Drainage & French Drains in Allentown, PA

Drainage work and French drains fix yards that stay soggy, basements that take on water after storms, and downspouts that dump next to the foundation. A French drain is a gravel-filled trench with perforated pipe that collects groundwater and surface water and carries it to an outlet. In Allentown the outlet is the critical part. On karst ground, the state's stormwater guidance warns against sending concentrated runoff into sinkholes, so we do not end a drain in a pit in the middle of the yard without knowing what is underneath.

Finding the cause first

Wet yards come from a few sources: surface water from a neighbor's higher lot, roof water released at the foundation, a spring or perched water over dense subsoil, or grades that have flattened over time. The fix depends on which one it is. A swale might solve surface water for far less than a French drain; extending downspouts underground solves roof water. We walk the property after or during rain when we can.

French drains and curtain drains

A curtain drain intercepts water moving downhill toward a house. A yard French drain collects water from a low area. Both are trenches lined with filter fabric, bedded with stone and fitted with perforated pipe sloped to daylight, a storm inlet where the municipality permits a connection, or a properly sized dry well. HomeGuide lists exterior French drains at $10 to $35 per linear foot and $500 to $8,800 installed on average.

Downspout lines

Allentown's 1991 to 2020 normals put precipitation at 47.36 inches a year. A modest roof sheds thousands of gallons in a heavy storm, and when all of it lands beside a foundation, it ends up in the basement or soaking the ground along the wall. Solid pipe from each downspout to an outlet away from the house is often the cheapest drainage fix there is.

Dry wells and outlets

Where there is no place to daylight a drain, a dry well can let water soak in slowly. On limestone, we site dry wells well away from foundations and size them conservatively, and we avoid them where the ground shows signs of voids. Connecting to a street storm inlet usually needs municipal approval; HomeGuide notes that permits for drainage work run $100 to $375 and more for a public storm drain connection.

Interior systems

Interior basement drains and sump pumps are a waterproofing trade of their own. We handle the exterior side, the grading, curtain drains and footing drain outlets, and we will tell you if the water problem is really one for a waterproofing contractor.