Interested in Have Trench/french Drain Put in My Backyard to Help with Drainage

What exactly is the issue? Are you getting water in your house or do you just have soggy standing water?

If it's the latter, I'd recommend instead of spending all that money, you just work with your yard. Plant water loving plants in the soggy areas - native Illinois plants are especially good for this - or create a rain garden - where the water is pooling, dig a little deeper so it all collects there and put in water loving plants. Route any walking paths around this area. If you have sod, it only has roots that are six inches deep, so water runs off, but if you use native wetland plants, they have very deep roots and suck up all that water.

I have a ditch at the end of my lot here in unincorporated Wheaton, as do all of my neighbors. In their lots you'll see standing water after a heavy rain, but in my lot where I have native plants, the plants suck up all the water.

Hi.

We have a French drain. Two, actually, in the places where our yard floods. Our landscaper made the first one. My husband built the second one. :) They work very well for us.

Any reputable landscaper should be able to do this. Just make sure they don't destroy the roots of the nearby plants and trees, if at all possible.

Good luck.

Amy

These are not allowed in some towns/neighborhoods. Make sure you find out if you have any restrictions in your area. The house behind us was for sale and it had one and then during the inspection, they found out about it and there was some major work that had to be done with it. I saw that caterpillar digging thing in their yard for 2 days. I didn't know the people, otherwise I would have gotten a story for you.

M.

Call the city. I live in Wheaton and they sent out a water surveyor specialist that discussed with us our drainage issues, both inside and outside the house.