Drainage & Grading Design and Installation in Madison, WI

As cities grow and urban development occurs, our eco-system is increasingly jeopardized. Parks and open spaces are turning into office buildings, fields and forests are now parking lots, and houses are being built larger while landscapes are becoming smaller.

All this growth means rainwater decreasing areas available for direct soil penetrating. Instead, it runs off across pavement and concrete into streams, taking surface pollutants with it. When landscape construction includes a large area of non-permeable surfaces, the water flows faster and can cause serious erosion.

Rain gardens, bioswales, and permeable pavers are all possible mitigations to the above problems. When preparing a new landscape, one question we ask is, "Where does the rain water naturally flow?" One of the most important challenges we face is determining the best techniques to deal with a sudden influx of rain water from big storms or rapid snowmelts.

Drainage Elements

Bioswale

A bioswale directs the water flow from impervious surfaces (roofs, driveways, patios) to a safer place away from your home where it will not accumulate and cause problems. Sometimes we can direct water to a different place on your property, or toward the edge of your property to the sewer. In other cases, further steps may be necessary to manage the water and direct to temporary storage.

Rain Gardens

One place to store water is a rain garden, or a garden bed designed around a low area or depression. Learn more about rain gardens as a drainage tool on our Rain Garden page.

Permeable Pavers

If you are considering a patio or a driveway anyway, permeable pavers are great way to accomplish two things at once. Create a usable surface, but also allow for water infiltration and storage. See our permeable pavement page for more information.

Grading

Fixing drainage issues can be as simple as correcting a grading issue in your existing landscape. Often a minor fix can steer water in the right direction and reduce puddling.  

Downspouts

Burying your downspouts and installing catch basins can reduce the amount of roof water that ends up next to your foundation walls. Catch basins will provide access and a clean out point along the buried line.