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Top Yard Drainage & Grading in East Providence, Rhode Island Ranked

Managing water on your property is a critical part of home maintenance in East Providence. Persistent puddles, soggy lawns, and water seeping into your basement are more than just nuisances; they can lead to foundation damage, soil erosion, and unhealthy mold growth. This guide explores professional solutions for effective water management, from simple grading adjustments to comprehensive drainage systems. You can use this information to understand your options and connect with experienced local specialists who can assess your specific situation and implement a lasting fix.

Omar Masonry And Painting LLC

Omar Masonry And Painting LLC

39 Alpena Ave, Dedham, MA 02026

Omar Masonry And Painting LLC is a landscaping and hardscaping company based in Boston, MA. They offer a wide range of services including landscape design, yard drainage, grading, lawn care, and hardscaping such as patios, walkways, and retaining walls. The company also provides masonry, painting, basement cleanouts, demolition, power washing, gutter repair, and carpentry services. Omar Masonry And Painting LLC serves both residential and commercial clients in the Boston area, focusing on enhancing outdoor spaces with durable and functional designs.

4.9
60 Reviews
Edin And Sons Tree Service

Edin And Sons Tree Service

boston

Edin And Sons Tree Service is a landscaping and tree care company serving Boston, MA. They offer a wide range of services including sod installation, landscape design, tree removal, stump grinding, yard drainage, sprinkler installation and repair, lawn care, and hardscaping such as patios and retaining walls. With 20 years of experience, they provide tailored solutions for both residential and commercial customers, focusing on practical landscaping and irrigation needs. Their capabilities include tree planting and transplanting, as well as drainage services to prevent lawn flooding.

4.9
43 Reviews
Jones Contracting, Inc.

Jones Contracting, Inc.

735 Washington St, Walpole, MA 02081

Jones Contracting, Inc. is a family-owned excavation and underground utility contractor based in Boston, MA. They serve homeowners, builders, and property managers throughout Greater Boston, offering services in residential sewer, water, drainage, and excavation work. Their capabilities include complex utility installations and sitework for residential, commercial, and municipal projects. Founded in 2004, the company brings over 40 years of combined experience and practical insight from civil engineering and field execution backgrounds to their projects.

5.0
26 Reviews
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Why Proper Drainage is Essential in East Providence

Rhode Island's climate, with its seasonal rain and snowmelt, makes effective water control a priority for homeowners. Without proper grading and drainage, water can pool around your home's foundation, leading to costly structural issues and creating a breeding ground for mosquitoes. A well-designed system protects your investment, enhances your property's usability, and can even prevent neighborhood runoff disputes. For East Providence residents, managing rainfall and runoff involves a mix of grading adjustments and installed systems like French drains, dry wells, and rain gardens 1 2 3.

Common Residential Water Problems and Their Signs

How do you know if you need professional drainage or grading work? Look for these telltale signs:

  • Standing Water: Puddles that remain for more than 24 hours after rain.
  • Soggy or Spongy Lawn: Areas of grass that are constantly wet and mushy underfoot.
  • Soil Erosion: Gullies or washed-away soil in your yard, especially on slopes.
  • Water in the Basement or Crawl Space: Damp walls, musty odors, or visible seepage.
  • Foundation Cracks: New or widening cracks in your home's concrete foundation or exterior walls.
  • Overflowing Gutters: Gutters that spill over during rain, often due to improper slope or downspout placement.

Core Solutions for Water Management

Solutions for residential properties in East Providence, RI, typically focus on channeling water away from the foundation and allowing it to infiltrate the soil effectively 4 5 6 7. Here are the primary methods professionals use.

Grading and Re-sloping

This is often the first line of defense. The ground around your home should slope at least 3% away from the foundation to ensure water does not pool near the structure 8. This often involves adding fill dirt and topsoil to build up low spots. Proper land grading creates a natural path for surface water to flow away from your house and toward a safe outlet.

Installed Drainage Systems

When grading alone isn't enough, subsurface or surface systems are installed.

  • French Drains: A cornerstone of residential drainage, these are gravel-filled trenches with a perforated pipe that collect subsurface water and direct it to a suitable outlet, such as a storm drain or a lower part of the yard 9 10 1.
  • Catch Basins and Channel Drains: These surface drains collect pooling water from low spots or hard surfaces (like patios and driveways) and move it through underground pipes to a discharge point 2 3.
  • Dry Wells: These are underground structures that store collected water and allow it to slowly seep into the surrounding soil, reducing the burden on municipal storm sewers. They are ideal when there is no convenient downhill outlet 2 3.
  • Downspout Extensions: A simple yet effective solution, gutter downspouts can be connected to underground piping (splash blocks or buried drain lines) to direct roof runoff far from the house's foundation 9 4.

Eco-Friendly and Low-Impact Options

  • Rain Gardens: These are landscaped depressions planted with native, water-tolerant vegetation. They capture and filter runoff from roofs and driveways, which is a "Low Impact Development" (LID) technique encouraged by environmental agencies 11 12. They add beauty while solving a drainage problem.

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The Professional Installation Process

A typical drainage or grading project follows a structured process to ensure effectiveness and longevity 13 14.

