Marshall, Texas
French drains & drainage in Marshall
French drains, regrading and downspout fixes for Marshall yards that hold water, starting with finding where the water really comes from.
- Harrison County, Texas
- Free written estimate within a day
- Same crew every visit, never subcontracted
Who does drainage and grading in Marshall, TX?
Yard Dog Landscapes, a family-owned, fully insured company based in Longview, fixes yard drainage in Marshall and across Harrison 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 Marshall online.
Drainage & Grading for Marshall yards
Marshall's sandy topsoil over red clay means rain soaks in fast and then stops, so water spreads across the yard and sits in low corners and against foundations. Older homes add their own problems, like downspouts that empty into beds or a yard that has settled over the years. Small fixes run $450 to $1,000, and most drainage projects fall between $2,000 and $3,750.
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 Marshall
How much does it cost to fix drainage at a Marshall house?
Small fixes like rerouting a downspout or draining one low spot run $450 to $1,000. A standard single French drain run is usually $1,900 to $3,000, a full system runs $3,000 to $4,500, and large jobs go past $4,500. We price yours after walking it, ideally during or right after a rain.
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 Marshall
Hedge Trimming
Marshall has a lot of formal plantings around older homes, like boxwood borders, holly foundation hedges and big ligustrums along property lines.
Tree & Shrub Care
Old crepe myrtles, azaleas and camellias show up all over Marshall, and topped crepe myrtles are as common here as anywhere in East Texas.
Lawn Maintenance
In Marshall's older, shaded neighborhoods, lawns are mostly St. Augustine, and that grass thins out fast if it's mowed like bermuda.
Landscaping
Landscaping an older Marshall home usually means working with what's already there: keeping the camellias and magnolias worth saving, pulling what's overgrown or dying, and planting new beds that suit the age and style of the house.
Christmas Lights
Marshall already does Christmas big with the Wonderland of Lights downtown, and if you want your own house to match the season, we can handle it.
Leaf Removal
Old pecans, oaks and magnolias make for a long leaf season in Marshall, and magnolias drop leaves on and off all year.
Fertilization
Shaded Marshall lawns need a lighter hand than open bermuda, since pushing a lot of nitrogen into St. Augustine that's short on sun just grows soft grass.
Tree Planting
When an old Marshall shade tree comes down in a storm, the yard changes overnight, and beds and grass that grew up in shade suddenly get full sun.
Drainage & Grading in nearby towns
Get a free drainage and grading quote in Marshall
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