Last summer we hired a company to build a patio and level out our backyard. The patio itself is fine but ever since the leveling work was done, water pools across the entire yard after every rain. It takes days to dry out and some spots stay muddy for over a week. My wife added sand to the worst spots and wants to plant a shrub there thinking it will absorb the water but I honestly doubt that’s going to fix anything. From what I understand the problem is that the leveling compacted the soil so much that water can’t drain through it anymore. And the yard is now basically flat with no slope to move the water anywhere. I’ve been reading about french drains, regrading to create a slope, and even something called a soakaway pit. But I have no idea which solution actually fits my situation or if I even need all of that. Has anyone dealt with this after having their yard leveled? What actually worked for you? Should I go back to the company that did the work or find someone who specializes in drainage? Any advice would be really appreciated because another rainy season is coming and I don’t want to deal with a swamp in my backyard again.
These people leveled your yard, and now it pools with water? Is that accurate? If so, those hardscapers fucked up bad. They shouldn’t have been aiming for level; they should have been grading it away from your house at 2%. How old is the home? I have pretty good experience with french drains, grading, and water intrusion investigation. DM me and we can have a phone call to go over options.
Be aware: someone in your position is seen as a cash cow for basement dewatering systems and foundation repair. Dont trust any of these people if they haven’t spent an hour looking at your house during a big rain. Only you have the capacity to get to root cause.