Guide
A drainage job moves from measuring to digging to testing to cleanup. Knowing the order helps you prepare the yard, and know what a finished trench should look like.
Updated November 5, 2026
A drainage job runs in a set order: a site visit and measurements, a written plan, an 811 utility locate, layout, trenching, building the drain, a water test, then backfill, restored sod and sprinklers, and haul-off of extra soil. Rein Irving Drainage Company plans and manages each stage; the length of each depends on the yard and the weather.
The first visit is about measuring, not digging. The wet areas are walked, downspouts and sprinklers noted, and elevations shot from each low spot to every possible outlet: the curb, the alley, a swale line or a lower part of the lawn. Photos taken during rain help a great deal here. The result is a written scope naming the route, the depth, the outlet and what will be restored. The step-by-step guide explains how that plan is chosen.
Some cities require a permit for work at the curb or for changing a lot’s grade. Coppell, for example, issued a residential curb core for yard drains as an engineering permit in 2022, and Grand Prairie requires an earthwork permit when the grade or drainage pattern is altered. For Irving addresses we confirm the rule per address. The drainage permits guide covers the nearby cities.
Before any digging, an 811 locate request goes in. Utility companies send crews to mark their buried lines with colored paint and small flags, usually a few days after the request. Private lines are not marked by 811: sprinkler pipes, landscape lighting, a line to a detached garage or a gas line to a grill. A sprinkler map or a note on where those run saves surprises.
Rein Irving Drainage Company plans and manages each job; installation is carried out by licensed and insured drainage contractors we work with.
| Right after | In the first few weeks |
|---|---|
| A visible line of new or relaid sod along each trench | Sod knits in with regular watering |
| A slightly raised or crowned trench line | Settling in the first rains; low spots topped up with soil |
| Flush grates and pop-up lids in the lawn | Grass grows in around them; keep mulch off grates |
| Some trampled lawn along the access route | Recovers with watering in the growing season |
Some settling along a trench line is normal, especially after the first heavy rain on clay. A low line that holds water should be topped up with soil, not left. Restoration in summer heat or a winter dormant season can take longer to look finished.
Walk the yard during or after the first real rain. Check that water reaches each inlet, that the outlet runs, and that no new puddle forms over a trench. If something looks wrong, photos with times make it easy to diagnose. Over the long term, a little upkeep keeps a system working; see how long a French drain lasts.
The best way to start is with photos of the wet area during or after rain and a note of where the downspouts empty. Try the cost tool for a quick range, read about whole-yard drainage, or request a site visit.
Not for most of it, as long as gates are open or left unlatched, pets are inside and the sprinkler controller can be reached. It helps to be available at the start to confirm the layout and at the end to see the water test.
They come from the 811 utility locate. Each color stands for a type of buried line, such as red for electric, yellow for gas, orange for communications and blue for water. Leave them in place until the work is finished.
Usually yes once crossed lines are repaired and tested, and new sod needs regular watering to root. Just avoid soaking the trench line hard in the first days, which can wash fill out from under the sod.
Send photos of the wet area and your address to start with a site visit.
