When the yard has sunk below the street, the water has nowhere to go once the pumps catch up. We raise and reshape the low ground and give the rain a short path to the curb.
Drainage in New Orleans is a race between the rain and the pumps. When a heavy storm drops more water than the system can move, streets and yards fill. A yard that sits lower than the street, or that has settled over the years, holds that water long after the street drains. Most of the drainage problems we see are low yards, settled ground next to the house and downspouts that empty at the foundation.
Our fixes are regrading with compacted fill, shallow swales, French drains, buried downspout lines and catch basins that tie into an approved outlet. With groundwater so close to the surface, a French drain here has to be shallow and must reach an outlet lower than the problem area. Dry wells rarely work, because the ground is already full of water.
Louisiana Civil Code article 655 says land below must receive the surface water that flows naturally from land above, and article 656 says the owner above may not make that burden worse, while the owner below may not block the natural flow. So we keep your fill and drains from sending new water onto a neighbor, and we plan the outlet first.
Drainage solutions in New Orleans: common questions
Why does my yard flood when the street drains?
Usually because the yard has settled below the street or has no path to it. Raising the low area and grading it toward the street fixes most cases.
Do French drains work in New Orleans?
They can, if they are shallow, wrapped in fabric and run to an outlet lower than the wet area. Deep drains just fill with groundwater.
Can my downspouts be piped to the street?
Often, through solid pipe to the curb or a drain. Local rules on curb outlets vary, so we check first.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We walk the site with you.
- Written quote: Scope, equipment and price in writing.
- Utility locate & plan: We have utilities marked and plan access, haul-off and erosion control.
- Dig, grade & clean up: We complete the work, grade the site and haul away spoil.