Wet yards, flooded basements, icy driveways — it's all the same problem: water with nowhere to go. French drains, curtain drains, regrading, and culverts that give it a better path. Most installs $2,000–$8,000, quoted flat.
Most wet-basement and swampy-yard problems are solved outside, with dirt. We regrade so ground pitches away from the foundation, install French and curtain drains that intercept groundwater before it reaches the house, day-light downspouts and footing drains so roof water actually leaves, and set culverts and swales that carry storm flow through the property instead of across your lawn.
The boring details are the whole job: perforated pipe in clean stone, wrapped in fabric, pitched to daylight. Do them right and the basement stays dry through spring melt.
On waterfront ground, drainage is also stewardship — controlled infiltration instead of erosion channels cutting to the water. Work in the protected shoreland or near wetlands can need NHDES permits; we flag it on the site walk and handle the paperwork side.
French/curtain drain installs typically run $2,000–$8,000 by length and depth; regrading and downspout day-lighting often less. We find where the water comes from first — then the quote is flat.
If the water is surface or shallow groundwater from uphill — usually yes: a curtain drain to intercept it plus regrading at the foundation solves it outside. If the water table itself is high, interior measures may be part of the answer, and we'll tell you which problem you actually have.
Snowmelt + flat or bowl-shaped grading + hardpan soils = standing water. The cure is a path — swales or drains that give melt somewhere to go. Most wet yards are a day or two of grading and pipe.
Possibly — earth work in the protected shoreland (250 ft from the lake) or touching wetlands can require NHDES permits. We identify it on the site walk so the job is done right and documented.
One site walk usually finds where the water comes from. Then we fix it once.
Tell us where the property is and what you’re trying to do. We’ll walk the site, talk it through, and give you a straight, flat quote.
