JHL Landscape Design

Drainage & Grading for Chester County & the Main Line

Standing water, soggy lawns, and a basement that takes on water every storm are not bad luck, they are solvable problems. Since 2004, JHL Landscape Design has diagnosed and corrected drainage across Chester County, Delaware County, and the Main Line. We do not just design these systems, we install them: French drains, surface drainage, regrading, dry creek beds, and foundation water control, engineered and properly pitched to move water away from your home and protect your landscape investment.

Why Yards Flood and Foundations Take On Water Here

Drainage problems in our area are not random. Chester County and the Main Line sit on clay-heavy soils weathered from Wissahickon schist that barely percolate, so roughly 46 inches of rain a year has nowhere to go. Add freeze-thaw cycles that heave and shift the ground, plus older lots that were graded toward the house instead of away from it, and water pools in the lawn and pushes against the foundation. The first thing we do is diagnose where the water is actually coming from.

Common sources we trace

  • Roof runoff dumping at the foundation from short or buried downspouts
  • Negative grade that slopes back toward the house instead of away
  • Clay soils and compacted fill that hold water at the surface instead of draining
  • Uphill neighbors and impervious surfaces shedding stormwater onto your lot
  • High water tables and seasonal springs that surface after heavy rain

The Full Range of Drainage Solutions We Build

There is no single fix for water, so we match the solution to the source. Most properties need a combination, and we design the whole system to work together rather than patching one symptom at a time.

  • French drains: gravel-bedded perforated pipe that intercepts subsurface water and carries it away
  • Surface and yard drainage: catch basins, channel drains, and area drains that capture standing water fast
  • Swales and dry creek beds: shaped channels that move runoff while looking like part of the landscape
  • Downspout and gutter tie-ins: extensions, buried lines, and pop-up emitters that get roof water clear of the foundation
  • Grading and regrading: reshaping slope and leveling land so water always runs away from the home
  • Foundation and basement water control: perimeter drainage coordinated with sump pumps and waterproofing

French drains handle water moving underground, while surface drains capture water sitting on top of saturated clay. Many Chester County yards need both, tied into a single outlet so the system carries every gallon to a safe discharge point instead of dumping it at the property line.

Grading, Pitch, and Engineering That Lasts

Drainage only works when the grade and pitch are right, and getting that wrong is worse than doing nothing. We establish proper fall away from the foundation, set pipe at the correct slope so it never holds water, and size outlets for our 46-inch rainfall reality. On steeper Main Line and wooded lots, that also means controlling erosion so the regrade holds through freeze-thaw and storms.

Permitted, stormwater-compliant work

Many townships in Chester and Delaware Counties regulate stormwater and impervious surface, especially when you add patios, driveways, or significant regrading. As a licensed PA Home Improvement Contractor (HIC #PA035784) and HBA member, we plan solutions that respect those rules and keep your discharge on your own property where required, so the fix does not create a new problem for you or a neighbor.

Protecting the Home and the Landscape Investment

Water is the single biggest threat to both your house and the landscape you have paid for. Chronic moisture rots foundations, breeds mold, kills lawns and plantings, and undermines patios and walls. Because we are a design-build company, the drainage is engineered into the larger plan rather than bolted on afterward, which protects everything else we build.

  • Foundation protection: perimeter drainage and proper grade keep water out of basements and crawl spaces
  • Hardscape drainage: patios, walkways, and driveways pitched and drained so they do not pond or heave
  • Retaining wall drainage: gravel backfill, filter fabric, and weep systems so walls shed water and last
  • Healthy plantings and lawn: dry, oxygenated soil instead of root-killing standing water

ICPI certified and BBB A+ rated with more than 20 years in these soils, we build drainage that disappears into a finished, attractive landscape rather than leaving a scar of pipe and gravel across the yard.

What to Expect Working With JHL

We start with a site visit to trace where the water comes from, then design a scoped, engineered solution and show you exactly what we will install and why. Coordinating foundation and basement water often means working alongside your sump pump and waterproofing, and we handle that hand-off cleanly. You get one accountable design-build team from diagnosis through installation, not a guess and a bag of gravel.

Our process

  • Diagnose the source of the water before proposing any fix
  • Design an engineered, properly pitched system sized for our rainfall and soils
  • Install French drains, surface drains, regrading, and outlets as one integrated system
  • Coordinate foundation, sump, and waterproofing work where the house is at risk
  • Restore the surface so the drainage blends into a finished landscape

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my yard flood when my neighbor's stays dry? It usually comes down to grade and soil. Our clay-heavy Wissahickon-schist soils barely percolate, so if your lot slopes toward the house, sits lower than surrounding property, or sheds roof water at the foundation, the rain has nowhere to go and pools. A neighbor with better grade or a working drainage system stays dry. We trace the actual source on a site visit before recommending a fix.

What is the difference between a French drain and a surface drain? A French drain is a gravel-bedded perforated pipe buried in the ground that intercepts and carries away water moving underground or through saturated soil. A surface drain, like a catch basin or channel drain, captures water that is already pooling on top of the ground. Because our clay soils hold water both ways, many Chester County properties need both, tied into one outlet to a safe discharge point.

Do you handle foundation and basement water? Yes. We control the water on the outside, where most of it starts, with perimeter drainage, downspout management, and grade that moves runoff away from the foundation. When a basement is actively taking on water, we coordinate with sump pumps and interior waterproofing so the inside and outside systems work together rather than fighting each other.

What affects the cost of a drainage project? Cost depends on how much water you have, where it comes from, and how far it has to travel to a safe outlet. Length and depth of pipe, the number of catch basins, the amount of regrading, soil and access conditions, and whether foundation or stormwater-permit work is involved all factor in. Because we diagnose the source first and scope a real solution, you understand the investment before we dig rather than after.

Related design services: French Drain Installation · Yard Drainage · Downspout Drainage · Grading & Regrading · Foundation Drainage.

Areas We Serve

Ready to start? Request a consultation or call (610) 422-3474.

About JHL Landscape Design

JHL Landscape Design is a design-build landscape company serving Chester County, Delaware County and the Main Line from West Chester (701 S Franklin St). We design, install, and care for complete landscapes — landscape design and 3D rendering, hardscape and patios, drainage and grading, and plantings — with every project grounded in a plan you approve before work begins.

PA HIC #PA035784 | ICPI Certified | HBA Member — Chester & Delaware Counties | BBB A+ | 20+ Years Chester County

JHL Landscape Design | PA HIC #PA035784 | ICPI Certified | Licensed & Insured 701 S Franklin St, West Chester, PA 19382 (610) 422-3474

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