Logo of Capstone

How To Prepare For An Exterior Drainage Project

Congratulations! You have taken the first step to water management around your foundation and yard. 

Let’s face it; water can be a nuisance for homeowners, whether it’s water that pools in your yard for a few days after a rainstorm, the yard stays muddy, unusable or those black pipes on your lawn to keep water away from the foundation. 

Here are five steps to get ready for your exterior water management project.

Leading water away from home with a white gutter

#1. Make sure it's safe to dig

Before digging, we must have notified MISS Utility, who marks where the water, sewer, gas, electric, cable, and FiOS lines are buried underground. 

MISS Utility has 72 hours to mark the lines once the ticket is opened for their services. Please ensure that MISS Utility has access to your yard’s front, back, and sides. 

The yard should be pet-free (unless supervised) during the 72-hour window.

After MISS Utility has marked all the lines, the digging phase of the project is ready to get started. 

Marking the water and electricity lines

#2. Get The Area Ready

Day one of the digging phase, please ensure access to the front, back, sides of your yard as well as your driveway. 

Access to the front or backwater spigots and an electrical source would be helpful.

We’ll make a schedule of when it’s best for us to arrive to your place, which days, and when do we leave. We’ll respect the schedule we agreed on, and we’ll do everything in our power to finish the project according to our plans.

Don’t worry about any mess, as we’ll work organized and we’ll clean the work site after every day.

Contractor working

#2. Get The Area Ready

Day one of the digging phase, please ensure access to the front, back, sides of your yard as well as your driveway. 

Access to the front or backwater spigots and an electrical source would be helpful.

We’ll make a schedule of when it’s best for us to arrive to your place, which days, and when do we leave. We’ll respect the schedule we agreed on, and we’ll do everything in our power to finish the project according to our plans.

Don’t worry about any mess, as we’ll work organized and we’ll clean the work site after every day.

Marking the water and electricity lines

#3. Material Selections​

Now the fun begins: We will deliver materials, i.e., drains, drain pipe, stone, and concrete.

We’ll also discuss your preferences for sump pumps, waterproofing paint, and any other aspect of the project concerning materials and budget.

The first shovel goes into the ground, and you are well on your way to properly managing the water in your yard!

Contractor digging trench

#4. You're Ready!​

This is it! Our work is over, but please allow some time for the new concrete to dry out. It usually takes three to four days of curing time, but it’s best to check every time you’re about to step on it.

We’ll be available for follow-ups and any potential issues that appeared after our work. If they’re included in our workmanship warranty, we’ll fix everything free of charge.

Contractor working on waterproofing a basement