Yard drainage in the City of Tallahassee
Drainage help across Florida's capital, from hilltop streets near downtown to newer neighborhoods on the south side.
Tallahassee is Florida's capital and Leon County's only incorporated city, with 196,169 residents at the 2020 census. Its neighborhoods cover a lot of ground, literally: older hilltop streets in Midtown and around downtown, Frenchtown, the student rental blocks near the universities, established subdivisions like Killearn Estates on the northeast side, and planned communities such as SouthWood to the southeast.
Hills make water move
The city's elevation ranges from near sea level to just over 200 feet, and the Capitol itself sits on one of the higher hills. That relief is why so many calls here are about runoff coming from somewhere else: the street above, the lot uphill or a long driveway. A curtain drain across the slope, a swale that steers water around the house, or a channel drain at the garage often matters more than anything at the foundation.
Known low spots
During extremely heavy rain, low-lying parts of the city are known to flood, including the Franklin Boulevard area beside downtown. If water reaching your lot comes from a public street or ditch, report it to the City's stormwater utility, which manages drainage inside city limits and maintains about 493 miles of storm drains and 110 miles of ditches and canals.
Typical city jobs
- Curtain drains on lots below a hill or a busy street
- Replacing pine-straw-clogged downspout lines on older homes
- Driveway channel drains at the bottom of steep drives
- Crawl space pumps under raised-floor bungalows
Common questions
Who handles public drainage inside Tallahassee?
The City of Tallahassee's stormwater utility, which has managed stormwater within city limits since 1987. Private yard drainage is the owner's responsibility.
Do you cover every Tallahassee neighborhood?
Yes. Call with your address and we'll connect you with a contractor who works there.
Services in Tallahassee
- French drainsGravel-and-pipe trenches that dry out soggy lawns and catch water seeping off a slope.
- Downspout drain linesBuried solid pipe that carries roof water away from the slab to a safe outlet.
- Regrading and swalesReshape the ground so runoff flows around the house to a safe spot.
- Sump pumps and crawl space waterPump out water that collects under raised floors and fix what's feeding it.
- Channel drains and dry wellsCatch sheet flow at driveways and patios, or hold water on lots with no outlet.
Nearby areas
Yard turning into a pond after every summer storm?
Call and a local drainage contractor will come look at where the water starts and where it can safely go.