How Grading and Landscaping Can Prevent Water from Getting into Your Basement
We understand how frustrating it is to discover a water problem in your basement after heavy rain. We want to give you the tools to help prevent this from happening again and the peace of mind that comes with knowing that the issue has been completely resolved.In this article, we will show you the landscaping options that can prevent water from getting into your basement as well as provide a real-life example of a property KG Landscape performed these fixes on.
How to Fix the Problem in 3 Steps?
- Consult with a professional to determine where and why the water is coming in
- Determine whether the landscaping is the cause of the current issues.
- Implement the chosen solution that best suits your needs.
The 3 Main Types of Drainage Improvement Landscaping
Each situation will have its own unique challenges, but generally we can break our most common outdoor drainage solutions into these three different categories/options:
1. Grading Improvements
Foundation grading
Correctly sloped grading around the home’s foundation is the most important factor in preventing water issues in your home. This involves installing a slope into the land around the home that allows gravity to send water away from the foundation. Click on our webpage here for more info about our
grading solutions
.
Proper foundation grading should include a minimum slope of 6” in the grading to send water away from the foundation within the first 10’ away from the house. The redirection of surface water will help prevent it from pooling near the basement walls and infiltrating the foundation. We’d also like to set the soil elevation directly against the foundation block about 6” below the bottom of the siding (if the existing site conditions allow for this).
Yard Grading
We can combine grading work that takes place around the foundation with additional yard grading that helps direct water even further away from the foundation to a place where water infiltration will not affect your basement.
Generally speaking, lawns and yards can be constructed to include a gentle slope away from the house that allows water to drain off the yard to its finally destination.
This consistent slope reduces water infiltration into lawn spaces near the home. Proper yard grading will also help prevent water from causing wet and mushy spots in the lawn after it’s been safely directed away from the house.
How much slope should you have in the lawn? Generally, a 2% slope in the lawn or roughly ¼” per foot is ideal for proper lawn drainage while still leaving the yard feeling relatively flat and useable.
The use of drainage swales is another example of a yard grading technique that can be used to improve lawn drainage. Grading swales are a pitched depression created by grading work that allows water to run from one area of a property towards another area. without regarding the yard entirely.
When grading the lawn and creating swales, we will take into account the current grade of a property and will use equipment such as a laser transit to ensure the yard grading and /or swale work is properly sloped and will direct water as intended.
2. Prevent Water Infiltration in Foundation Beds with Landscape Fabric & Rock
The next layer of protection that can be added after proper grading has taken place, is installing poly/non-permeable fabric and rock landscaping beds. The combination of poly fabric and rock serves as an extra layer of protection against water infiltration and prevents the new improved grade from erosion damage that might otherwise wash out soil and reduce the amount of slope over time.
A correctly graded property combined with rock beds and a poly non-permeable liner below will mitigate water intrusion as well as provide give a clean finished look to your landscaping. Plants can be added as well by cutting small holes into the fabric.
Can you use mulch on a waterproof landscape fabric? We tend not to install mulch on top of a poly liner because of the tendency of mulch to wash off the fabric during heavy rain events, exposing the liner below. Liners will also prevent the mulch from breaking down naturally in the soil overtime, which can excess buildup overtime after multiple layers of topdressing / re-mulching.
3. Underground Drainage Pipe Systems
Our most comprehensive exterior drainage solutions will include the installation of exterior drainage piping systems, that we categorize into 4 types, including;
- Drain tile
- French drains
- Underground down spout extension
- Underground sump-pump outlet drainage systems
The basic function of underground drainage pipe systems, is that they help reduce water infiltration into the soil by providing a direct pathway via a pipe for water to flow on its way to an outlet location and away from an area that wet soil could cause problems.
This triple-layered approach outlined above — including grading, poly fabric and rock, and drainage piping where needed, creates a robust defense against basement water intrusion, addressing both surface runoff and subsurface water infiltration challenges.
Would you like to see
a real life example of how we implemented these solutions on a project?
KG helped a customer implement the ideas and solutions discussed in the sections above. In this particular case, a homeowner located in Golden Valley, a suburb of Minneapolis, MN reached out to us about water intrusion into their basement
Plymouth’s clay soil causes soggy lawns, sinking patios, and constant sump pump issues. Learn how smart drainage design fixes it for good.
Minnetonka snow removal done right means safety, efficiency, and property protection—not just plowing. Learn how true winter care works.
Plymouth drainage problems? Fix soggy clay soil and prevent foundation and patio damage with smart drain tile, grading, and discharge solutions.
