French Drains and Yard Drainage in Fresno, Madera, and the Central Valley
A French drain is a gravel-filled trench with a perforated pipe at the bottom. It collects the water that keeps a patch of yard soggy and carries it downhill to a spot where it can drain away safely. If your yard in Fresno, Madera, or elsewhere in the Central Valley holds puddles for days after a storm, a French drain or a regrade, sometimes both, will usually fix it. Superior Hauling digs the trench with a Bobcat and brings the rock. The dirt that comes out leaves with us that day. We quote the job once we've seen how water moves on your lot.
Why Valley yards hold water
The Valley's rain comes in a short season. Fresno averages only about 11 inches a year, and roughly 70 percent of it falls from December through March, with January the wettest month at a little over two inches. That water lands on ground that spent months baking. A lot of Valley ground is heavy clay, or has a compacted hardpan layer a short way down, and water soaks into either one slowly. When rain falls faster than the ground can take it in, it sits on top. That is the standing water you see along the fence or pooled in a low corner by the house.
Slope makes it worse. A yard that has settled, or was never graded to shed water, sends runoff toward the foundation or into one low spot. Our earlier post on signs your yard needs regrading covers how to spot that.
French drain or regrade?
| What you see | The usual fix |
|---|---|
| Water runs toward the house after rain | Regrade so the ground falls away from the foundation |
| One low spot that stays soggy for days | French drain, often with a light regrade around it |
| A wet strip along a fence line or the bottom of a slope | French drain across the path of the water |
| Downspouts dumping right next to the walls | Extend the downspouts first, then tie into a drain line if water still pools |
| Water sheeting off a patio or driveway onto the lawn | A shallow swale or regrade to steer it |
The California Residential Code asks for the ground to fall at least 6 inches within the first 10 feet away from a foundation. Where a lot line or wall makes that impossible, the code calls for drains or swales instead. Even if your house is older than the rule, it's the number to aim for.
How we build a French drain
- Call 811 first. The call is free and required, and buried utility lines get marked before anyone digs.
- Pick the outlet. The water needs somewhere legal to go: a downhill spot where the pipe can daylight, a dry well, or an approved connection. Sending it onto a neighbor's property is off the table.
- Cut the trench. A typical yard drain runs about 12 to 18 inches wide and 18 to 24 inches deep, falling roughly 1 inch for every 8 to 10 feet so water keeps moving.
- Line the trench and lay pipe. Filter fabric goes in first, then a bed of washed drain rock, then perforated pipe with the holes facing down.
- Cover it up. More rock goes over the pipe, the fabric wraps over the top to keep silt out, and the surface is backfilled and graded.
Dug by hand, that trench is a long weekend of hard labor. With a Bobcat it takes hours, and you aren't left with a pile of dirt to get rid of. We bring the drain rock through our material delivery service, so you don't need to find a separate supplier.
Fix it early in the wet season
November is a good window. The first storms show you exactly where water collects, and the ground is soft enough to dig without turning to mud. Wait for the heavier January rains and we end up working around saturated soil, while your foundation or garage sits in water for another two months.
What a French drain costs
The price comes down to how long the drain runs, how deep it goes, how much rock and pipe it takes, and how hard the outlet is to reach. Access counts too, since a Bobcat needs a gate wide enough to get into the yard. Our Bobcat work generally runs about $300 to $800 a day depending on the site, with drain rock and pipe priced by the amount the job needs. The quote comes after we walk the yard, and it costs nothing.
Water sitting in your yard?
Text us a few photos after the next rain and we'll tell you whether a drain or a regrade makes more sense.
One crew does the whole job
Drainage work is often split among a digger, a rock supplier, and a hauler, each on its own schedule. We do all of it with our own Bobcat and trucks, so you deal with one crew and one date. Superior Hauling is veteran-owned and based in Madera. From there our Bobcat services handle trenching and grading for drainage, plus general dirt moving, across Fresno, Clovis, and the wider Central Valley.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a French drain or just regrading?
How deep should a French drain be?
How much does a French drain cost in Fresno?
I have standing water in my yard after rain. Can I fix it during the rainy season?
Where does the water from a French drain go?
If your yard in Madera, Fresno, or Clovis is still holding water a few days after the next storm, we'll come walk the lot and tell you which fix makes sense for it. Call or text (559) 363-8702, or request a free quote.
