Grading & Drainage

Grading & Drainage Solutions That Send Water Where It Belongs

Grading, French drains, catch basins, and swales that move water away from your home, for properties across Lynn, the North Shore, and Essex & Middlesex Counties.

Get a Free Estimate (781) 704-1096

Fixing the Cause, Not Just the Symptom

Water is one of the most common threats to a New England property. A yard that puddles after every storm, a basement that seeps in spring, a lawn that stays soggy into summer: these aren’t cosmetic problems. Left alone, poor drainage undermines foundations and drowns lawns.

Grading and drainage work solves the problem at its source. Grading means shaping the ground so water runs away from your home instead of toward it. Drainage means giving that water a clear, managed path to a safe outlet. Get both right and standing water, erosion, and wet basements stop being a yearly headache.

Family-run and based in Lynn since 2002, Zacarias Tree & Landscaping is licensed, bonded, and fully insured, and we bring the same contractor’s mindset to drainage as to every job: find where the water comes from, plan a clear fix, and put it in writing.

Grading That Sends Water Where It Should Go

20+Years of local projects

Solve Water Problems

Grading That Sends Water Where It Should Go

Standing water and runoff damage lawns and foundations. We regrade and shape the ground to move water away.

Corrects pooling & runoff
Protects lawns & foundations
Licensed, Bonded & Fully Insured

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How Zacarias Approaches a Drainage Problem

No two wet yards are the same, so we don’t sell a one-size-fits-all pipe. We start with your specific property, then match the solution to the problem.

We walk the property with you. We identify where the water is coming from and where it should go: roof runoff, a high neighboring lot, a low spot that never drains, or a downspout dumping at the foundation.
We outline a clear scope. You get the priorities, the plan, and realistic scheduling before work starts, so there are no surprises.
We install it to last. Depending on the fix, that means the right aggregate (crushed stone), separation fabric where the soil calls for it, and access points so the system can be maintained later.
We agree on restoration up front. Trenching and grading are disruptive by nature, so the written estimate should spell out how the lawn, beds, and surfaces will be restored afterward.

Our work follows proven drainage practices: properly compacted bases, the right aggregate and separation fabric, and sound stormwater fundamentals for managing runoff responsibly.

The Solutions We Install

Most drainage jobs use one method or a combination of a few. Here’s what each one does and when it makes sense:

Surface grading & yard regrading. Reshaping the slope of the land so water sheds away from the house. Often the first and most important fix. You can’t out-pipe a yard that slopes the wrong way.
French drains. A gravel-filled trench with perforated pipe that intercepts groundwater and subsurface water, carrying it to a safe outlet. The go-to for soggy lawns and water migrating toward a foundation.
Catch basins. A collection point that captures surface water from a low spot and ties it into a drainage line, ideal for the one corner that always ponds.
Swales. A shallow, graded channel (often planted) that guides runoff along a controlled path instead of letting it sheet everywhere.
Downspout routing & discharge management. Getting roof water out from against the foundation and carried well away from the house, where it belongs.
Site preparation for hardscapes. Base grading and drainage before a patio or walkway goes in, so the surface doesn’t heave or shift.

The right combination depends on your soil, your grade, and where the water comes from, which is what the site visit is for.

What Affects the Cost and Timeline

A drainage estimate depends on where the water comes from and where it can go, so we price it after walking the site. These are the main drivers of cost and timeline:

The size of the problem. A single downspout re-route is a very different job from regrading a whole backyard or a long French drain run.
How far the water has to travel. The distance to a safe outlet, and whether one already exists, affects trenching and materials.
Soil and access. Heavy clay, ledge, or a tight backyard with no equipment access all add labor, and some soils need more fabric and aggregate than others.
Whether it’s tied to another project. Drainage bundled with a new patio, a lawn renovation, or a bed renovation is often more efficient than a standalone visit, because the site is already open. Ask for lawn and bed restoration to be listed in the written estimate, since trenching and regrading disturb both.

Timeline depends on scale and weather. A focused fix can be a day or two, while a full regrade takes longer. If a storm has brought a tree down along with the flooding, our 24/7 emergency tree crew can make that part safe first.

HundredsLocal jobs completed

Drainage Done Right

Practical Fixes That Actually Work

From swales to buried drains, we install drainage that handles New England's heavy rain and snowmelt.

