Frequently Asked Questions

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.

It gives groundwater an easier path. Water in saturated soil can move into a gravel trench, enter a perforated pipe, and travel to an outlet instead of sitting in the lawn.

The drain only works if collected water can leave. An outlet that points back toward the house, a neighbor’s yard, or another low spot can recreate the original problem.