Drainage · Grading · French Drains
Yard Drainage in Lake Charles & Southwest Louisiana
Heavy rain on flat, clay-heavy ground leaves water standing in yards and on patios across Southwest Louisiana. We find where the water wants to go, build a system that carries it away, and finish the yard so it looks better than before.
How We Fix Drainage Problems
Grading and resloping
We shoot grades with a laser and reshape the ground so water moves away from your home, patio, and slab instead of settling in low spots.
French drains and drain pipe
Buried pipe and gravel collect water below the surface and carry it to a safe outlet, out of sight once the lawn is restored.
Dry creek beds
River rock channels over landscape fabric move water across the yard and double as an attractive landscape feature.
Gutter installation
We catch roof water before it hits the ground and send it where it belongs instead of pooling along your foundation.
A safe place for the water to go
We route water to a swale, ditch, or other suitable discharge point so it leaves your yard instead of moving to another low spot.
Finish work
Sod, rock, edging, and plantings so the finished yard looks intentional, not dug up.
Featured Project: Holmwood Backyard Rebuild
The problem
Rainwater was sitting on this Holmwood property and pooling on the concrete patio.
Grading and drainage
We shot grades with a laser during excavation and graded the base soil toward a new drain pipe. Then we laid fabric and built a dry creek bed with river rock and boulders along the edge to carry water away from the patio, and sloped the rest of the ground toward the gravel. The water runs through a bored pipe under the concrete parking area to a swale on the property line that leads to a drainage ditch.
The finish (about one week)
While the ground was open, we repaired and replaced irrigation valves and the main line manifold, added underground and drip irrigation, installed pavestone edging, and laid fresh sod. The water now has a path off the property, and the yard is finished.
Drainage Questions We Hear Often
Who will be doing the work?
Lawson Landscaping was founded in 2007 and is led by owner Nick Lawson, who holds a degree in landscape design. We are licensed in horticulture, landscape contracting, and landscape design, and one team handles drainage, grading, irrigation, sod, and finish landscaping.
What areas do you serve?
Lake Charles, Moss Bluff, Sulphur, Westlake, Iowa, Carlyss, Prien, Bell City, Holmwood, and surrounding Southwest Louisiana communities.
Do I need a French drain or just regrading?
It depends on where the water comes from and where it can go. Sometimes reshaping the slope is enough; other times water has to be collected and piped away. We look at the whole property before recommending a solution.
Where does the water go?
To a suitable outlet, such as a swale, ditch, or other discharge point, so it leaves your yard instead of moving to another low spot.
Will you tear up my whole yard?
We plan the route to limit disruption, and we finish every job with sod, rock, or plantings so the yard is restored.
Can you handle irrigation while the ground is open?
Yes. On the Holmwood project we repaired valves and the main line manifold and added underground and drip irrigation during the same job.