Service · Drainage
Yard drainage and grading — Chicagoland.
Regrade, drain-tile, and discharge-to-grade routing — fix the cause, not the symptom, so water leaves the property where it should.
What's included
What's included
A drainage scope at Kings is one job — assess the site, name the right fix (regrade vs drain-tile vs surface drain), route the discharge to grade, and restore the surface so the fix doesn't read as a scar.
- · Site assessment: where water is going, where it should be going, and what's in the way (grade, soil compaction, downspout discharge, sump-pit re-route)
- · Regrade vs surface-drain vs drain-tile decision called out at consultation — different problems, different fixes
- · Drain-tile installation where the answer is below-grade routing: trench, perforated pipe, washed stone, fabric, backfill — to a defined discharge point
- · Downspout extensions buried into the drain-tile system or routed to a discharge-to-grade outlet — not just "out into the lawn"
- · Sump-pit re-route where the existing discharge is dumping back into the foundation drainage zone
- · Final regrade and turf or planting restoration so the fix doesn't read as a scar
[confirm-with-sean — drainage hero image; existing 3 case studies unlikely to feature drainage as a hero subject]
Our approach
How we think about drainage
-
Discharge-to-grade routing, every time
Water exits at a defined point with positive slope away. The most common reason a "fixed" drainage problem isn't fixed is that the system was installed and the discharge was never routed.
-
Right fix for the right problem
Regrade is the right answer when the problem is surface flow and slope. Drain-tile is the right answer when water is sitting in saturated subsoil. Surface drain is the right answer when the problem is a localized low-spot. Three different problems, three different fixes.
-
Downspouts buried at the source
Roof runoff handled into the drain-tile system or to a routed discharge. Extending downspouts into the lawn surface is a common DIY pattern that just moves the ponding 8 feet.
How we work
Three steps, water tells the answer
- Step 01
Consultation
Free, on-site. We walk the property after rain when possible — water tells you the answer if you watch it.
- Step 02
Design
Regrade plan, drain-tile run, discharge point, downspout-tie-in, sump re-route, restoration plan — declared up front.
- Step 03
Install + restore
Trenched, piped, backfilled, regraded, restored. Final walk-through after the next rain to confirm the discharge runs.
Solve site drainage problems
Want the water gone, not hidden?
Discharge-to-grade routing, every time. Three problems, three fixes — we scope the right one at consultation.
Request a free consultationCommon questions
Drainage FAQ
Why does water still pond after a previous "fix"?
Most common reason: the system was installed but the discharge was never routed. Water collects in the drain-tile and has nowhere to go. We fix this by routing every drain-tile run to a defined discharge-to-grade point.
Regrade, drain-tile, or surface drain — which one do I need?
Different problems. Regrade fixes surface-flow and slope issues. Drain-tile fixes saturated subsoil. Surface drain fixes localized low-spots. We scope which one fits at the consultation walk — typically after rain.
Will the install destroy our lawn?
Trenching is invasive but restored. Final regrade and turf or planting restoration is part of the scope — the fix shouldn't read as a scar after the first growing season.
Can drainage be combined with other landscape work?
Yes — and it usually should. Drainage is most often scoped alongside hardscape, planting, or grading work. Coordinating the dig means one disturbance, one restoration, one timeline.
Begin a conversation
Solve your drainage problem with us.
Free, on-site consultation across DuPage, Cook, and Will Counties. We walk the property after rain when possible — water tells you the answer.