French Drains and Yard Drainage in Kansas City, MO

Old foundations in the older neighbourhoods

Brookside, Waldo, Hyde Park, Roanoke and much of Midtown and the Northeast were built in the early decades of the 1900s. Many of those houses stand on limestone or concrete block foundations, and their basements were built as cellars, not living space. A stone foundation has mortar joints all the way around, so water has many ways in. Those basements can be made far drier, but the order matters: move water away outside first, with buried downspout lines and grading, and only then decide whether the wall needs interior drain tile or exterior work.

Tight lots and shared side yards

Older city lots are narrow, with houses close together and driveways down one side. There is often little room for a trench and nowhere downhill on the property to send water, so outlets take more planning than in the suburbs. Catch basins in the side yard, lines routed to the back of the lot, and pop-up emitters are common answers.

Sewers are a separate system

KC Water's Smart Sewer program deals with the public sewer network, including overflows during heavy rain. Groundwater and surface water around your house are a different problem, handled on your property. The Northland, north of the river, has newer housing with poured basements and looks more like the suburbs. Utilities are marked through Missouri One Call (MO811) before any digging. We also work in Raytown, Independence and across State Line in Leawood.

Kansas City drainage questions