Drainage & Excavation · Nashville, TN
The Nashville homeowner's guide to drainage and excavation
What the work involves, what drives the price, what your options are, and what a bad job looks like — written so you can judge any drainage contractor in Middle Tennessee, including us.
Estimate request
Tell us about the job.
It comes straight through to us and we respond immediately.
Warning signs
How to know you need us
If you recognize any of these, it is worth having somebody look before it becomes a larger job.
- Standing water two days after rain
- Ground sloping toward the house
- Crawl space or basement taking water
- A soggy patch that never dries
- Mulch or soil washing across a path
- Downspouts discharging at the foundation
- Cracks appearing in a retaining wall
Your options
More than one right answer.
A drainage contractor who only ever recommends the most expensive option is not giving you advice. Here is the honest range.
Downspout extension
The cheapest fix on the list and often most of the problem. Roof water piped well clear of the foundation.
Regrading
Reshaping the ground so water leaves on its own. Where it is possible it is the most durable answer, because it needs no maintenance.
French drain
For water that cannot be graded away. Perforated pipe in washed stone, wrapped, sloped and taken to a real outlet.
Dry well or pump
Where there is nowhere for water to go by gravity. More expensive and needs occasional attention, but sometimes the only option.
What it costs
What actually drives the price.
We do not quote drainage and excavation over the phone, because an honest number needs somebody to look at the job. These are the things that move it.
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Length and depth of the run
Drainage is priced by the linear foot and by how deep it has to go. A shallow run across a flat lawn is straightforward; cutting depth through clay is not.
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Where the water can go
Every drain needs an outlet. A property with a natural fall to daylight is simple. One that needs a pop-up emitter, a dry well or a pump is a different job.
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Soil and obstructions
Middle Tennessee clay and limestone shelf both slow excavation considerably, and rock that has to be broken changes the price more than anything else on this list.
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Restoration
Putting the lawn, drive or patio back is a real part of the cost. A quote that does not mention restoration has not included it.
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Utility locates
Always called before digging, always. It is not a line item worth avoiding and it is not optional.
Every estimate is free, written and carries no obligation — including the parts we would find only after starting, which are priced up front rather than left open.
What happens
From your call to the finished job.
Walk it in the rain if we can
Where water actually goes is far more useful than where it appears to go on a dry day.
Locates called
Utilities marked before anything breaks ground, and the marks respected.
Excavate and set the fall
Slope checked with a level along the run rather than eyeballed. A drain without consistent fall is a buried pipe holding water.
Stone, pipe and fabric
Washed stone, perforations facing correctly, fabric wrapped so soil cannot silt the system up.
Backfill and restore
Compacted in lifts and the surface put back, with the outlet shown to you working.
Done badly
What goes wrong, and why it matters.
These are the shortcuts that make a quote look cheaper and cost you more later. Ask anyone you are considering about them.
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A drain with no outlet
Pipe that runs to a buried stone pit with nowhere to go simply fills and stops working. Every system needs somewhere for the water to end up.
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Solid pipe where perforated belongs
Perforated pipe collects groundwater along the run. Solid pipe only moves what enters at the top, which is a different job entirely.
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No fabric
Without a fabric wrap, soil migrates into the stone and the system silts up within a few years. It is cheap and it is the difference between five years and twenty.
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Perforations facing up
Perforations go down, so the pipe fills from the bottom as the water table rises. Facing them up is a common and quietly ruinous mistake.
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Ignoring the roof
A roof sheds an enormous volume of water. Solving a yard drainage problem while the downspouts still discharge at the foundation solves half a problem.
Before you hire anyone
Six questions worth asking any drainage contractor.
Including us. If a contractor cannot answer these easily, that is the answer.
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Are you licensed for drainage and excavation and can I see the certificate?
A licensed and insured contractor will have this to hand and will not be irritated by the question.
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Is the estimate written, itemized and free?
A verbal number is not an estimate. Itemized means you can compare two quotes on the same basis.
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What happens if you find something once you start?
The honest answer names a rate and a process. The answer to worry about is that it never happens.
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Who is actually doing the work?
Employee crew or subcontractor is not a wrong answer either way, but you should know which, and who carries the insurance.
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What is the workmanship warranty, and is it in writing?
Materials carry a manufacturer warranty. Workmanship is the contractor, and it should be written down.
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Will you pull the permit?
For permitted work, a contractor who suggests skipping it is telling you something important about the rest of the job.
FAQ
Choosing a drainage contractor in Nashville
How do I choose a drainage contractor in Nashville?
Check the license and the insurance certificate, get the estimate in writing and itemized so you can compare quotes on the same basis, and ask what happens if something is found once work starts. A contractor who cannot answer those easily has told you what you need to know.
Should I get more than one quote for drainage and excavation?
Yes, and compare what is in them rather than the number at the bottom. The cheapest quote is often cheapest because it leaves something out, and on drainage and excavation the thing left out is usually the preparation that decides how long the work lasts.
Is the cheapest drainage and excavation quote usually a bad idea?
Not automatically — but an unusually low number is information. Ask specifically what is included, what grade of material is quoted, who is doing the work and what the workmanship warranty is. If all four answers are good, the low quote is a good quote.
Do I need a permit for drainage and excavation in Nashville?
It depends on the scope. Metro Nashville and the surrounding counties permit and inspect a good deal of this work, and a contractor suggesting you skip a required permit is telling you something about how they approach the rest of the job. We pull the permits our work requires.
How far in advance should I book drainage and excavation?
A few weeks where you can. Booking in the quiet season usually means better scheduling and sometimes better pricing than booking in the rush, and it gives you time to make the selections properly.
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