Lawn guy here what is with new builds having no drains?

Posted by Ok_Tadpole7839@reddit | Dallas | View on Reddit | 27 comments

I'm not here promoting my business just wanted to get this out the way . Why are new builds not coming with drains in the lawns? Some of my customers ( new builds ) have not drainage but the yard has not slope for the water to run off any where ... I seen one people have drains I seen what happens long term.

[-]

North_Maybe1998@reddit

Because they don’t press their builder enough to put it in

[-]

BigSmoothplaya@reddit

\^This, bought a house last year and called DR Horton immediately after the first rainstorm. Sent some pics and they installed French drains under warranty

[-]

shemademytonguenumb@reddit

Wish I had done this. Our backyard ends up cut in half due to the slope they build these houses on.

[-]

Delicious_Hand527@reddit

Adding drains to downspouts is a relatively new thing. Most homes don't have downspouts that drain underwater.

[-]

TransportationEng@reddit

Well graded lawns don't need drains.

[-]

KitchenPalentologist@reddit

You're getting downvoted, but you're right. When lots are prepped for the foundation, they are normally sloped so that water sheds appropriately.

If that sloping isn't possible, then a drainage system should be installed.

But most lots in my area drain just fine just via the grading of the lot.

[-]

Ok_Tadpole7839@reddit (OP)

Most are not unless they: A. Pay for it to be done, or B. Have the builder or whoever takes care of it handle it before they get it.

And no one is getting that done right after buying a house. Whoever maintained it likely put too much topsoil there, so the lawn is “high.” As long as nothing kills the lawn, there should not be any erosion, but all the water will flow to the worst places, especially areas with a lot of foot traffic.

[-]

TransportationEng@reddit

It's literally part of the design plans. If it doesn't work, it is on the builder fix during the warranty period.

[-]

Ok_Tadpole7839@reddit (OP)

Never bought a home

[-]

SimpleVegetable5715@reddit

Yeah, but a bunch of lawns around here puddle up. They should have french drains, but they don’t.

[-]

VelociTopher@reddit

Long term? Builders don't care about long term. 😂

[-]

KitchenPalentologist@reddit

I worked for one of the largest homebuilders in the US. You're right, they only care about bottom line (which means reducing cost everywhere possible), but due to a litany of litigation for water runoff and the damage it can cause, they did start mandating minimum ground slope on lots, and drainage systems in cases where the minimum slope couldn't be achieved.

To protect that bottom line.

Smaller and mid-sized builders might not care?

[-]

Ok_Tadpole7839@reddit (OP)

Fair

[-]

txnewsprincess@reddit

I don't think a lot of people realize that they're beneficial. When we moved into our house (not a new build, but it was flipped), the previous owner had put in drains. It made the whole mosquito problem virtually non-existent.

[-]

YaGetSkeeted0n@reddit

Shoot I'm in an old build and don't have a French drain. And my house was built on a damn hill -- not at the tippy top either!

[-]

remarkable_in_argyle@reddit

I’m in the middle of a hill, too. Retaining walls and drains are now the bane of my existence.

[-]

Ok_Tadpole7839@reddit (OP)

For lawncare ? Dam me ill send you my info

[-]

number231@reddit

Drain install Trench Run pron

[-]

Montallas@reddit

We bought a 2016 “high end” builder spec house in Dallas from the first owners. Immediately realized drainage was a big problem in the backyard. It would flood to +6” after rain and sit. The yard was a muddy mess and we couldn’t keep grass.

This was weird because there were 6 9” french drain catch basins spaced well through throughout the yard. I assumed the underground pipes must be clogged so I hired a guy to come out and clear them. He was puzzled as well, and was inspecting the basins, then laughed and reached down and pulled one up straight out of the ground. I said “oh so they’re not connected to the pipes?” And he replied “there ARE no pipes!”

Either the original landscaper fooled the builder, or the builder wanted it to appear as though there were drains to help sell the house but didn’t want to pay for them. But either way, we had a fake french drain system….

I got a real system put in and we are all good now, but the gall!!!!

[-]

Ok_Tadpole7839@reddit (OP)

Lol how much was it and how long did it take ?

[-]

Montallas@reddit

I honestly don’t remember how much it was. It wasn’t cheap - but it also wasn’t so much that I remember the number like some of the projects I’ve had done. I recall it took a few days because I remember walking the trench after work.

The guy who did it is more of a handyman so it wasn’t the best work (as in - it wasn’t graded all that well afterwards so there was a dip on top of the lines) but it drains well and I’ve fixed the grading over time.

[-]

RichardPainusDM@reddit

I worked for a residential remodel contractor. Once had a months long battle on a job with a former Dallas customer who swore up and down that there was a drain pipe we could tie our drainage lines into in his back yard. I was trying to tell him he’d more drainage than agreed.

He Claimed the pipe ran beneath all of his pool equipment, beneath a tree, and out under a fence. I asked “how could it possibly do that?” To which the customer replied “I’ve already had it installed, I paid a lot of money for that drainage system”. I said “Okay but if we get out here and there’s no drainage, you’ll need to pay a change order cuz we’re not paying to have your mythical drainage pipe installed for you”.

Down the line, our Concrete crew dug up his entire yard all the way down the side of house trying to find the goddamn thing. Turns out the customer paid some random contractor $7,000 to not lay down any drain pipe at all. He paid us the Change order.

[-]