Drainage & Grading · Ottawa
Yard drainage and grading in Ottawa
French drains, clear-stone strips and regrading for Ottawa yards that hold water. We trace where the water comes from, choose where it can leave, and build the path between.
- Clear stone
- Filter fabric
- Perforated pipe
- Dimpled membrane
What goes wrong
Where yard water causes trouble
Yard water causes trouble where it stops moving: pooling on the lawn, running along the side of the house or sitting against the foundation. In winter the same spots turn into ice on walkways and heaved slabs. Old patio slabs tilted toward the house make it worse.
We follow the whole path of the water first: roof and downspouts, the slope of the yard, low spots, the neighbour’s grade and where an outlet is possible. Then we choose the fix. That can be regrading, a French drain, clear stone along the foundation, or a mix.
Excess water moves away from the house and out of the areas you use, and the yard dries out after a storm.
How we build it
How a drainage fix is built
Every lot drains differently. The drawing shows the parts most of our drainage jobs use.
- Find the source
Roof water, runoff, a neighbour’s slope or a high water table: each needs its own fix.
- Outlet first
Chosen before digging. A drain with nowhere to discharge only moves the puddle.
- Protect the foundation
A dimpled membrane under the stone can steer water away from the wall.
- Grade the surface
Finished ground slopes away from the house, toward the drain.
- Clear-stone surfaceOpen stone over the membrane, so water gets off the surface fast and is carried away from the wall.Open and free-draining
- Filter fabricKeeps soil from washing into the stone and clogging it over time.Laid over the soil
- Perforated pipe, where neededCollects water in the trench and carries it to the planned outlet.Laid to fall
- Stone beddingSurrounds the pipe so water can reach it from all sides.Levelled across the area
- Graded native soilTrench bottom shaped to fall steadily toward the outlet.To firm ground
What we build
Drainage and grading: the work we take on
French drains
A trench with filter fabric, clean stone and pipe where the design calls for it, collecting water and carrying it to an outlet.
Catch basins
Ask about a catch basin for a low spot that collects surface water.
Clear-stone along foundations
Old slabs removed and replaced with a clear-stone strip over a dimpled membrane, shaped to carry water away from the wall.
Grading corrections
Soil reshaped so the ground falls away from the foundation and toward a place water can go.
Downspout routing
Ask about carrying roof water further from the house or tying it into a drainage line.
Real projects
Drainage and grading we have built
Our own jobs, photographed on site by the Korvex crew.
French drain, walkway and rear patio
A French drain across the lawn, membrane and clear stone along the house, then a slab walkway to a rear patio.
View project“Vlad and his coworkers are very hard working and professional with a realistic and fair pricing that cant beat any other company out there ! We just had a major leak in our basement and they efficiently waterproofed the foundation and created a french drain with outstanding finish of layering gravel and pavement reconstruction. They are the people to call for almost any kind of work on your house !! Thank you guys God Bless & Respekt!”
Gio Ivana Herrera · Foundation waterproofing and French drain
Related services
Often built together
Service areas
Drainage and grading across the Ottawa area
Soil, lot grading rules and house age change from one part of Ottawa to the next. Here is what that means for this work in each area.
On request: Gloucester, Carp, Richmond, Russell, Embrun. To check your street, call or text 613-880-7679.
- OttawaOriginal lot grading
The City expects owners to keep the lot grades set by the original grading plan. Swales cannot be filled, piped or blocked by sheds, gardens or other landscaping.
- KanataGroundwater near the Carp River
The same study estimated groundwater at about 2 to 3 m down, rising and falling with the seasons. Low yards need a clear plan for where surface water goes.
- StittsvilleNew homes, recent grading plans
Nearly half of Stittsville’s homes are less than ten years old, so many lots still follow their original grading plan. The City expects owners to keep those grades and leave swales open.
- BarrhavenJock River floodplain
The Jock River through south Barrhaven has a mapped 100-year floodplain, and part of it north of the river was cut and filled in 2019–2020 for a new subdivision.
- NepeanFinding the original grading
If a grading plan exists, the City provides it through an Access to Building Permit Records request. When there is none on record, 3-1-1 handles grading questions.
- OrleansYards from the 1970s boom
The first big wave of suburban streets went up in the 1970s, so the oldest yards are around fifty years old. Original patios, walls and fences there have been through many freeze and thaw cycles.
- ManotickRideau River regulated areas
Structures, site grading and fill in floodplain or shoreline areas can need a Rideau Valley Conservation Authority permit. Its online map shows whether a property is regulated.
- Riverside SouthRecent lots and grading plans
Owners are expected to keep the grades set by the original grading plan, and swales and catch basins stay open. Newer homes are more likely to have that plan on record with the City.
FAQ
What homeowners ask about drainage and grading
Will a French drain fix my wet basement?
A French drain can cut the amount of yard water reaching your foundation. Basement leaks also come from cracks, window wells or the foundation drain itself, so Korvex looks at where the water actually enters before recommending anything. When the source is outside, regrading, a French drain or clear stone along the wall is often part of the answer.
Where does the collected water go?
That depends on your lot: a lower part of the yard, a spot where it can soak in, or another suitable outlet. It should never be sent onto a neighbour’s property. Korvex chooses the outlet before any digging, because a drain with nowhere to discharge simply moves the puddle to a new spot.
Do I need a French drain or just regrading?
If the ground slopes toward the house, regrading is usually the first fix and often the only one needed. A French drain helps where water keeps collecting even with a good slope, where a neighbour’s yard drains onto yours, or where a tight side yard leaves no room to regrade. Korvex recommends the simplest fix that moves the water.
Why replace slabs next to the house with clear stone?
Old slabs often settle and tip toward the foundation, sending rain and snowmelt straight to the wall. Korvex replaces them with a strip of clear stone over a dimpled membrane, sloped away from the house, so water drops off the surface quickly and moves away from the foundation.
Am I allowed to change the grading of my yard?
City of Ottawa rules apply: owners are expected to keep the grades from the lot’s original grading plan and never cover swales or catch basins. Korvex plans slope and drainage within those limits, so water moves away from your foundation and your lot keeps working with the neighbours’ lots as designed.
How long does drainage work take?
Most Korvex jobs take one to two weeks on site. For drainage, the length of the trench, digging access, the outlet and what surface goes back on top set the schedule. Utility locates come first, and heavy rain can pause digging until the ground dries. The start date comes with the written quote.
How much does drainage work cost?
Drainage pricing depends on the length of the drain, digging access, the outlet and the surface that goes back on top. Korvex Developments quotes after walking your Ottawa property with you, ideally after we have seen where water sits following a rain, and you get a written price for the whole fix.
Book a free drainage estimate
Tell us what you want built and send a few photos. We come out, look at what sits under the job, and give you the scope and the price in writing.