Yard Drainage Solutions in Exton, PA

Exton and West Whiteland Township have a lot of developments built in the 1990s and 2000s where the builder graded fast and compacted the soil hard. Ten years later the lawn is a sponge and the sump pump runs every time it rains. That’s the most common call we get from Exton.

Builder-compacted clay plus minimal grading means surface water has nowhere to go. A buried downspout extension and a short French drain solve most of these for well under the cost of a full system.

Signs You Have a Drainage Problem

• Water sits in the yard for more than a day after rain
• Lawn is spongy or squishy underfoot in the same spots every spring
• Mulch or soil washes out of beds during storms
• Water pools against the foundation or the basement wall gets damp
• A downspout dumps onto the lawn and carves a channel
• Patio or walkway has water running across it instead of away from it

How We Fix It

• French drain — a gravel trench with perforated pipe that collects groundwater and moves it to a safe discharge point
• Regrading — reshaping the soil so surface water runs away from the house instead of toward it
• Buried downspout extensions — underground pipe from the gutter to a pop-up emitter well away from the foundation
• Dry well or catch basin — a collection point for water that has nowhere else to go
• Swale — a shallow, grassed channel that carries runoff across a slope

What Drainage Work Costs in Exton

Buried downspout extensions typically run $400–$1,200. Regrading a problem area is usually $800–$3,000. French drains run $2,000–$8,000 depending on length and discharge. Every quote is a fixed written price after a site visit. Read the full French drain cost guide.

How the Assessment Works

• We walk the property with you, ideally after a rain or with your photos from one
• We find where the water enters and why it isn’t leaving — usually a low spot, clay soil, or a downspout problem
• We quote the actual fix in writing. If a $400 downspout extension solves it, that’s what we quote, not a $4,000 system
• Most drainage jobs are done in one to three days, and we restore the lawn and beds when we’re finished

Why Exton Homeowners Call Castillo Earthworks

• Family-owned and based in Downingtown, minutes away
• We diagnose first and quote the smallest fix that actually works
• Fully insured
• Lawn and beds restored when the work is done
• Rated 5.0 on Google

Also see: French drain installation · Drainage & grading · Aeration & overseeding

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