“From the workers who came out to install our drainage system… haven’t seen any water despite all the recent rain!”
Standing water, wet basements and washed-out beds usually trace back to how water leaves your property.
Green Acres regrades yards, installs French drains and extends downspouts across Wilmington and New Castle County. Tell us where the water collects and we will show you the fix.
No charge, no pressure. We’ll reply within one business day.
🔒 Your info stays private. We never share contact details.
Grading and drainage work controls where water travels on your property. We reshape the slope so runoff leaves your yard, add drains where water collects underground, and pipe roof water away from the foundation. The right fix depends on whether the water comes over the surface, up from the soil or off your roof.
Green Acres has been working in the Wilmington area since 1998. As a grading and drainage contractor in Wilmington, DE we start with a site walk, explain what is causing the water, and quote the repair that fits.
Before
After
Most drainage problems announce themselves after a storm. Call us if you see any of these:
Find what you see in the yard, then the repair that usually solves it. We confirm the cause on site before recommending one.
| What you see | Usual cause | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|
| Standing water in the lawn after rain | Low spots, compacted soil or a flat grade | Regrading and re-seeding or sod; French drain if the ground stays wet |
| Water against the foundation or in the basement | Soil sloping toward the house, or gutters emptying at the wall | Regrade away from the house, downspout extensions, French drain along the wall |
| Washed-out mulch, bare channels, exposed roots | Fast runoff concentrated on a slope | Swale or stone-lined channel, regrading, plantings that hold soil |
| Soggy lawn, moss or yellow patches | Heavy clay or a high water table | French drain or dry well, with regrading where needed |
| Runoff arriving from a neighbor’s yard or hillside | Water crossing the property line in sheets | Swale or catch drain along the line, directed to a safe outlet |
| Puddles beside the house after every storm | Roof runoff dumped next to the foundation | Downspout extensions or buried pipe to a dry well or daylight outlet |
| Solution | What it does | Best for | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regrading | Reshapes the surface so water runs away from the house | Low spots, flat yards, slopes that pitch toward the home | Needs room to slope; can disturb lawn and beds |
| French drain | Collects underground water and carries it to an outlet | Soggy ground, seepage, water at foundations | Needs a place for the water to exit |
| Swale | Planted surface channel that steers runoff | Sloped yards and runoff from uphill | Takes yard space; must be kept clear |
| Downspout extension | Moves roof water past the foundation | Gutter discharge pooling at the wall | Does not fix groundwater or surface runoff |
| Dry well | Holds water underground so it soaks in slowly | Roof or drain outlets with no daylight exit | Depends on soil that can absorb water |
Reading about drains? See our page on French drains and yard drainage in Wilmington, DE.
No two yards cost the same, so we quote after a site visit. These factors move the price most:
Ask about financing for larger projects.
Rules differ by municipality, subdivision and lot. Small corrections to your own yard often need nothing. Larger land-disturbing projects can come under sediment and stormwater requirements, and some towns and HOAs review changes that affect runoff. Water must also not be redirected onto a neighbor’s property.
We confirm what applies to your address before work starts, and we call 811 so buried utilities are marked before anyone digs.
We look at slopes, gutters, outlets and soil, and ask where you see water.
We explain the cause and propose the fix, with a written scope.
Utilities are marked and the drain or grade line is staked out.
We excavate, shape, lay pipe and stone, and set the final grade.
Lawn, beds and hardscape are repaired or replanted and the site is cleaned up.
“From the workers who came out to install our drainage system… haven’t seen any water despite all the recent rain!”
“They did a great job and we are very happy with the work as well as the professionalism of the team. We were surprised at how quickly the seeded area grew grass. We would definitely hire them again.”
Recent reviews from homeowners, HOAs and property managers, pulled live from our Google Business Profile.
Water that sits on the surface after rain usually points to a grading problem, so the fix is reshaping the slope. Soil that stays soggy for days, or water that seeps out of a hillside, points to underground water, which a French drain handles. Many yards need both, and a site walk tells us which.
Price depends on the length of the run, how deep we dig, the pipe and stone required, how far the water must travel to a safe outlet, and what we have to cut through or restore, such as lawn, patios or driveways. We write up a fixed scope after seeing the property, so you can compare it line by line.
It often helps, because most basement water starts as surface or roof runoff sitting against the foundation. Moving that water away addresses the cause. Water that comes through cracks or a failed wall membrane is a waterproofing problem, and we will tell you plainly if that is what you have.
Small corrections to your own yard often need no permit. Larger earth-moving jobs can trigger sediment and stormwater rules, and some towns and HOAs review drainage changes. We confirm what applies to your address before we dig, and we call 811 so buried utilities are marked.
A French drain is a buried, gravel-filled perforated pipe that collects water under the surface and carries it to an outlet. A swale is a shallow planted channel on the surface that guides runoff along a chosen path. Drains suit soggy ground, and swales suit sloped yards where runoff moves in sheets.
Right after a heavy rain is the best time to diagnose, because the water shows us exactly where it goes. We can build most of the year, but frozen ground slows excavation. Fixing drainage before you build a patio, wall or fence also saves tearing finished work back out later.
Tell us about your property and we’ll get back to you with a plan and a transparent estimate. No pressure, no obligation.
Tell us a little about your yard. We’ll reply within one business day.
🔒 Your info stays private. We never share contact details.
Our crews run out of 978 S Market St in Wilmington and serve homes, HOAs and businesses across northern Delaware.
Green Acres has cared for lawns and properties around Wilmington since 1998. We offer all-inclusive landscape maintenance packages so you can be sure your property is looking its best all year long!
Using our years of creative experience to achieve beauty is what sets us apart. Landscape material that is healthy, well-branched, and well-formed is used to create the best first impression.