Swales & subsurface drainage
Restoration spelled out up front
Free on-site estimates

Where the Water Can Legally Go

Moving water away from your house is only half the job; it also has to land somewhere acceptable. Slope: building codes commonly call for the ground to fall about six inches within the first ten feet from a foundation, and many older North Shore homes have lost that slope as soil settled against the house. Restoring it is often the cheapest fix there is. Neighbors and streets: Massachusetts courts judge surface-water disputes by what is reasonable, and redirecting a concentrated flow onto a neighbor’s lot is a classic way to start one. Many towns also bar piping sump or yard water into the street or storm drain, so check with your DPW before any outlet is chosen. Where there is no legal outlet, a dry well or an infiltration trench lets water soak in on your own property.

Wetlands: if your yard is within about 100 feet of a wetland, stream, pond, or marsh, grading and drainage work can fall under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act, which means a conversation with the local conservation commission first. That comes up often near the marshes in Saugus and Lynn and along the coast. Soil and ledge: heavy clay and shallow ledge both slow infiltration, so a dry well that works in sandy soil may need to be larger, or replaced by a surface swale, on those sites. And before any trench is cut, utilities are marked through Dig Safe, as state law requires.

Tree roots and water problems often travel together; our guide on tree roots and yard drainage explains when to look at both at once. Planning a patio? Read drainage before patio installation before the base goes in.

Grading & Drainage FAQs

Common Drainage Questions, Answered

Do I need a French drain or a catch basin?

It depends on the water. A French drain intercepts water moving through the soil. It's the fix for a lawn that's soggy across a whole area or water migrating toward a foundation. A catch basin captures surface water pooling in one low spot. Many properties use both, and we'll tell you which after walking the site.

Can grading and drainage fix water getting into my basement?

Often, yes, when the cause is outside. A lot of wet basements come down to water pooling against the foundation because the ground slopes the wrong way or a downspout discharges right at the wall. Regrading and rerouting that water is frequently the missing piece, and we'll assess whether the source is something we can correct from the exterior.

Why does my yard have standing water after every rain?

Usually one of a few things: the ground slopes toward a low spot instead of away, the soil is heavy and drains slowly, or roof and driveway runoff has nowhere to go. Grading corrects the slope; a French drain, catch basin, or swale gives the water a managed path out.

Will drainage work tear up my whole lawn?

Trenching and grading are disruptive while the work is happening. We plan access to limit the damage, and your written estimate should spell out how the lawn and beds will be restored afterward, so you know what the finished site will look like.

Can you handle drainage before you build my patio or walkway?

Yes, and it's the right way to do it. Proper base grading and drainage under a hardscape keeps the surface from heaving or shifting. When a job calls for it, our grading crew coordinates directly with our hardscaping work so the drainage and the finished surface are planned together.

How soon can you come look at the problem?

We provide free estimates, and site visits are usually scheduled the same day you reach out. Photos or video from the last heavy rain help a lot, because they show where the water actually moves and pools.

Can I pipe my yard water to the street or my neighbor's property?

Usually not without checking first. Many towns bar tying sump or yard drainage into the street or storm drain, and sending concentrated runoff onto a neighbor's lot can lead to a dispute under Massachusetts surface-water law. Ask your DPW about outlets; where none is allowed, a dry well or infiltration trench keeps the water on your own property.

Request Your Free Grading & Drainage Estimate

Tell us where the water pools or gets in, and when it happens, and we'll call to schedule a free site visit, usually the same day.

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Talk to a Local Zacarias Pro

Drainage fixes are planned on site by a family-run Lynn company, licensed, bonded & insured since 2002, solving wet yards across the North Shore and Essex & Middlesex Counties.

Visit / Mail80 Mayfair St, Lynn, MA 01904
24/7 Emergency Line(781) 704-1096
HoursMon to Sun, 9am to 5pm • 24/7 emergency response

Stop Fighting the Same Wet Spot Every Year

Get a free, no-obligation site visit and we'll trace where the water is coming from and give you a clear plan to fix it. Explore our full range of landscaping services, see how drainage ties into our hardscaping work, or check our service area across Lynn and the North Shore.

Get a Free Estimate (781) 704-1096