Regrading and drainage swales

Surface water follows the shape of the land. On Tallahassee's hills, runoff from the street, the lot uphill or your own back yard can pick up speed and head straight for the house. On flatter lots it just sits. Regrading sets a slope away from the foundation, and a swale gives runoff a shallow, grassed channel to follow around the house to a safe outlet.

Signs the grade is the problem

• Soil, mulch or pine straw piled up level with the bottom of the siding
• Runoff entering from the street or a neighbor's lot during storms
• Puddles along the slab after every heavy rain
• A side-yard swale blocked by a fence, shed or raised bed
• Gullies cutting into a slope or under a walkway

How does a regrading job go?

1. Read the site. The contractor traces where water enters, where it collects and where it can legally leave.
2. Request locates. Sunshine 811 needs at least two full business days' notice before digging.
3. Move and compact soil. Fill is shaped to fall away from the house and compacted so it doesn't sink back.
4. Hold the soil in place. Sod, seed with straw, or erosion blanket on slopes, so the first afternoon storm doesn't undo the work.

Why erosion control matters here

Bare red clay and sand wash easily in Tallahassee's summer storms. Freshly graded slopes should be covered quickly, and sediment shouldn't be allowed to run into the street, where it ends up in storm drains. The City's stormwater utility maintains about 493 miles of storm drains and 110 miles of ditches and canals, and that system works better without your topsoil in it.

Neighbors, easements and permits

Changing the grade can change where water goes next door, and a plan that dumps runoff on a neighbor isn't a fix. Many subdivisions have recorded drainage easements and shared swales, so check your plat and any HOA rules before reshaping a property line. For larger earthwork, ask the City of Tallahassee if you're inside city limits, or Leon County Development Support and Environmental Management if you're not, whether a permit is needed.

Every yard is priced on site. The contractor needs to see the slope, the soil and the outlet before putting a number on the job, so we don't quote prices here, and a figure given over the phone sight unseen is only a ballpark.

Where we connect you with help

• Tallahassee
• Bradfordville and Killearn Lakes
• Lake Jackson and northwest Tallahassee
• Woodville and south Leon County

Related services

• French drains
• Downspout drain lines
• Sump pumps and crawl space water
• Channel drains and dry wells

More background: Leon County drainage guide.