East Bay drainage questions, answered while it's raining

Take photos or video of where it collects and where the nearby downspouts empty, then request an assessment. Water that sits against a foundation usually points to grading that slopes toward the house or roof water discharging too close. Alfonso checks both on site.

Usually. Common fixes are a channel drain or catch basins tied to solid pipe, regrading the path, or moving downspout discharge. Which one is right depends on the slope and where the water can legally be discharged.

Overflowing gutters are a gutter issue, but where the downspout empties is a yard drainage issue. Extending it or connecting it to a drain line carries roof water away from the house.

Yes. Use the storm photo page to upload a photo with the details, or text it to (925) 437-4446. Every request from the storm photo page is flagged urgent so Alfonso sees it first, and the photo stays with your request.

Call while it is wet. Seeing the yard during or right after rain shows where water comes from and where it can go. Some repair work such as grading may wait for drier ground, and Alfonso tells you what can happen now and what should wait.

Usually a mix of things: East Bay clay soil that drains slowly, low spots or grading that slopes toward the house, downspouts dumping roof water in one place, and patios or pavers that have settled. We look at where the water comes from and where it can go before recommending anything.

Clay soil holds water and can stay saturated for days after heavy rain. Water that sits in the same spot for days, or reaches the house, usually needs a path out — a drain line, a regraded slope or a moved downspout — rather than waiting to evaporate.

Not always. French drains are useful for groundwater and soggy ground in some yards, but they are not the answer to every drainage problem — surface water is often better handled with channel drains, catch basins, regrading or downspout changes. We tell you which one your yard actually needs.

Base and slope change over time. Soil settles, a compacted base shifts, and pavers or slabs that sink start holding water instead of shedding it. The fix is usually lifting the affected area, correcting the base and slope, and relaying it.

A French drain is perforated pipe in drain rock that moves water travelling through the soil. A channel drain is a surface grate set in a line that catches water running across the ground. A catch basin is a box at a low point that takes surface water into pipe. Which one fits depends on where the water is coming from.

Yes, in many yards downspouts can be tied into solid drain pipe and carried to a suitable discharge point. We check that the outlet location is appropriate before connecting anything.

Often, yes. Narrow side yards can usually take a channel drain, catch basins or a regraded path. What works depends on the slope, the soil and where the water can be discharged.

To an appropriate outlet on your own property. We do not route water toward a neighbour's yard. Where the outlet can legally be is part of the assessment, and it decides which fix is workable.

Yes. We lift the sunken area, correct the base and slope underneath, and relay the pavers so water drains off instead of standing on the surface.

Usually, with an interceptor drain along the upslope side of the house routed to a legal outlet on your property, never toward a neighbour.

A way for water behind the wall to drain out — typically drain rock and perforated pipe — so water pressure does not push it over. Missing drainage is a common reason older walls lean or crack.

Leaning that changes with rain usually means water pressure building behind the wall. Have Alfonso look at it before it moves further, and avoid stacking load or digging at the base in the meantime.

Yes. We restore concrete, brick and stone steps and stairways on slopes — including a concrete-and-brick stairway restoration Alfonso completed in Lafayette.

There is no price list. Cost depends on the cause, the length of drain lines, slope, access for equipment and what has to be restored afterwards. Alfonso visits the property and gives you a free written estimate before any work starts.

Alfonso, the owner, does every estimate himself — no salesperson and no call center. He walks the yard, checks where water comes from, where it can go, the downspouts and the grade, and answers in English or Spanish. Hours are Monday to Saturday, 8 AM to 6 PM.

Before heavy rain is ideal so preventive work can be scheduled in dry weather. An assessment can happen any time, though — seeing the yard during or right after rain often shows the problem more clearly.

Contra Costa County and Alameda County, from our base in Bay Point. Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Brentwood, Danville and Concord are typical, and we cover other East Bay homes too.

No. We do not offer warranties or financing, and we do not quote prices from a list — you get a written price after Alfonso sees the property.

No drainage work can promise to eliminate all flooding. What we do is find the cause and build the fix that fits your yard, and we tell you plainly what it will and will not change.

No. We handle yard drainage — grading, downspouts, drains, pavers and walls. If what we see points to a structural or plumbing issue, we tell you who to call instead of guessing.

Sometimes. If the scope needs a permit, we tell you at the estimate, before any work starts, and walk you through what the city requires for that work.