Outdoor Drainage Project Example
Regrading around a house in Minneapolis and adding a side yard swale Fix a Wet Basement Problem
Real Life Example of a Basement Water Problem We Solved
Intro
A homeowner in St. Anthony, part of Minneapolis, MN, contacted us with a concerning issue of water seeping into their basement. The homeowner noticed dampness and small pools of water accumulating in the basement, especially after heavy rains.
Upon further inspection, they found signs of mold and mildew growth, indicating a potential long-term problem. As trusted experts in outdoor drainage, we immediately scheduled an on-site assessment to fully understand the extent of the water intrusion and its underlying causes.
The Landscape Drainage Problem and Symptoms
Water Pooling Near the Home & Leaking Into Basement After Rainfalls
After heavy spring rains, water had gotten into their basement by coming up through the seam between the foundation block and cement basement slab at the corner of their house. This customer has a finished basement and the water intrusion caused water/moisture damage to their carpet, wood framing, trim work and sheetrock.
After meeting with a company that specialized in interior basement waterproofing, this customer realized that they did not want to install the interior drain tile system that was recommended by the basement contractor, because of the extensive cost associated with both tearing out and repairing the finished portions of the basement as well as the cost of the interior drain tile itself.
After doing some additional research, they called us at KG Landscape to schedule an outdoor drainage consultation.
Identifying the Exterior Drainage Problem
During KG’s onsite drainage consultation for this customer, we realized that there were some obvious flaws in the grading around the house that we’ve outlined in the photo above.
The soil elevation against the foundation was very low and actually had a negative grade (a slope sending water back toward the house) in some areas. Also, the yard adjacent to the area where water was getting into the basement was much too flat, which allowed water to pool near the foundation and run into the basement after heavy rains and during the spring snow melt.
Our Drainage Solution Recommendations - Good, Better, and Best
KG Landscape offered this customer 3 options to help prevent water from getting into the house, which covered the range of “good, better and best” solution options. We also explained the difference between regrading vs. using a French drain for this side yard project, but because they had enough width in the side yard to regrade, we felt strongly that grading was the more thorough solution than using only a French drain without regrading.
#1 Good
Foundation grading with a swale
#2 Better
Foundation grading with a swale + new waterproof landscape fabric and rock in the foundation beds
#3 Best
Foundation grading with a swale + new waterproof landscape fabric and rock in the foundation beds + French drain running below the new swale and underground downspout extensions that would send water from the downspouts directly out to the street.
What the Customer Decided to Do
For this project, the homeowner decided to select: option 2) Better
They Chose
Option # 2 - Foundation grading with a swale + new waterproof landscape fabric + new rock around house
This involved re-grading around the foundation to provide the proper slope away from the base of the house. To help achieve this, soil was brought in order to build up the soil level along the foundation. We combined the foundation grading improvement work near the problem areas, with a new swale running along the side of the property to get water safely out of the problem areas.
Our new swale completely prevented water from pooling in the side yard, and instead allowed that water to flow directly to the street using the 15” of elevation change the we divided evenly along the length of the swale.
In addition to the foundation grading and swale work, new poly fabric/new rock was installed within the bed spaces around the house. These solutions combined the practical side of solving the water intrusion issue while also providing a clean finished aesthetic with the new edging and new rock.
Ultimately, through our prompt response and effective drainage solutions, we were able to alleviate the homeowner's water intrusion into their basement and provide them with long-lasting peace of mind about their home's structural integrity.
Below is the Project Scope & Description we Outlined for this Estimate
Drainage Improvement Work Section A
Foundation Grading: Remove the sod/edging/rock/mulch within the spaces marked in yellow below, then install soil to raise the soil elevation against the foundation to allow water to flow away from the house as much as the slope will allow, compact the newly installed soil to help reduce settling, new soil level will be 3” below the bottom of the siding and will be restricted by the height of the window well in places.
Swale: Install a swale as outlined below in green to help send water out of the side yard and out toward the street as shown by the blue arrows. KG will dispose of soil/sod removed during this grading work and grade smooth to prep for seeding
Finishing Work: We will rake in new grass within the disturbed swale area and along the side of the house where we did grade work and finally, we will cover all of the spaces we disturbed with straw matting/seed blankets. These seed blankets should be removed by the homeowner in the spring after the new seed reached roughly 2” tall
Drainage Improvement Work Section B
As part of our regrading work, we most often relandscape the areas where regrading work is performed with new updated landscaping, since during that process old landscaping must be removed to get the grading fixed.
For this yard drainage renovation project in Minneapolis, we installed new black poly edging where outlined in black, add soil to increase slope away from the foundation in the backyard where shown below within new bed space, in the front bed space we would create a swale within the plant bed space as indicated by the blue arrows that would send both away from the foundation and then into the new side yard swale, then all of the new bed spaces shown below will have non-permeable poly fabric installed (to help prevent water soaking into the ground), (4-5) yards of 1.5-3” river rock would be install in the new bed spaces. Price includes all deliveries need for this work and seed/soil repairs as needed around our work space
How Performed the Work
We began by removing the existing landscaping along the side yard and hauling in new soil to rebuild the grade along the foundation. This allowed us to properly direct water away from the house and toward the west side yard, where it could be safely managed.
Next, we established the correct elevations for a new side yard swale. We carefully excavated soil below the lawn area between the fence and the newly defined foundation bed edge. Using a transit, we evenly distributed the 15 inches of available elevation drop across the full length of the swale. This precise grading created a consistent pitch that allows water to flow smoothly away from the problem area, down the side yard, into the front yard, and ultimately to the city street and storm sewer—exactly as the neighborhood drainage system was designed to function.
The use of accurate measurements, transits, and careful execution is a key reason our work stands the test of time. We take pride in designing and building solutions that work long-term, eliminating the need for callbacks or future corrections. Our goal is to deliver results our customers can trust with confidence.
Once the new grading was complete and the foundation beds were properly shaped, we installed a poly liner and edging, followed by decorative rock to finish the foundation planting areas. Finally, we installed new sod to restore the side yard and complete the swale installation.
See a couple of progress photos below showing the work during construction.
Project Results
The homeowner was thrilled with the results—especially that we were able to complete the project before winter arrived. Their basement water issues typically occurred during spring snowmelt and early-season rains, so having the new grading and drainage solutions in place ahead of that timeframe brought immediate peace of mind.
Since completing the work, we’ve stayed in touch while assisting with additional light landscaping projects. During those follow-ups, the homeowner confirmed that the grading and outdoor drainage improvements are working exactly as intended. The basement has remained completely dry, with no water or moisture issues.
The homeowner shared that they’re very happy they chose KG Landscape and appreciate the long-term protection and confidence the project has provided. We’re grateful to have earned their trust and proud to deliver solutions that truly last.
Dealing with basement water issues of your own?
Proper grading and well planned yard drainage improvements makes all the difference.
👉[Request a Quote] to schedule a consultation with KG Landscape and get a long-term solution in place before the next wet season.
