Drainage Solutions in Chattanooga, TN

Drainage solutions are the most requested earthwork around Chattanooga, and French drain installation is the most searched drainage job. With 55 inches of normal yearly precipitation and ridges on every side, water reaches many homes from above: off the hill, off the neighbor's lot, off the roof. The fix is almost always a combination of catching it, carrying it and releasing it somewhere safe.

French drains and curtain drains

A French drain is a trench with perforated pipe in clean stone, wrapped in fabric where soils are fine, laid with steady fall toward an outlet. A curtain drain is the same thing placed uphill of a house to intercept water before it gets there. On hillside lots below Missionary Ridge or the mountain brows, a curtain drain across the slope is often the single best fix.

Downspouts and catch basins

Roof water is a lot of water. Buried solid pipe from each downspout to a pop-up emitter or a daylight outlet keeps it from soaking the soil beside the foundation. Where water collects in a low spot, a catch basin collects surface water and sends it into the pipe.

Choosing an outlet

The outlet decides whether a drain works. Good outlets are a lower part of the lot, a curb or ditch where allowed, or a designed dry well. In the limestone valleys, low spots can be sinks, and concentrated water can enlarge them, so we never use a depression as an outlet. On the mountain, sandstone near the surface means water may surface again downhill, so we plan where it will go.

Cost

HomeGuide lists exterior French drains at $10 to $35 per linear foot, around $1,000 to $3,500 for a 100-foot run. Rock in the trench line and long runs to an outlet push the price up.

Signs you need drainage work

• Water standing in the yard a day after rain
• A damp or musty crawlspace
• Mulch and soil washing off beds
• Gutters overflowing or downspouts dumping beside the house
• Erosion channels on a slope

Any one of these is worth a look.

Valley lots versus mountain lots

On the clay valley floor, water ponds because it cannot soak in. On the mountain, water flows over shallow sandstone and pops out lower on the lot. The first needs collection and a long run to an outlet; the second needs interception uphill. We design for which one you have.

Maintenance

We add cleanouts so drains can be flushed. Keeping gutters clean and pop-ups clear of grass keeps a system working for years.