Yard Drainage Solutions in Shreveport, LA: Fix Standing Water in Your Yard
Standing water in the yard days after it rains. A backyard that floods every storm. A side yard you cannot mow because it never dries. We fix yard drainage in Shreveport and Bossier City: we work out where the water comes from and where it can go, then build the mix of French drain, catch basin, downspout pipe and regrading that gets it off your lawn for good. Yard drainage contractors who look at the whole yard, not one trench. Call (318) 216-6513 for a free look and a written price.
Why yards in Shreveport hold water
Two things, and most houses have both. The lots are flat, so rain has nowhere to run. And the ground is heavy clay that takes water in so slowly that a hard storm drops more in an hour than the soil absorbs in a day. The water sits on top until it evaporates or finds the lowest spot, which is the lawn, the bed against the house, or the crawl space. Then the gutters add the whole roof's worth of water to the same yard, usually right next to the foundation.
So the fix is never more topsoil or more grass seed. The fix is an outlet: somewhere the water can leave, and a path that gets it there. On most Shreveport lots that is a ditch, the street drain, a dry well, or a low corner of the lot away from the house. Once we know where the water can go, choosing the drains is the easy part.
The yard drainage solutions that work here
French drain. A gravel trench with perforated pipe that collects water spread across a lawn or along the house and carries it to the outlet. The standard fix for a lawn that stays soggy. Full detail on the French drain installation page.
Catch basin or channel drain. A grated box where water pools at one low spot, or a channel across a driveway or patio, piped to the outlet. For water that collects in one place rather than spreading. See catch basins and channel drains.
Downspouts piped underground. On a lot of houses the roof is most of the problem. Solid pipe from each downspout to the outlet takes that water out of the yard entirely. See downspout drainage.
Regrading. Reshaping the ground so it falls away from the house and toward the outlet. The permanent fix when the yard slopes the wrong way or has settled next to the slab. See regrading.
Sump pump. When there is no downhill at all, water has to be lifted out. A pit at the low point with a pump and a discharge line. See sump pump installation.
Most yards need two of these. A typical Shreveport job is downspouts piped underground plus one French drain through the wet part of the lawn, both running to the same outlet. That is one trench system, one visit, one price.
How a yard drainage job works
1. Call and describe it. Where the water sits, how long it stays, whether it is in the lawn, against the house, or under it, and whether the gutters run into the same area. Ten minutes on the phone usually tells us what kind of job it is.
2. Someone walks the yard. Best done after rain. We check the levels, find where the water collects and where it can leave, and look at the downspouts. On a flat lot this is the whole diagnosis, and it is why we do not quote over the phone.
3. A written quote. What goes in, where each run goes, where the water comes out, and the price.
4. The work. Trenches cut, pipe and gravel in, basins set, downspouts connected, outlet finished, lawn put back on top. One to two days for a single drain, three to five for a whole-yard system.
5. The first rain. That is the test. If any part of the yard is not draining the way the quote said it would, call and we come back.
What a yard drainage system costs in Shreveport
A single French drain is $1,500 to $6,000. A catch basin or channel drain is $800 to $3,500. Downspouts piped underground are $500 to $2,500. A whole-yard system that combines several of those is $2,500 to $10,000. What moves the number is the size of the yard, how many runs it takes, how far the outlet is, and what is in the way: tree roots, a slab, a fence, a driveway to go under. Every price on the site is on the Shreveport drainage cost page.
Prices on this page are estimates from previous work. We cannot quote an exact price. The actual cost can be lower or higher depending on the job. The person who knows is the professional who will do the work. You get a written quote after we see the house.
Before you buy a yard drainage kit
Most of the failed drains we dig up in Shreveport were done by hand with a kit from the hardware store, and they failed for the same two reasons: no fall, so the water sat in the pipe, and no real outlet, so the trench filled and stayed full. The pipe and gravel are the cheap part of a drain; the measured fall and the outlet are the job. If you want to try it yourself first, the guides below explain what is actually involved: why does my yard flood, French drain vs yard drain, and drainage and Louisiana clay soil.
Related services
Yard drainage questions
How do I fix standing water in my yard?
Give the water a way out. On a flat Shreveport lot that usually means a French drain through the wet area or a catch basin at the low spot, piped to a ditch, the street drain or a low corner away from the house. If the water comes from the gutters, piping the downspouts underground is the first fix. If there is no downhill anywhere, a sump pump lifts it out. The on-site look tells us which.
How much does a yard drainage system cost in Shreveport?
A single French drain is $1,500 to $6,000. A catch basin or channel drain is $800 to $3,500. A whole-yard system that combines several of those is $2,500 to $10,000. The size of the yard, how far the outlet is and what is in the way move the number. You get a written price after someone has walked the yard.
Why does my backyard flood every time it rains?
Most lots here are flat and sit on heavy clay that soaks water up very slowly. A hard rain drops more water in an hour than the ground takes in a day, so it sits until it evaporates or finds a low spot. Add a downspout dumping roof water into the same yard and it floods every time. The fix is an outlet, not more grass seed.
Can I fix yard drainage myself?
Small things, yes: extend the downspouts, fill an obvious low spot. A French drain or catch basin needs a measured fall and a real outlet, and the ones we dig up that were done by hand usually failed for lack of one or the other. Our guides explain what is involved so you can decide.
How long does a yard drainage job take?
A single French drain or catch basin is one to two days. A whole-yard system with several drains, downspout pipes and a regrade is usually three to five. The lawn is put back over the trenches when we finish.
Do you do yard drainage in Bossier City?
Yes. Shreveport, Bossier City, Haughton, Benton, Blanchard, Greenwood, Stonewall and Keithville. Call (318) 216-6513.
Ready to fix the standing water in your yard?
Call (318) 216-6513 for a free look at the yard. Written price, no obligation.