Drainage Solutions in Spartanburg, SC
Give the water a way out.
Drainage solutions in Spartanburg, SC for yards that stay wet, water that sits against the house and driveways that wash: regrading, French drains, catch basins, culverts and riprap.
- Free on-site estimates
- Owner-run by McKinley
- WNC & Upstate SC
Drainage around Spartanburg
Most drainage problems we look at in Spartanburg County start with the soil. The Piedmont here is red clay, and clay takes water in slowly. In a hard rain the water does not soak in. It runs across the top until it finds a low spot, and that low spot is often the back yard, the side of the house or the driveway.
So the fix usually starts with the shape of the ground, not with pipe. We find where the water comes from and give it a path. Only then do we add the drains, basins and stone that the path needs.
We are an Asheville company, and Spartanburg County is part of our regular run down I-26. McKinley looks at the ground himself, prices the work and is on the job.
What the job covers
- Regrading so the ground falls away from the house
- French drains for water moving through the ground
- Catch basins and culverts sized to the actual flow
- Ditch lines cut and shaped to carry water
- Riprap at outlets and on banks that are cutting
- Free on-site estimate before any work starts
Drainage in Spartanburg: what to know
The ground
Drainage solutions for Spartanburg red clay
Spartanburg County is rolling Piedmont, well below the mountain ground we work around Asheville. The slopes are gentler, but the soil makes up for it. Red clay sheds water in a storm, then holds on to what it did take in. That is why a yard here can flood in an afternoon and still be soft days later.
Gentle ground also hides the problem. On a mountain lot you can see where the water runs. On a Spartanburg lot the fall may be only a few inches across the whole yard, and a few inches the wrong way is enough to send water to the foundation. We check the fall before we recommend anything.
The outlet
Where the water ends up
Every drain needs somewhere to send the water. Around the city of Spartanburg the ground drains to the creeks that feed Lawsons Fork and Fairforest Creek. On the west side of the county it is the forks of the Tyger River, and to the north and east it is the Pacolet. If your lot backs onto a creek, a pond or a low wooded strip, that is usually where the outlet belongs, with stone at the end so it does not cut the bank.
Two rules are worth knowing before you plan the work. A culvert under a driveway entrance on a state-maintained road sits inside the road's right of way, and SCDOT has its own requirements for that pipe. Larger jobs that disturb a lot of ground can also need a stormwater or land disturbance permit. Rules change, so check with Spartanburg County and the local SCDOT office before work starts.
Public utilities are marked through South Carolina 811 before we dig. Private lines such as septic, wells and irrigation do not show on a standard locate, so show us where yours are.
Related work
Drainage, driveways and new builds
A driveway that ruts or washes is a drainage problem first. See gravel driveway installation in Spartanburg for how a new drive is built to shed water. On a new house lot, the drainage goes in before the pour as part of site preparation.
Our main drainage and erosion control page explains each method in more detail, and culvert installation has a page of its own. We cover Spartanburg and the communities around it, including Boiling Springs, Inman and Duncan. See the Spartanburg service area page.
What actually happens on site.
Walk it, ideally after rain
The estimate is free and on site. We look at where water collects, where it comes from and where it could go.
Fix the fall first
Ground that tilts toward the house or holds a flat spot is regraded so water has a way out. Often this is most of the job.
Carry the surface water
Ditch lines, catch basins and culverts move what runs on top of the ground.
Drain the ground itself
Where water is moving through the soil, a French drain collects it in perforated pipe set in gravel and carries it off.
Protect the outlet
Riprap goes where the flow is fast enough to cut. The water is sent somewhere that is not the neighbor's yard and not back onto the drive.
Drainage on real jobs
Every photo here is from a real M&S job. See more of our work. Or read about our full drainage & erosion control service.
Spartanburg drainage questions
Not seeing yours? Call or text (828) 540-6856 and ask McKinley, or read the guides.
- GuideFrench Drain vs Regrading: Which One Fixes Your Yard?
- GuideDriveway Culvert Pipes in Western North Carolina
- Cost GuideWhat a gravel driveway costs in Western North Carolina
- GuideSteep Gravel Driveways in the Mountains
- GuideHow to Fix a Washed-Out Driveway
- GuideHow to prepare land for building a home
Why does my yard stay wet for days after rain?
In Spartanburg County the usual cause is red clay with a flat spot or a low spot on top of it. Regrading gives surface water a way out. Where the ground itself stays saturated, a French drain is added.
Do I need a French drain or regrading?
Regrading comes first when water sits on the surface or runs toward the house. A French drain is for water moving through the ground, such as a yard that never dries or water at a foundation with no visible source. We will tell you which after walking it.
Can you stop water getting to my crawlspace?
We work on the outside of the house, which is usually where the water comes from. That means grading the ground away from the structure, footing drains and moving surface water off the ground beside the wall.
How much does drainage work cost in Spartanburg?
It depends on how much ground has to be regraded, how many feet of drain or pipe the water needs, how far it has to travel to a safe outlet and how easy the yard is to reach with a machine. We walk the property and give you a real number. The estimate is free.
Spartanburg & Spartanburg County
Somewhere else? See our full service area or call (828) 540-6856.
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Spartanburg County, SC
Spartanburg overviewServiceDrainage & Erosion Control
Culverts, catch basins, French drains and riprap — the difference between a property that sheds water and one that stores it against your foundation.
The full serviceTowns near Spartanburg
Related pages
Keep reading, or call and ask.
Get a price for drainage work in Spartanburg.
Where it is, how long the drive is, how steep it gets and what it is doing now. We come out, walk it, and give you a real number.
- Free on-site estimates across WNC and the Upstate
- One crew from clearing through to the last load of stone
- Drainage designed in, not sold to you afterwards
Free estimate. Real number.
Call or text McKinley. He walks the ground before he gives you a price.