Drainage & perimeter drains

Drainage that handles a BC winter

A damp crawlspace, a driveway that floods, a lawn that squelches until May. That's water with nowhere to go. We install and replace the drainage that moves it away from the house.

01The problem

What goes in the trench

Most drainage problems show up between October and January, when months of rain land on clay that stopped absorbing anything weeks earlier. By the time water is in the crawlspace, the drains have usually been failing quietly for years.

  • Perimeter drain replacement and installation. Excavate to the footing, new pipe, filter fabric and clean drain rock, backfilled properly.
  • French drains. For wet lawns, low spots that never dry, and ground that slopes toward the house.
  • Yard and landscape drainage. Catch basins, channel drains and regrading to move standing water off the property.
  • Culverts and ditching. Driveway culverts and roadside ditches, common on rural and acreage lots.
  • Downspout tie-ins. Roof water routed into the system instead of dumped at the foundation.
  • Drainage for new work. Ground work alongside excavation, driveways and retaining walls.

One thing we won't do is sell you a full perimeter drain replacement when the real problem is a crushed section of pipe or a downspout emptying into a flowerbed. We look first, then tell you what's failing and what it takes to fix it.

Request a quote

Two minutes, tops. We read every one ourselves.

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02The fix

Look first, dig second

1

Find the problem

We walk the property and trace the existing system before quoting anything. You get a straight answer on what's failing instead of a one-size quote for whatever might be down there.

2

Dig and install

Utilities located first. Trench cut to proper depth and slope, pipe bedded in drain rock and wrapped in filter fabric so it doesn't silt up in five years.

3

Put it back

Backfill compacted and the surface regraded so it doesn't slump next winter. We plan the dig around what you want kept: established beds, walkways, mature trees.

Perimeter drain excavation by Clearway Site Services
Built for November.
Perimeter drains, recent job
03Clay and rain

A clay and rain problem

Clay soil, long wet season

Much of the Lower Mainland sits on clay that sheds water sideways and barely absorbs any of it. Once the ground saturates in fall, every low spot and blocked pipe shows itself, usually at your foundation.

Old drains, modern rain

Plenty of homes still run on pipe that cracked, shifted, back-sloped or filled with roots decades ago. Replacement means modern PVC or big-O, laid at the right slope in proper rock.

Rural and acreage properties

Rocky lots and ditch-drained rural roads call for culverts, ditching and surface drainage more than deep trenching. Details on the service area page.

Covered, on every job

Insured and WorkSafeBC covered. Rules for storm connections and drainage tie-ins vary by municipality, so we check what your city requires before we dig.

04Common questions

Common questions

How do I know my perimeter drains are failing?
A damp or musty crawlspace, stains on the basement wall, water pooling against the foundation after rain, a sump that runs all winter. Any one of these is worth a look. All of them together means the system isn't doing its job.
Do perimeter drains need replacing, or just cleaning?
Depends on what's down there. A drain that's silted but intact can often be flushed. Pipe that's cracked, crushed, back-sloped or full of roots has to come out. Replacement is the bigger job and we don't recommend it unless the pipe is actually done.
When is the best time of year for drainage work?
Late spring through early fall. The ground is drier, trenches hold their shape, and the system is in and settled before the rain comes back. If there's water in the house now, don't wait for perfect weather. We work year-round and can stage an urgent fix ahead of the fuller repair.
Will my yard survive the dig?
There's no invisible way to trench around a foundation, so some disruption is part of the job. What we control is how much. We plan the route around what you want kept and hold the trench footprint tight, then backfill and regrade so the yard recovers instead of sinking next winter.
What does drainage work cost?
It depends what's failing. A crushed section near the surface is a small dig; a full perimeter replacement is an excavation project. The free look tells us which one you have, and the price follows from that.

Water where it shouldn't be?

Tell us what you're seeing and we'll come look. You'll get a straight answer on what's actually failing, and what it takes to fix it.

Request a quote
Call or text (604) 603-7266