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Drainage & French Drains

Yard drainage

Yard drainage is the work of moving water off your lawn and away from your house before it turns into standing puddles, soggy turf, or a wet crawlspace. Local & insured across the Triangle — searching “yard drainage near me”? You found us.

10+ yrs serving the Triangle
Local insured & accountable
100% satisfaction guarantee
12-mo workmanship warranty

Trusted yard drainage across the Triangle

Yard drainage is the work of moving water off your lawn and away from your house before it turns into standing puddles, soggy turf, or a wet crawlspace. Cary Sprinklers designs and installs drainage systems across Cary, Raleigh, Apex, and the rest of Wake County, and owner Adam K stands behind every job. Most installs take one to two days, and we plan the routing so your irrigation zones and your drain lines never fight each other.

Triangle clay is the real culprit behind most yard drainage problems here. It sheds water fast on the surface but absorbs it slowly underneath, so a storm dumps runoff across the top of the yard while the ground below stays saturated for days. That’s why a single French drain rarely fixes everything — most yards need a combined approach, with catch basins or channel drains catching the visible runoff and perforated pipe pulling groundwater out of the soil. We size each piece for how your lot actually slopes, not off a template.

We handle yard drainage for homeowners in Cary, Raleigh, Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina and throughout Wake County — part of our drainage & french drains service.

Drainage trench installed along a sidewalk to move standing water in Cary, NC

Yard drainage problems we solve

Diagnosed right and fixed with genuine Hunter, Rain Bird & Toro parts.

Standing water after storms

Puddles that sit for a day or more usually mean the surface grade traps runoff with nowhere to send it. A catch basin tied to a buried solid line gets that water to daylight or the street.

Soggy grass that never dries

When turf squishes underfoot a week after rain, the problem is groundwater held in the clay, not surface flow. A French drain set at the right depth intercepts it and dries the root zone out.

Pooling near the foundation

Water collecting against the house works its way into crawlspaces and footings. We regrade the first few feet away from the wall and add subsurface collection where grading alone can’t win.

Flooding at patios and walkways

Hardscape sheds every drop of rain onto whatever sits downhill of it. Channel drains set flush into the concrete or pavers capture that sheet flow before it floods the seating area.

Erosion on slopes

Runoff cutting channels through a hillside strips topsoil and undermines plantings. Slowing the water with basins up top and controlled discharge at the bottom stops the gullies from growing.

Soft soil at downspouts

A gutter can concentrate hundreds of gallons at one corner of the house. Buried downspout lines carry that load well away from the foundation instead of dumping it at the wall.

Signs you need yard drainage

  • Puddles still standing 24 hours after rain
  • Mushy turf or moss taking over the grass
  • Water flowing toward the house, not away
  • Mud splash or trenching below downspouts
  • Mosquitoes breeding in low, wet spots

How the work happens, step by step

No mystery, no runaround — here’s the order we work in.

Walk the water

We start with a full walkthrough, ideally while the yard is wet, tracing where water enters, where it collects, and where it can legally and practically exit. Accurate diagnosis first — no guessing at pipe runs.

Design the fix

You get a written plan showing the mix of French drain, surface basins, grading, or downspout lines your yard actually needs, with upfront pricing before any digging starts. If your irrigation laterals or valve manifolds cross the route, we map those in too.

Install with minimal excavation

We cut clean, narrow trenches, protect the surrounding turf and beds, and set pipe on proper slope with washed stone and fabric where the design calls for it. Most yard drainage installs wrap up in one to two days.

Test and restore

Before we leave, we run water through every basin and line to confirm flow, then backfill, tamp, and reset sod so the yard heals fast. Adam stands behind the finished work.

