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Serving Massachusetts, Rhode Island & New Hampshire
Dry Wells & Drainage Systems
We dig, build and connect drainage that actually carries water off: french drains, block dry wells, buried downspout lines and yard grading.
The short answer
Standing water in the yard, a soggy spot that never dries, a driveway that ices over every winter or water showing up in the basement after a storm: in Central Massachusetts these problems usually have the same root cause. Clay-heavy soil and glacial till do not absorb water quickly, so rain and snowmelt sit on the surface or run straight toward the house.
A drainage system gives that water a path. A french drain collects it in a trench of clean stone and perforated pipe. A dry well stores it underground and lets it soak into the soil slowly. Buried downspout lines take roof water, which is often the biggest source, away from the foundation. Often the best fix is a combination of these, planned together.
We have built dry wells step by step from the ground up: excavation, a stone base, stacked concrete block rings, a concrete cover and the inlet pipe connected to the downspout or drain line. That is the kind of work we do: buried, done right, and invisible once the lawn is back.
A french drain is a sloped trench lined with filter fabric, filled with clean stone and a perforated pipe. It intercepts groundwater and surface water along its length and carries it to an outlet. It works well along a foundation, at the bottom of a slope, beside a driveway or across a lawn that stays wet.
A dry well is an underground chamber that receives water from a pipe and lets it seep into the surrounding soil over time. The version we build uses stacked concrete block rings on a crushed stone base, surrounded by stone and topped with a concrete cover. It is a good answer when there is no lower spot on the property to drain to, which is common on flat suburban lots.
Dry wells depend on the soil. In heavy clay or very shallow ledge, water drains out slowly, so the dry well needs to be sized and placed with that in mind, or paired with a french drain. We look at the soil when we dig and adjust the plan rather than forcing one solution onto every yard.
Spring thaw is the worst time of year for drainage. Snow melts while the ground underneath is still frozen, so water cannot soak in and runs across the yard toward the lowest point, which is often the house. Heavy summer thunderstorms do the same thing in a few hours.
Downspouts that dump right next to the foundation are one of the most common causes of wet basements. Connecting them to buried pipe that discharges well away from the house, or into a dry well, is usually one of the simplest and most effective fixes.
Driveways and walkways that ice over in winter, lawns that turn to mud, and patios with puddles are usually grading problems. A small swale, a regrade or a french drain along the edge can solve them without tearing anything out.
We start by understanding the water: where it comes from, where it collects and where it can legally and safely go. Then we lay out the trench lines and the dry well location, dig, set the stone base, install the pipe at the right slope and build or set the dry well.
After the system is connected and tested with water, we backfill, restore topsoil over the trenches and leave the yard clean. Builders get a site that is ready for final grading and loam. Homeowners get a yard that drains the next time it rains.
Call or text a few photos to (508) 663-9401. We reply within 1 hour during business hours, Mon-Sat 8am to 6pm.
We walk the property, see where water collects, check the downspouts and grades, and recommend the simplest system that solves it, with a clear price.
We excavate, build the dry well or french drain, connect the pipes and run water through them. Then we backfill, restore the topsoil, clean up and walk the system with you.
Something else? Call (508) 663-9401. We reply within 1 hour during business hours.
It depends on length, depth, soil, access and what has to be removed and restored. As a rough market range, french drains in New England often run about $25 to $60 per linear foot, and a dry well installation often falls somewhere around $1,500 to $5,000 or more. Your free estimate gives you the real number.
It can, but clay drains slowly, so the dry well has to be sized and placed with that in mind. In some yards a french drain to a lower spot, or a combination of both, works better. We check the soil during the estimate and dig.
Yes. We run buried solid pipe from the downspouts to a dry well or to a discharge point away from the house. It is one of the most effective ways to keep water away from the foundation.
It often helps a lot when the water comes from surface runoff, roof water or a high water table near the foundation. If water is coming through cracks or the wall itself, the fix may also involve foundation waterproofing. We will tell you what we see.
Yes. We are based in Marlborough, MA and install french drains, dry wells and yard drainage in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. Call or text photos to (508) 663-9401.
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