Adding a patio or walkway? Plan the drainage at the same time

Short answer: hard surfaces do not soak up rain the way lawn does, so every patio, walkway and driveway you add sends more water somewhere. Decide where that water goes before the paving is laid. Adding drainage later means cutting into finished work. French drains on our price list start at $65 per linear foot.

What changes when you pave

Grass and soil take in some rain, even Georgia clay, which drains slowly. Concrete, pavers and flagstone shed nearly all of it. That water flows to the edge of the surface and keeps going, along the grade, toward the lowest point. If that point is a bed, the lawn or the foundation, you have a new problem.

Questions to answer first

Which way will the surface slope? Away from the house, always.
Where does the water go at the edge? Into a lawn that can take it, a planted bed, a drain or a pipe?
What is uphill? Water from a slope above the patio will run onto it.
Where do the downspouts empty? A new patio can land in the path of existing roof water.
Is there a low spot nearby? Paving can turn a damp patch into a pond.
What else is going under it? Irrigation lines, lighting wire and audio wire.

Drainage options at the edge of a patio or walk

Option	When it fits
Slope to a lawn or bed	Gentle runoff and absorbent ground
Catch basin at a low corner	Water collects at one point
Channel or trench drain	Water runs along the whole edge
French drain along the edge	Wet slope or persistent saturation
Buried downspout line	Roof water needs to cross the area
Dry well	Water needs a place to soak in

The right choice depends on the yard. We map where water already goes before we dig, so the drain follows the flow and not a guess.

Plan the sleeves and the wire

While the ground is open, lay what you will need later.

Sleeves under the paving for irrigation pipe and wire, so a future line does not need a cut through the surface.
Wire for lighting on steps and along walkways.
Wire for speakers if you want outdoor audio near the patio.

Speaker wire shares the ground with irrigation and lighting runs, so one dig serves all of it. Our lighting page and irrigation page show what we do.

Watch the sprinklers

A patio changes how irrigation should work. Heads near the new edge will spray the surface unless they are adjusted or moved. Overspray wastes water, stains the paving and can make it slippery. Repairs and adjustments start at $95 on our price list. A narrow bed along the edge may suit drip instead of spray.

The builder and the drainage

If a patio contractor is building the surface, ask directly how they plan to handle water at the edge. A surface that looks fine on the day it is finished can fail the first heavy rain. Ask where the water goes. If they have no answer, bring us in before the pour.

Costs

French drains start at $65 per linear foot on our price list, and the total depends on length and site conditions. Other drainage work is quoted on site. A change at the planning stage is almost always cheaper than a repair afterward, because the ground is already open and the area is not yet finished.

When to call us

Call before the base is laid, or when an existing patio sheds water toward the house or leaves a puddle. We stop and tell you before doing anything we could not see. See the pricing page, our work or request a quote.

FAQ

Does a new patio cause drainage problems? It can, since it sheds water the lawn used to absorb. Planning the slope and the exit prevents most of it.

Which direction should a patio slope? Away from the house, toward a place that can handle the water.

Can I add drainage after the patio is built? Yes, but it is more work, since the surface may need cutting or the drain must go around it.

What does a French drain cost? It starts at $65 per linear foot on our price list.

Prices from our price list. Updated October 2026.