Drainage and French Drain Installation

My Neighbor's Yard Turned Into a Pond

Last summer, my neighbor Joe called me in a panic after one of those surprise Gulf Coast rainstorms hit. His backyard, once full of St. Augustine grass and weekend barbecues, had turned into a swamp. His dog wouldn’t go out, and the mosquitoes showed up like it was their new home. Joe lives just off Westheimer near the Beltway, and he’s not alone—bad drainage is a big deal all over Houston.

It’s not just about soggy grass. Poor drainage messes with your foundation, kills your lawn, and turns nice yards into mosquito farms. A lot of folks think sprinklers or landscaping will fix it, but if the water’s got nowhere to go, none of that helps.

Why Drainage in Houston Is So Bad

If you live anywhere near the Heights, Katy, Sugar Land, or Spring Branch, you already know—Houston clay doesn’t play nice with water. It swells and holds onto it like a sponge. Mix that with flat land and sudden storms? You’ve got yourself standing water every time it rains.

And it rains a lot. We’re not just talking big storms either—just a couple inches in an afternoon can wreck your lawn if there’s no proper drainage system in place.

What Happens When You Ignore Drainage

A customer over in Meyerland told me his sod kept dying. At first, he thought it was a sprinkler problem. Turned out his yard was draining water toward the house. He had water pooling under the windows every time it rained.

His foundation started shifting. Fixing that cost him way more than a proper drainage system ever would’ve. Now he's got a French drain installed, and he hasn’t had a single issue since.

What Is a French Drain Anyway?

Think of a French drain like a hidden gutter under your lawn. It’s a trench filled with gravel and a pipe that pulls water away from your home and sends it somewhere safe—like the street or a drainage ditch.

It’s not flashy, and you’ll barely see it once it’s in. But it works. It’s the go-to fix in neighborhoods like Garden Oaks, River Oaks, and the Energy Corridor where lawns slope just enough to send water the wrong way.

How We Help With Drainage in Houston

We’ve been working on drainage problems all across Houston for years. Every yard’s a little different, but the goal is always the same: keep water moving and keep it away from your house.

Some fixes we use:

• French drains (great for heavy clay soils)
• Catch basins (for pooling around patios or low spots)
• Downspout extensions (you’d be surprised how often gutters cause the problem)
• Grading and sloping (to direct water where you want it to go)

We’ve worked on yards in Midtown where concrete takes up half the space, and out in Cypress where folks have sprawling grass that needs serious slope control.

Common Drainage Questions We Hear

“Is it really that big of a deal?”
Yep. Standing water kills grass, breeds mosquitoes, and damages your home.

“How much does it cost?”
Depends on your yard. We’ve done small installs for under $1,000 and big drainage systems for over $5,000. But the earlier you catch it, the cheaper it is.

“Will it mess up my lawn?”
We’re careful and safe before any excavation we contact 811, three days prior to excavating. We install everything with as little impact as possible. And we help your grass bounce back after.

“Can I DIY it?”
You can try. But we’ve been called out to fix a lot of DIY jobs where the water just moved from one part of the yard to another.

Houston’s Weather Doesn’t Care About Your Lawn

Hurricane season, flash floods, and random afternoon showers—Houston gets it all. And with more neighborhoods popping up every year, the city’s drainage systems are getting stretched thin.

When we install drainage in places like Pearland, Memorial, or Jersey Village, we’re thinking long-term. We look at city drainage maps, nearby elevations, and even where your neighbor’s water is going. (Yeah, it can end up in your yard.)

Real Talk From the Field

One of my favorite jobs was in Bellaire. The homeowners had just redone their landscaping—brand new beds, nice stone edging, and a fresh sod lawn. A week later? Rain hit. Water backed up right into the flower beds, and the mulch washed away.

We got called in fast. Installed a French drain right under the new beds with catch basins. Now, even when it pours, the water’s gone within minutes. Their lawn stayed green, and they didn’t lose another dollar on landscaping washouts.

Keeping It Real: How We Write Our Drainage Plans

We don’t just show up with a shovel. Our team checks:

• The slope of your yard 
• Soil type (Houston has a mix, but clay’s the biggest problem)
• Where the water is coming from and where it should go
• Any sprinkler or irrigation systems that might be making it worse

We also keep an eye on city codes. Places like Pasadena or Kingwood have different rules about where drainage water can go.

Don’t Wait for the Next Storm

If your yard's already showing signs of drainage issues—puddles, mushy spots, soggy roots—it’s not going to fix itself. Especially not in Houston.

Give us a call or text. We’re local, we know the dirt (literally), and we’ve helped folks from Montrose to Missouri City fix their yards for good.

Want to learn more about drainage in Houston or French drain installation?
Check out Houston Public Works for more info on local water and drainage updates.

Need help fast? Give Ava Landscape a call or text 832-651-4072.
Let’s stop the swamp before it spreads. Your lawn will thank you.