  1. Site Assessment and Planning: A professional contractor will evaluate your property to identify the source of the water problem and the best escape route, which should always be downhill (gravity-fed). They will look for the "low point" and determine the most practical solution.
  2. Permitting: Depending on the scope of the excavation and local regulations in East Providence, a permit may be required. A professional contractor often handles this process, with permit costs typically ranging from $100 to $500 15 16 17.
  3. Excavation and Earthwork: This involves removing existing landscaping or hardscaping, digging trenches for pipes, and moving soil to achieve the correct slope or create space for a dry well or catch basin.
  4. System Installation: The chosen drainage components (pipes, gravel, catch basins, etc.) are installed according to the plan. Proper pipe slope and connections are critical.
  5. Finishing Touches and Restoration: The trenches are filled, the site is graded, and any damaged landscaping (grass, mulch, etc.) is restored to blend the new system seamlessly into your yard 9 18 19.

Understanding Project Costs

Costs vary based on the complexity of the project, soil conditions (rocky soil increases costs), and local labor rates 10 20. Project costs vary widely based on scope, but a typical residential project falls between $2,500 and $8,000, with smaller fixes possible for less 1 2 3.

System TypeCost Range (Installed)Notes
Grading/Regrading$1,000 - $6,000+Cost varies by area size and slope steepness 9 20.
French Drain$10 - $50 per linear footA common solution, often $2,000 - $7,000 total 10 21 3.
Underground Downspouts$200 - $2,000 per downspoutBasic fix for managing roof runoff 9 15.
Catch Basin (Plastic)$200 - $500 eachBest for collecting surface water in specific low spots 2 3.
Dry Well$1,600 - $4,800 per unitUsed for subsurface water storage when no outlet is available 2 3.
Rain Garden$500 - $3,000A more environmentally friendly, landscaped solution 12.

Hiring a local professional is highly recommended to ensure compliance with local codes and proper installation for lasting results 21.

Maintaining Your Drainage System

Once installed, a good drainage system requires minimal maintenance, but a few simple steps will keep it working optimally:

  • Inspect Regularly: Check catch basins and the outlets of French drains after heavy storms to ensure they are clear of debris.
  • Keep Gutters Clean: Clogged gutters can overflow and overwhelm your drainage system.
  • Monitor Plant Growth: Ensure tree or shrub roots do not invade and clog underground pipes.
  • Check for Settling: Over time, soil can settle. Look for new low spots near your foundation that may need additional grading.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Footnotes

  1. Landscape Drainage | Rhode Island - https://rainonelandscaping.com/construction/landscape-drainage-rhode-island/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. Underground Drainage System Cost 2026 | Types, Prices & Installation - https://modernize.com/gutters/underground-drainage-cost ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  3. How Much Does Yard Drainage Cost? - https://drainagefirst.com/how-much-does-yard-drainage-cost/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  4. Residential Drainage Systems: Common Lawn ... - J&J Materials - https://jjmaterials.com/residential-drainage-systems-common-lawn-drainage-problems/ ↩ ↩2

  5. Control Heavy Runoff - Solving Drainage and Erosion Problems - https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/soil-water-conservation/drainage-problem-control-runoff ↩

  6. Residential Drainage Systems: Common Lawn ... - J&J Materials - https://jjmaterials.com/residential-drainage-systems-common-lawn-drainage-problems/ ↩

  7. Common residential drainage problems and their solutions - https://www.fsresidential.com/corporate/news-and-articles/articles/3-common-residential-drainage-problems-%E2%80%93-and-their/ ↩

  8. Protect Your Home: Essential Yard Drainage Tips - https://www.allentucklandscaping.com/grading-for-yard-drainage/ ↩

  9. How Much Does It Cost to Level a Yard? [2026 Data] | Angi - https://www.angi.com/articles/how-much-does-yard-leveling-cost.htm ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  10. How Much Does Yard Drainage Cost in 2025? Homeowner's ... - https://warelandscaping.com/how-much-does-yard-drainage-cost-in-2025 ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  11. Incorporating LID into Municipal Stormwater Programs - EPA - https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2025-11/incorporating-lid-apr-2009.pdf ↩

  12. Create a Rain Garden: - Charlestown, RI - https://charlestownri.gov/vertical/Sites/%7BDF68A5B8-A4F3-47A1-AE87-B411E21C6E1C%7D/uploads/URI_Rain_Garden_Service_Project_Manual_for_Students.pdf ↩ ↩2

  13. What Are The Different Types Of Land Grading? - https://www.dirtconnections.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-land-grading/ ↩

  14. Grading and Levelling: Key Differences and When Your Land Needs Each - https://shillingexcavation.com/category/land-grading-work/ ↩

  15. How Much Does It Cost to Install a Drainage System in Your ... - https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/landscape/install-drainage/ ↩ ↩2

  16. Yard Grading for Proper Drainage - Ware Landscaping - https://warelandscaping.com/resources/yard-grading-for-proper-drainage/ ↩

  17. Grading Yard for Drainage: A Homeowner's Step-by-Step Guide - https://tamuradesigns.com/grading-yard-for-drainage/ ↩

  18. A Homeowner Guide to Backyard Drainage Solutions - https://tamuradesigns.com/backyard-drainage-solutions/ ↩

  19. DIY Drainage Project: Step-by-Step Guide & Solutions - https://www.justanswer.com/home-improvement/ouyib-diy-drainage-project-lowest-point.html ↩

  20. How much does Landscape grading & resloping cost? - Yelp - https://www.yelp.com/costs/landscape_grading ↩ ↩2

  21. How Much Does Yard Drainage Cost? [2026 Data] | Angi - https://www.angi.com/articles/how-much-does-it-cost-install-landscape-drainage.htm ↩ ↩2