Edina lawn fertilization: seasonal strategies for lasting color and health. Expert insights on timing, topdressing, and soil care.
Design a Minnetonka outdoor kitchen built for all seasons — cedar, stone, and smart drainage make year-round living effortless.
Medina lawn experts explain how healthy soil—not chemicals—creates lasting weed control through aeration, overseeding, and topdressing.
Medina drainage experts explain how French drains and drain tile systems fix clay soil water issues and prevent muddy lawns and shifting patios.
Edina patio and pool drainage: protect your investment with smart design and precision installation that keeps surfaces beautiful, safe, and stable year-round.
When Pergolas Don’t Last, There’s Always a Reason After nearly two decades of building outdoor spaces across Medina, I’ve seen what happens when pergolas aren’t designed for Minnesota’s conditions. You can spot them a mile away—posts that lean, beams that twist, and concrete pads that have heaved out of level after just a couple of winters. It’s not because homeowners cut corners intentionally. It’s usually because whoever built it didn’t account for what our climate really does to structures that aren’t anchored right. Medina’s heavy clay soil doesn’t drain well. It holds moisture, freezes solid, and then expands like a hydraulic press pushing on everything above it. When pergolas are set on surface-level post bases, that pressure has nowhere to go but up—and the whole thing moves. Even small shifts can cause joints to separate, wood to crack, and hardware to loosen. That’s how a $15,000 structure starts looking tired after a few years instead of standing straight for decades. The truth is, pergolas here aren’t just about shade or looks. They’re about structure, drainage, and how every piece ties into the patio beneath it. A pergola that stands tall through Minnesota winters is built on the same principles as a good foundation—it’s only as strong as what’s underneath it. If you live in Medina and want to enjoy your backyard without worrying about your investment warping or sagging, start with design that respects the environment it’s built in. That means thinking beyond lumber and stain colors. It means understanding soil movement, water management, and the importance of integrating your pergola with the patio below it.
Solutions for Properties in Minnetonka You can always tell a Minnetonka yard that’s fighting its slope. Water doesn’t lie, it finds the weak spots every time. I’ve walked plenty of properties where a backyard starts beautiful in June, but by September, the patio is heaving, the grass near the pool looks like a marsh, and the homeowner is wondering how it got so bad so fast. The truth is, when you’re dealing with rolling terrain and heavy clay soils like we have around Minnetonka, you can’t just move dirt and hope gravity behaves. You need a plan that manages water from the surface all the way down through the subsoil. This is what I’ll walk you through here. You’ll see what actually causes drainage issues on sloped properties, how poor planning leads to cracked patios and shifting pool decks, and the smart drainage systems that can stop those problems for good. Whether you live near Lake Minnetonka or up in the higher ridges closer to Deephaven or Woodland, understanding how your yard sheds water is the difference between a property that lasts and one that’s constantly under repair. The Real Challenge of Sloped Minnetonka Yards Minnetonka is known for its hills, lakefront properties, and mature trees, but all that beauty comes with a set of challenges below the surface. Most of the soil here is dense clay. It holds water like a sponge and drains slowly, which means after every heavy rain, that water looks for a way downhill. If it doesn’t have a proper outlet, it ends up collecting right where you don’t want it, like along your patio, at the base of a retaining wall, or near your pool deck. I see this every season: homeowners trying to solve slope problems with a quick regrade, a layer of rock, or a simple surface drain. Those things might help for a while, but they don’t address what’s really happening underground. Clay soil doesn’t just get wet—it becomes saturated, expanding and contracting with every freeze-thaw cycle. When that happens under a patio or wall, it doesn’t matter how well-built the surface looks. The ground will move, and that movement cracks stone, shifts pavers, and slowly tears apart everything on top. The other challenge with sloped lots is how water interacts with gravity. It accelerates downhill, gaining momentum as it goes. When it hits a flat area like a patio, the water loses speed but not volume, pooling instead of flowing. That’s why I tell clients that “flat spots” on a sloped property are both an opportunity and a responsibility. They’re the best spaces to create usable outdoor areas, but they have to be engineered to handle water movement. I’ve worked on plenty of Minnetonka yards where the backyard has a beautiful view but terrible grading. You can have a perfect slope on paper, but if it directs water toward your house or creates a bowl effect between structures, you’ll end up with soggy soil and standing puddles that never dry. The goal is to move water off and away while keeping the surface level enough for comfort and usability. It’s a fine balance, but when it’s done right, it completely transforms how a property functions.