We start below the surface
Almost every failed patio, walk or wall failed underneath. The pavers were fine; the base was thin, under-compacted or never drained.
Hardscape project
Drainage & Gradingin Central New Jersey
Standing water, a soggy lawn, or water running toward the house — found at the source and corrected, not just covered over.
Overview
Drainage & Gradingbuilt to last
Standing water is a symptom. Before we trench anything we work out where the water is actually coming from — roof volume, a grade that pitches back toward the house, compacted soil, or runoff arriving from next door — because the fix is different in every one of those cases.
What the job includes
- On-site assessment of grade, roof volume, and soil conditions
- French drains and channel drains where subsurface water needs a path
- Dry wells sized to the roof area actually feeding them
- Downspout extensions carrying water clear of the foundation
- Regrading to re-establish positive pitch away from the house
Process
How the build runs
Five stages, in order, so you know what is happening and when.
-
1
Site visit and design
We walk the property, measure it, and talk through materials, layout and budget. Anything that will not work on your grade or your soil, we say so then rather than halfway through the build.
-
2
Written scope and schedule
You get the number, the material list and the dates in writing before anything is ordered. No stage of the job starts on a verbal estimate.
-
3
Excavation and base
We dig to the depth the job actually needs and compact the base in lifts. This is the stage nobody sees and the one that decides whether the surface is still flat in ten years.
-
4
Build
Pavers, stone or block go down on the prepared base, cut to fit and set against edge restraint so the surface cannot creep outward over time.
-
5
Finish and walkthrough
Joints are locked, the site is cleaned down, and we walk the finished work with you before we call it done.
Standards
What decides whether it lasts
The parts of the job you will never see.
Water gets designed for
Pitch, drainage and where the runoff ends up are decided at the design stage, not discovered after the first heavy rain.
You get it in writing
Scope, materials and schedule agreed before we start, so the price at the end is the price you approved at the beginning.
Questions
Drainage & Grading FAQ
-
01
Why is water sitting in my yard?
Usually grade, soil compaction, or roof water with nowhere to go — often all three. The assessment tells us which one is driving it.
-
02
Will this fix a wet basement?
It very often helps, because most basement water starts as surface and roof water at the foundation. If it looks like a job for an interior waterproofing contractor instead, we will tell you that.
-
03
How disruptive is the work?
Trenching does disturb turf. We keep it as narrow as the job allows and restore the surface once the drain is in.
Hardscape
Other hardscape services
Patios, walks, walls and drainage — built by the same crew.
Outdoor livingPaver Patios
Patios built on a properly excavated and compacted base, so the surface is still flat and level years later.
Patios
First impressionWalkways & Steps
Front walks and steps rebuilt level and even, so the approach to the house looks right and nobody trips on it.
Walkways
StructuralRetaining Walls
Walls built to hold back what they are actually holding back — properly drained, properly based, and built to last.
Retaining WallsThinking about a project?
We will walk the property, talk through what is realistic, and put a real number on it.