Oakwood surveys the actual flow across your property, then designs a gravity discharge path that keeps water moving to a safe outfall. We build drains that survive clay movement and keep working long after cheaper installs silt up and fail.
Drainage problems we solve
- Standing water or mud that lingers for days after rain
- Water pooling against the slab or under the house
- Soggy low spots that kill grass and breed mosquitoes
- Downspouts dumping water right next to the foundation
- Erosion channels, washouts, or exposed tree roots
- A neighbor's runoff crossing onto your lot
How we design and build drainage
We start with elevations. Using the natural grade and problem areas you point out, we map where water enters, collects, and needs to exit. In expansive clay, discharge and slope matter more than pipe diameter — so we design a continuous fall to daylight or a suitable outfall and avoid low spots where silt collects.
Trenches are cut to line and grade, wrapped in filter fabric to keep clay fines out, bedded in washed gravel, and fitted with rigid perforated PVC — not flimsy corrugated 'slinky' pipe that crushes and clogs. Catch basins collect surface water at the worst pooling points, downspouts are tied in where it helps, and we finish with sod or gravel so the yard looks intact.
- On-site elevation and runoff survey
- Rigid perforated PVC in a fabric-and-gravel envelope
- Catch basins and channel drains at key collection points
- Downspout tie-ins and pop-up emitters
- Gravity discharge to a safe, legal outfall
- Full turf/bed restoration after backfill
Why Blackland clay needs a different approach
Vertisol clay is the reason so many Central Texas drainage jobs fail within a season. The soil's shrink-swell cycle can shear a poorly bedded pipe, and clay fines will pack a drain solid if it isn't filtered correctly. Our envelope detail — fabric, washed stone, and rigid pipe — is built specifically to resist both problems.
Because saturated clay is also what pushes foundations around, keeping water away from the slab isn't just about a dry yard; it protects the most expensive thing on your property. Where beds sit against the house, we can pair drainage with dedicated foundation watering so moisture stays even year-round.
How drainage protects your foundation
In Round Rock, the biggest cost of poor drainage isn't a soggy lawn — it's the slab. Blackland clay is a vertisol that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, and when water repeatedly pools against the foundation, that shrink-swell cycle heaves and cracks the slab beneath the most expensive thing you own.
Moving storm water away from the house keeps perimeter soil moisture more stable, which is exactly what a foundation needs. We route French drains and catch basins to pull water off the structure and carry it to daylight, and where beds sit against the slab we can pair drainage with dedicated foundation watering so the clay never swings between saturated and bone-dry. It is far cheaper to control water than to pay for foundation repair after the clay has already moved.
What Affects the Cost
We don't post fake prices — every job is different. Here's what goes into an honest, written estimate:
- Linear feet of drain line and number of catch basins
- Depth and how far water must travel to a safe outfall
- Excavation difficulty in dense clay or shallow rock
- Whether downspouts and sump discharge are tied in
- Sod, gravel, or bed restoration after backfill
- Any regrading or swale work needed to correct slope
Every drainage plan is quoted after an on-site elevation survey. Researched local benchmarks put a typical residential French drain around $3,100, but your scope and grade set the real number.
Why Round Rock Homeowners Choose Oakwood for French Drains & Yard Drainage
Plenty of contractors will quote this work. Here's what you get with a licensed local crew that does it every week across Central Texas:
- Every drain is designed off an on-site elevation survey and a gravity discharge path to a safe, legal outfall.
- We build with rigid perforated PVC in a filter-fabric-and-gravel envelope, never crush-prone corrugated slinky pipe.
- Our envelope detail is engineered for Blackland clay shrink-swell, so drains keep flowing instead of silting solid.
- Licensed, insured, and BBB Accredited, with roughly 15 years of Central Texas drainage experience behind every install.
French Drains & Yard Drainage Across Round Rock & Central Texas
We're based in Round Rock and provide french drains & yard drainage throughout Williamson and Travis counties and the surrounding region — from Round Rock, Pflugerville, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Hutto, and Brushy Creek. Because we know each area's soil, drainage, and code, the work is engineered for your specific property — not a generic template. See every community we cover on our service areas page, or call (323) 606-0255 for a free on-site estimate.
