— Experts Who Understand Water —
Services - Designing and Installing Landscape Drainage Systems
A Professional Drainage Assessment is a comprehensive evaluation of how water moves across and beneath your property, identifying the root cause of drainage problems—not just the symptoms. Our drainage specialists evaluate grading, surface runoff, groundwater, foundation exposure, existing drainage systems, gutter discharge, and soil conditions to determine why water is collecting where it shouldn’t.
Following the assessment, we provide clear recommendations tailored to your property, explaining the problem, the reasoning behind the proposed solution, and the options available to correct it. Our goal is to design a long-lasting drainage system that protects your home’s foundation, landscaping, and outdoor living spaces while preventing future water-related damage.
A French drain is a specialized drainage system designed to intercept groundwater before it reaches your home’s foundation. Unlike a standard surface drain that only collects water on top of the ground, a properly designed French drain works below the surface by collecting water within the soil and redirecting it safely away from the structure.
The most important factor in a French drain’s performance is depth. A shallow French drain may dry out the lawn, but it does very little to relieve the groundwater and hydrostatic pressure that can damage a foundation. At Dallas Drainage Pros, our French drains are typically installed much deeper—often to footer depth—so they intercept groundwater where it matters most. Combined with proper grading, clean gravel, non-woven filter fabric, and smooth-wall PVC piping installed with a minimum 1% slope, this creates a long-lasting system designed to protect both your yard and your foundation.
For surface drainage, the goal is simple: collect water quickly and move it away from your home before it has a chance to soak into the soil. At Dallas Drainage Pros, we accomplish this by connecting catch basins and gutter downspouts into a properly designed drainage system using smooth-wall PVC sewer and drain pipe, installed with a minimum 1% slope. Just as important as the pipe itself are the correct fittings—using sweeping, directional connections instead of hard turns—so water flows efficiently and the entire system remains fully accessible for future inspection, cleaning, and maintenance.
Whenever structural support or long-term durability is especially important—such as beneath driveways, outdoor living spaces, or where future repairs would be costly—we recommend upgrading to SDR-35 PVC. Unlike corrugated pipe, smooth-wall PVC resists sagging (“bellies”), flows water more efficiently, and remains fully serviceable with a sewer camera and hydro jet. While corrugated pipe is common in residential construction, we generally avoid it because it deteriorates more quickly, is difficult to maintain, and typically requires steeper slopes than most residential properties provide.
A channel drain (also commonly called a trench drain) is the most effective way to capture large volumes of surface runoff from concrete areas such as driveways, patios, pool decks, courtyards, garages, sport courts, and commercial entrances. Rather than allowing water to sheet-flow across concrete toward your home or building, the drain intercepts it at the surface and directs it into a properly designed underground drainage system.
At Dallas Drainage Pros, we install both pre-manufactured channel drains and custom poured-in-place concrete trench drains, allowing the finished system to complement the appearance of your property while meeting the required drainage capacity. Every channel drain is connected to smooth-wall PVC sewer and drain pipe using sweeping, directional fittings and a minimum 1% slope, ensuring the system flows efficiently and remains fully serviceable for future inspection and cleaning. When structural strength is especially important, we also offer SDR-35 PVC for maximum long-term durability.
Basement waterproofing in Dallas requires much more than simply sealing a wall. The expansive clay soils and caliche bedrock common throughout North Texas create significant hydrostatic pressure, forcing water against below-grade foundations. At Dallas Drainage Pros, we take a comprehensive “belt and suspenders” approach that combines exterior waterproofing membranes, deep footer-depth French drains, drainage mat, clean gravel backfill wrapped in non-woven filter fabric, proper grading, heavy-duty SDR-35 drainage pipe, and—when needed—redundant sump pump systems. Each component works together to intercept groundwater before it reaches the structure.
Whether you’re building a new basement, waterproofing an existing one, or addressing water intrusion through foundation walls, our goal is to manage the water—not simply hide the leak. Every waterproofing system is custom-designed for the property, with all SDR-35 piping installed using sweeping directional fittings and a minimum 1% slope so the entire system remains fully serviceable for future inspection and maintenance. The result is a long-term waterproofing solution engineered specifically for the challenging soil conditions found throughout the Dallas area.
Proper grading is the foundation of every successful drainage system. Before water can be collected by catch basins or French drains, it must first be directed where you want it to go. At Dallas Drainage Pros, we recommend maintaining at least 4 inches of visible foundation, creating a 5% slope away from the home, and ensuring runoff flows toward a drainage system or swale with a minimum 1% overall slope to a suitable discharge point.
Grading and erosion control often go hand in hand. If soil is washing downhill during heavy rains, the sediment can clog drainage systems, bury catch basins, and reduce the effectiveness of gravel around French drains. By combining proper grading with drainage and erosion control measures, we create systems that not only move water efficiently but continue performing reliably for years to come.
A sump pump system is used when gravity alone cannot carry water away from a drainage or waterproofing system. This is common with basement waterproofing, deep footer-depth French drains, and other situations where the discharge point is higher than the water being collected. Because a sump pump becomes the heart of the drainage system, proper design and installation are just as important as the pump itself.
At Dallas Drainage Pros, every sump pump system is designed for the specific application. For many residential drainage projects, a properly installed single-pump system provides years of dependable service. However, for basement waterproofing systems or situations where flooding could result in significant damage, we recommend a dedicated sump basin serving the groundwater drainage system alone, equipped with dual pumps, independent float switches, and a high-water alarm for redundancy and early warning. Whenever possible, surface water is managed separately by gravity, reducing the workload on the pumps and improving long-term reliability.
We stand by our design standards so much that, with a maintenance contract, we will warranty our pump systems for up to 10 years – that’s 7 years longer than the manufacturer’s warranty!
A drainage system is only as good as its maintenance. At Dallas Drainage Pros, our Drain Maintenance Division specializes in drain cleaning, drainage inspections, hydro jetting, sewer camera inspections, sump pump maintenance, and preventative service contracts for residential and commercial properties throughout the Dallas area. Regular maintenance removes sediment, roots, and debris before they become costly problems, while allowing us to identify damaged piping, poor drainage performance, or developing issues before they lead to flooding or foundation damage.
Every maintenance visit is designed to do more than simply clean a drain. Our technicians flush drainage lines with a professional hydro jet machine, inspect the entire system with a sewer camera, document the condition of the piping, and provide recommendations if repairs or improvements are needed. We also offer recurring maintenance plans that include scheduled inspections, discounted service rates, and extended warranty options for qualifying Dallas Drainage Pros drainage and waterproofing systems. By keeping your drainage system clean, accessible, and fully functional, we help protect your investment and extend the life of your drainage infrastructure.
If the slope of your yard is the issue, and water heads straight for your home or washes away the soil every time it rains, a retaining wall might be a part of the solution. What a retaining wall provides is a level yard that makes water management possible. Oftentimes, we design a system that involves regrading of the yard (with a retaining wall) with drainage installed strategically to pick up water in stages.
Our team of drainage professionals, also brings a level of expertise in masonry work that allows them to create a landscape feature which not only functions as its supposed to, but also looks great on your property.
Whatever your drainage problem, we’ve got you covered. We are local drainage professionals in the Dallas area, providing quality solutions to landscape drainage issues. Whether it is installing a French drain or sump pump, cleaning an existing system, or designing an erosion solution, we will leave you confident that your property will withstand the next Dallas downpour!