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LostDefectivePearl t1_j8e2iun wrote

There is an industry. It sounds like you may need some French drains installed. It’s incredibly common because much of the soil around here is clay.

You can learn to do this yourself, it’s not very challenging but it is dirty and physically taxing. To be successful you will need to be able to solidly assess the grade of your lawn and see where the drain should empty. It will definitely be easier to call a pro.

If you want to go all out and tear up your whole backyard, you can have it regraded. You’ll very likely still need a French drain after regrading. Depending on your yard, you may be able to get away with a rain garden or dry creek bed. There’s a lot of options (with a range of prices and visual outcomes) but it will come down to your yard and your budget.

A hardscaper will definitely be able to do this, a landscaper will likely be able to as well.

If you are seeing strange wet patches when it has not rained, you probably have a leak in your irrigation system.

Edit: wait, I’ve dug up a ton of poorly installed French drains. A French drain must be wrapped in geotextile or it will fill up with sediment much faster (French drains will fail eventually when this occurs). Ask how a French drain is installed. If they don’t mention geotextile/non woven soil filter fabric, ask about it. (“How do we prevent it from filling up with dirt that washes in over time? Is there some kind of filter fabric to prevent that?”) If they tell you it’s not necessary, thank them for their time and call the next person.

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techknee OP t1_j8e3dds wrote

thanks for all the information. Gives me a lot to work off of moving forward in terms of research.

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LostDefectivePearl t1_j8e5pm3 wrote

I added a tip about how to quickly rule out someone trying to make a quick buck. To be clear a poorly installed French drain will work for a few years, it will just fail a lot faster without filter fabric.

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healthyBabyBoy t1_j8ezn9w wrote

what happens when they fail? they just dont transport water away from the house well? i have a feeling mine is kinda jacked up from idiots driving over the french drain line thats not super deep

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LostDefectivePearl t1_j8f1ukk wrote

When they fail they just drain water a lot slower or not at all, like they’re not even there. When I dig up a failed French drain I expect that it does not have filter fabric around it.

Depending on how deep the French drain is buried, it could definitely just be smushed under there. If you have access to one side of the pipe (like a downspout for example) you can use a hose and see if you can flush anything out.

Luckily if it was installed well, it’s really doable for a homeowner to replace a short segment.

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healthyBabyBoy t1_j8flkyt wrote

I have seen the plastic corrigated tubing, so it is probably not covered in a fabric or very deep. I am not sure if mine is failing yet but i could see dirt getting in where the line has been crushed a bit. I'll give the hose a try

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techknee OP t1_j8e5w5f wrote

yeah it’s tough to decide what to do since i’m renting, but in charge of the yard work. I really am only trying to lower the pooling of water so that I can do things with my dog in the backyard without them being covered in mud / soaking wet. Thank you again.

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LostDefectivePearl t1_j8e9u9y wrote

Oh that’s a bummer, these solutions can get really pricey with a pro, unfortunately I have no idea on that end but my guess is not less than $1500 for the most absolute basic tiny French drain (and your yard sounds complicated, sorry to say) I would contact your landlord because this work is beyond what you should be required to do.

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BlueXTC t1_j8hpi2a wrote

Yard work would not include lot drain system. That is a landlord issue and I would discuss the solution with them as you cannot use the backyard due to drain issues. Yard duties are trimming, grass cutting, bush and tree maintenance but per code of HOA, county or city, not drainage issues.

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