French Drain Installation
Subsurface drainage for recurring saturation where intercepting and redirecting water is appropriate.
French Drain Installation
Portland, Maine • Cumberland County, Maine
French Drain & Yard Drainage Solutions in Portland, Maine
Wet lawns, standing water, runoff and poorly routed downspouts can leave parts of a property saturated long after the rain stops. Portland French Drains focuses on exterior drainage solutions designed around how water is actually moving across the property.
- Exterior French
Drains - Stop Standing
Water - Yard Drainage
Planning
Yard Drainage Problems We Solve
Start with what you can see. The wet spot is the symptom; the useful next step is matching it to the right exterior drainage approach.
Exterior Drainage Services
The right solution depends on how water reaches the wet area and where it can leave. These six services cover exterior yard drainage only.
Yard Drainage
Broader diagnosis and drainage planning for standing water, runoff and chronically wet areas.
Yard DrainageFrench Drain Repair
Existing drains that no longer move water effectively, appear clogged, damaged or incorrectly routed.
French Drain RepairCatch Basins & Surface Drains
Collect surface water at low points and route it away through underground drainage.
Catch Basins & Surface DrainsDownspout Drainage
Move roof runoff away from discharge points that repeatedly saturate the same area.
Downspout DrainageGrading & Swales
Use surface contours and shallow drainage paths where reshaping water movement is more appropriate than relying only on underground drainage.
Grading & SwalesWhat Kind of Drainage Does the Property Actually Need?
The visible puddle is the symptom. The useful question is where the water comes from, how it moves across the property and where it can be directed. Not every wet yard needs the same system, and this page cannot diagnose a specific lot from a description.
- French Drain
- French Drain Repair
- Surface Drain / Catch Basin
- Downspout Drainage
- Grading & Swales
- Combination Approach
Service Area
Serving Portland, South Portland, Scarborough, Cape Elizabeth, Falmouth, Westbrook, Gorham and Yarmouth. See our service area for additional Cumberland County communities.
Service areas
Portland, MESouth Portland, MEScarborough, MECape Elizabeth, MEFalmouth, MEWestbrook, MEGorham, MEYarmouth, ME
Additional communities served
Windham, ME · Cumberland, ME · Freeport, ME · Standish, ME · Gray, ME · North Yarmouth, ME
Homeowner Drainage Guides
French Drain vs.
Catch Basin
French Drain vs. Catch Basin French Drain vs.
Grading
French Drain vs. Grading Where Does Drain
Water Go?
Where Does Drain Water Go? Why Water Keeps
Pooling
Why Water Keeps Pooling Diagnose a
Soggy Yard
Diagnose a Soggy Yard Yard Drainage FAQs
A catch basin collects water you can see at a grate. A French drain collects water already in the soil through a gravel trench. They solve different parts of a wet-yard problem, and some properties need both.
No. If water is sitting on the surface in a low spot, a surface drain or a grade change may be the more direct first step. A French drain is for saturation in the soil, and only if the collected water has a place to go.
Yes, when a solid line can carry roof runoff farther from the house to an appropriate outlet. That is downspout drainage, not a French drain. The right connection depends on slope, the volume of roof water, and where that water can leave the lot.
Yes. If runoff is traveling the wrong way or ponding in a dish because of the shape of the ground, changing the slope or adding a swale can be the better first move. A trench under a reverse slope still has to fight incoming surface water.
Often the first question is why it stopped working: a buried outlet, separated pipe, clogged stone, or a landscape change. Repair is not always a new trench next to the old one. The existing system should be inspected before assuming a replacement.
A visible puddle usually means water is stuck on the surface: a low spot, a blocked path, compacted ground that soaks slowly, or concentrated discharge from a downspout or pavement. The cause is judged on the property, not from a city name.
Collected water needs a lower, appropriate outlet on the property — or another exterior drain that already has a working exit. This site does not tell homeowners to dump water onto a neighbor’s lot, a public street, or a storm drain from a webpage. Outlet options are reviewed with the yard.
Yes. We serve Portland and nearby Cumberland County communities including South Portland, Scarborough, Cape Elizabeth, Falmouth, Westbrook, Gorham and Yarmouth. Additional communities are listed on the service-areas page.
Get Drainage Help
Tell us about your drainage problem and we’ll get you the right solution. Call 207-870-9502 if you would rather talk now.
Portland, Maine Exterior Drainage
French drains, yard drainage, and related exterior solutions.
