Drainage Correction for Foundations in McKinney
Drainage systems typically $2,500 to $6,500; quoted by the foot
Most foundation problems in Collin County are water problems first. Clay that gets wet on one side of the house and stays dry on the other moves the house. Piers can hold a foundation still. The cheaper fix, and the one that keeps piers from being needed on the next side, is making the water go where it should.
Signs your drainage is hurting the foundation
- Water standing against the house for more than a few hours after rain.
- Downspouts that end at the foundation with no extension or splash block.
- Flower beds with brick or timber borders that hold water against the slab.
- Soil pulled back from the slab edge in summer, leaving a gap you can put your hand in.
- Soil sloping toward the house, or a neighbor's lot draining onto yours.
- Mud or algae on one side of the house and dust on the other.
What we install
Surface and channel drains sit at grade and catch runoff before it soaks in. Catch basins go at low spots and under downspouts, channel drains across patios and driveways, all piped to an outlet.
French drains are gravel trenches with perforated pipe wrapped in fabric, set beside the foundation or across a slope. They collect groundwater and carry it away, and are the right fix for soil that stays saturated.
Downspout tie-ins connect every gutter outlet to solid pipe that discharges well away from the house. This single change solves more drainage problems than anything else on the list.
Regrading builds the soil up at the foundation and slopes it away, about six inches of fall in the first ten feet. Sod or beds are restored afterward.
Root barriers go between large trees and the foundation to stop roots from drying the soil under the house. The corner of a slab nearest a big tree is usually the first corner to drop, and a barrier costs less than the tree.
Gutters where there are none, or where they are too small for the roof.
The visit
The inspector walks the lot after reviewing the floor survey, if one was done. Wet and dry areas are matched to where the house has moved. Drainage is drawn on the same plan as the piers, so you see one plan for the whole problem. Work is quoted by the foot for drains and by the job for grading.
Season and timing
McKinney averages close to 40 inches of rain a year, most of it in May and October, and then goes through July and August with about two inches a month, normal highs near 96 degrees and a dozen or more days over 100. Drainage work is easiest before the wet season and after the lawn has gone dormant. It is also the job most often skipped after a pier repair, which is why some houses need a second set of piers on the other side ten years later.
Cost
Most drainage projects in McKinney run $2,500 to $6,500. Downspout extensions alone are at the bottom of the range. A full french drain along two sides with a curb outlet is at the top.
Call (972) 645-5576 while the lawn is dormant and the trench is in before the wet season.