Reviews

What our Triangle neighbors say

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Shahar Moscovits profile picture
Shahar Moscovits
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I’m so glad I found Cary Sprinklers! Adam, the owner, is incredibly friendly, honest, and straightforward. He found several problems with our sprinkler system and was able to fix them for a very reasonable price. We had other companies come out who tried to upsell us on repairs costing thousands of dollars, so the difference was unbelievable. I have some experience in this field myself, so I know how to evaluate vendors and recognize when someone is being honest and when they’re simply trying to sell you more work. Adam was clearly focused on actually solving the problems rather than taking advantage of us. He saved us a tremendous amount of money, and we really appreciate it. Thank you so much, Adam, for your honesty, professionalism, and excellent work. Highly recommended!
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cyndy White profile picture
cyndy White
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This is the second time we have used Cary Sprinklers, and both times involved dirty digging and repairing complex leaks. The first was an underground valve leak and they put the dirt and our sod back as if it was their own home. The site around our second job by our backflow was also filled in nicely. Adam the owner, Matt the estimator, and Colby the irrigation magician were all great to work with. We think our irrigation in our box came apart when TOC main busted and the extreme pressure of 200+ psi was too much. Matt did a thorough job looking at our issue, answering all my questions about the possible TOC main break playing a part, and giving quote for the time he felt it would take. Keep in mind, this is the type of small business where you need to be flexible on the time of arrival since prior jobs may put them behind. With this said, the crew will spend all the time needed to repair the issue you have at your home and not rush to make things just good enough. They want to make sure the repair is done to your satisfaction. I texted Adam several times and he had a prompt response time. He was also prompt via email with a post work invoice question. We recommend supporting Cary Sprinklers for the reasons above and because this is a small business growing roots in our community.
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Matt Pickens profile picture
Matt Pickens
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Very fast service and Colby was very professional. Highly recommend using Cary Sprinklers.
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Lynne profile picture
Lynne
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Fantastic company! I highly recommend Cary Sprinklers. They did a great job!
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James Cleary profile picture
James Cleary
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Cary Sprinkler was easy to get an appointment online, they kept me informed every step of the way. The technician was on time, knowledgeable and personable. Would use again and recommend.
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Beth K Mandell/Lerner profile picture
Beth K Mandell/Lerner
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Adam and Gerald showed up right on time and kept me updated with texts the night before and the day of with their ETA. I needed a new zone added for part of the yard that wasn’t getting enough water anymore, and they did a great job. Fair pricing, excellent communication, and very professional — I’m really happy with the result.
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Kate Wotton profile picture
Kate Wotton
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5 stars — Highly recommend Cary Sprinklers! We hired Cary Sprinklers to expand our existing irrigation system by extending one zone and adding a completely new zone. From the beginning, they were professional, knowledgeable, and very easy to work with. What really impressed us was the equipment and efficiency. They used a Toro Dingo to trench the new lines, which allowed them to get the work done quickly and professionally while keeping the disruption to our yard to a minimum. The crew clearly knew what they were doing, and the installation was done right. Adam took the time to explain what we needed and why, and the communication throughout the project was excellent. The new zones give us much better coverage of the property, and everything is working exactly as it should. We couldn’t be happier with the finished system. The whole process was smooth, and the work exceeded our expectations. We would definitely use Cary Sprinklers again.
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Beth Turkish profile picture
Beth Turkish
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Cary Sprinklers is amazing. Adam is professional, capable, and wonderful to do business with. We called him because we had trouble with our timer app and controller. It wasn’t a brand that he usually works with, but he figured it out and fixed it anyway. Additionally, his team did an amazing job removing this massive root to get a broken sprinkler out of the ground and replace it and even under budget! I’ve done business with a few sprinkler companies in my lifetime, and these guys are the best!! They are honest, reliable, and very detail oriented. You will not be sorry if you call Cary Sprinklers.
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John Donellan profile picture
John Donellan
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Adam came out and made adjustments to several unfamiliar sprinkler heads that had been causing some lawn coverage issues. He worked quickly & efficiently to correct the issues to my satisfaction. A very good experience!
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Why homeowners choose us

01

The owner stands behind it

Adam has spent 10+ years diagnosing drainage in Triangle clay, and he stands behind every install rather than dispatching a rotating crew. The same accountable local team is on your system start to finish.

02

Minimal excavation, real diagnosis

We find the actual source of the water before we dig, so trenches go exactly where they’re needed and your landscaping survives the install. Repair-before-replace applies to drainage too — if an existing line can be cleared or corrected, we say so.

03

Guaranteed work, upfront numbers

Every install carries a 100% satisfaction guarantee and a 12-month workmanship warranty. You see the full price before we start, and it doesn’t change mid-project.

Yard drainage in Cary, Raleigh & the whole Triangle

We provide yard drainage across the Triangle. Choose your town for local details: Cary · Raleigh · Apex · Morrisville · Holly Springs · Fuquay-Varina.

Related services we handle on the same visit: french drain installation · surface water drainage · grading for drainage.

Yard drainage FAQ

How much does yard drainage cost?

It depends on trench length, the number of basins, and how far the water has to travel to a legal exit point, so we don’t quote blind. We give a free estimate with upfront pricing after walking your yard, and the number we quote is the number you pay.

Do I need a French drain or a surface drain?

Usually some of both. Surface drains and catch basins handle visible runoff, while a French drain pulls groundwater out of saturated soil — and since Wake County clay creates both problems at once, a combined system is the norm here.

Will the install tear up my lawn?

We keep excavation narrow and controlled, route trenches to spare established beds, and reset sod when we backfill. Most yards look close to normal within a few weeks of the install.

Can drainage work around my sprinkler system?

Yes, and this is where hiring an irrigation company pays off. We locate your mainline, laterals, valves, and wiring before digging, so a drainage trench never severs a zone or floods a valve box.

Where do you offer yard drainage service?

If you’ve been searching for yard drainage near me anywhere in the Triangle, we cover Cary, Raleigh, Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, and the surrounding Wake County area. Call 919-341-9644 and we’ll get you on the schedule.

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Tell us what’s going on and we’ll get right back to you — usually the same day. Prefer to talk? Call or text 919-341-9644.

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  • 100% guarantee + 12-month workmanship warranty

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