Drainage & grading
French drains & yard drainage in Longview
French drains, regrading, downspout reroutes and swales for yards that hold water after every rain. Most projects run $2,000 to $3,750, and small single-spot fixes start around $450.
- 5.0 on Google from 143 reviews
- Free written estimate within a day
- Same crew every visit, never subcontracted
Who does drainage and grading in Longview, TX?
Yard Dog Landscapes is a family-owned, fully insured company in Longview, TX that has fixed yard drainage across East Texas since 2017, with a 5.0 rating across 143 Google reviews. We find where the water is really coming from, then regrade, reroute downspouts, cut swales or install French drains. Most projects run $2,000 to $3,750, and small fixes start around $450. Pipe length, dig depth and where the water can outlet set the price. Request a free walkthrough online.
What we do
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.
When it does, we build it once. That means sock-wrapped 4-inch perforated pipe over 4 inches of #57 stone, backfilled with the same stone to a few inches below grade, then capped with soil and sod. Every drain ties to a daylighted outlet or a pop-up emitter, never a buried dead end that backs up the first time the ground saturates.
- 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.
Our drainage and grading work
Real jobs by our crew, with where they were built. Tap any photo to see the whole project.
Why East Texas yards hold water
Most of our area sits on sandy topsoil over dense red clay. Rain soaks the top foot, hits the clay and stops. From there it pools in low spots or runs sideways toward the house. Add rain that comes in heavy stretches and new-construction pads that settle after the house goes up, and you get the soggy backyards we fix every spring.
That clay is also why cheap drains fail here. Corrugated pipe in a rock bag, laid shallow with no real outlet, silts up with clay fines in a season or two. Then it has to be dug up and done again. The expensive part of drainage is the digging, so we'd rather do it once.
Drainage & Grading questions
Something else on your mind? Ask us in the quote form.
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.
Can you fix water pooling against my foundation?
Yes, and it's one of the most common jobs we do in Gregg County. The ground should drop about six inches over the first ten feet out from the house. On older homes it has often settled or been built up the wrong way. We regrade to get that fall back, shape a swale to carry water around the house, and reroute downspouts in solid pipe.
Why do cheap French drains clog?
They aren't built for our clay. Corrugated pipe in a rock bag, laid shallow with no real outlet, fills with clay fines in a season or two and quits. We use sock-wrapped 4-inch perforated pipe over #57 stone, backfilled with the same stone, and tie every drain to a daylighted outlet or a pop-up emitter so it keeps draining.
Drainage & Grading near you
We work all over East Texas from our home base in Longview. Pick your town for local details and answers.
Related services
Retaining Walls
Block, stone and timber walls built on a compacted base with gravel and drain pipe behind them, so they hold East Texas slopes instead of leaning.
Landscaping
Beds, shrubs, trees, sod and borders planned around East Texas clay and summer heat, and installed by the same family-owned crew from start to finish.
Sod Installation
Bermuda, St. Augustine or Zoysia matched to how much sun your yard gets, laid over soil we prep first.
From the blog
What customers say
143 Google reviews
“I recently hired Miller to clear out my ditch area, and I couldn’t be more impressed with the results. From start to finish, the service was professional and efficient. They cleared the area quickly, removing overgrowth, debris, and ensuring proper drainage. Highly recommend Miller for any type of lawn care!”
“Professional and courteous. The price for the job was reasonable and was better than others I had checked with.”
“Fantastic service, team has taken great care of our lawn. Always on time and respectful of the land. These guys go the extra mile.”
Get a free drainage and grading quote
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