Perimeter drainage, yard drainage, and basement perimeter systems that redirect groundwater away from your Saginaw home before it becomes a problem.
Get a Free Quote Free EstimateA French drain is a gravel-filled trench containing a perforated pipe that collects groundwater and surface runoff and channels it to a discharge point — away from your foundation, out of your yard, or to a designated drainage area. In Saginaw's flat terrain and high water table conditions, French drains are one of the most effective tools for managing the water that would otherwise pool against your foundation, saturate your yard, or enter your basement.
Serving Saginaw and Saginaw County, Michigan.
Get a Free Quote Get Free EstimateSaginaw sits on flat glacial lake bed soils — the remnants of ancient Lake Saginaw — that have poor natural drainage and a shallow water table in many areas. Unlike properties on hillsides or in areas with sandy, freely draining soils, Saginaw yards and foundation soils hold water for extended periods after rain or snowmelt. This prolonged soil saturation means hydrostatic pressure against foundation walls stays elevated for days after a rain event, giving water extended time to find pathways into the basement.
The Saginaw River watershed amplifies this problem in wet years. When the Saginaw River and its tributaries carry high water volumes in spring, groundwater tables across a wide area of the city rise with the river levels. Homes several blocks from any visible waterway can experience basement water intrusion simply because the regional water table has risen enough to press against their foundation. French drain systems — both interior perimeter drains and exterior yard drains — provide the managed pathways that keep this water moving rather than accumulating.
Interior basement perimeter drains — the most common application in Saginaw — are installed under the basement floor along the inside perimeter of the foundation walls. The system intercepts water that seeps through the wall-floor joint and through the floor slab itself, collecting it in a perforated pipe that routes to a sump pit. The pump then lifts the water and discharges it outside the foundation. This system is installed with minimal exterior disruption and typically takes one to two days for a standard Saginaw home.
Exterior yard French drains address surface water that pools in low areas of your yard, collects near the foundation from gutter downspouts, or flows toward your home from neighboring properties. These drains are installed at strategic points in the yard, collecting standing surface water and routing it through underground perforated pipe to a discharge point — typically a curb, a dry well, or a designated drainage easement. Proper discharge planning is important in Saginaw due to the shallow water table — discharging into a shallow dry well that itself fills up defeats the purpose.