvia, plumbago and annual vinca, which goes in once the soil warms up in mid-May.
Christmas Lights
Big Sandy is well inside our Christmas light range, and most homes start at $900.
Fertilization
On a big Big Sandy lot, it rarely makes sense to feed every acre.
Hedge Trimming
Around Big Sandy, hedges tend to be either foundation shrubs on the house or long screens along a property line.
Tree & Shrub Care
On wooded lots near Big Sandy, the work is mostly about the trees and shrubs near the house: dead lower limbs, crepe myrtles that need thinning instead of topping, and shrubs that have crept over walks and beds.
Get a free drainage and grading quote in Big Sandy
Tell us what you need and where. We call within a day, walk the property with you and send a written, itemized estimate. No pressure and no surprise add-ons.
- Free on-site walkthrough
- Written estimate, usually within a day
- Same crew every visit, never subcontracted
- Fully insured, 5.0 on Google from 143 reviews