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Drainage and grading after an Austin storm

January 2026 · 5 min read

Austin does not get steady rain, it gets four inches in ninety minutes. Whether that water is a non-event or a foundation problem comes down to a few dollars of grading and a downspout that reaches far enough.

Walk the house during the rain, not after

The most useful drainage inspection in Austin happens with an umbrella. You can see exactly where water goes, which no dry inspection will tell you.

  • Gutters sheeting over the front edge means clogs or undersized downspouts.
  • Water pooling within ten feet of the slab means grading is working against you.
  • Splash-back staining on siding means the downspout dumps too close.
  • Standing water over a yard drain means the line is blocked or collapsed.

The fixes, cheapest first

Drainage work escalates in cost quickly, so start at the top of this list.

  • Clear gutters and downspouts, then add extensions running six feet or more from the house.
  • Re-grade soil so it drops about an inch per foot for the first six feet.
  • Clear or replace clogged yard drains and confirm the outlet daylights.
  • Add a French drain or swale only where the first three did not solve it.

After a big storm, check these

Storm damage in Austin is usually cumulative rather than dramatic. A quick pass after every major event catches it early.

  • Fresh soil washed out at retaining walls or bed edges.
  • New low spots holding water beside the foundation.
  • Debris packed into roof valleys and gutter corners.
  • Fence posts leaning where soil moved.

Questions we get

How far should downspouts discharge from the house?
At least four to six feet, and further on clay soil or a sloped lot. Buried extensions that daylight downhill are better than splash blocks.
Do I need a French drain?
Usually not as the first move. Most Austin yards that seem to need one actually need working gutters, longer downspout runs, and corrected grading.
Does drainage really affect my foundation?
More than almost anything else. Uneven soil moisture is the primary driver of foundation movement in Central Texas clay, and drainage is what makes moisture uneven.

Rather not track all this?

Well Kept Home members get this work scheduled through the year by the same Austin crew, with written notes and photos after every visit.

View plansBook a visitAustin neighborhoods (737) 259-8551

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