Drainage – Residential

Yard drainage in central and southeast Indiana usually comes down to moving water away from the house with the right mix of grading, swales, French drains, drain tile and dry wells. Jordan Excavating LLC designs and installs residential drainage for homeowners across 20 Indiana counties, starting with a site visit to see where the water actually goes.

Key Takeaways

• Indiana averages about 40.5 inches of rain a year, and the southern part of the state gets close to 47 inches.
• Days with 2 inches or more of rain have become more common in Indiana since 1990, which puts more stress on yard drainage.
• Grading should slope at least 1/2 inch per foot for 10 feet away from the house; where there is no room, a swale or drain takes over.
• The right drainage fix depends on your soil, the slope of the lot and where the water can legally and safely go.
• Any trench for drain tile or a dry well requires a call to Indiana 811 at least two full working days ahead.

How Much Rain Does Central Indiana Get?

More than most people think. The Indiana state climate summary puts the long-term statewide average at about 40.5 inches of precipitation a year. It ranges from about 37 inches in the north to about 47 inches in the south, so the southeast part of our service area, around Columbus, Seymour, North Vernon and Batesville, tends to be on the wetter side.

The bigger issue for yards is heavy rain. The same summary reports that Indiana has seen more 2-inch rain days, with counts above the long-term average since 1990, and projects more frequent and intense heavy rain in the future. A drainage system that handled a normal spring may not keep up with a 2-inch storm. When we design residential drainage, we plan for those big storms, not just an average week.

Which Drainage Solution Is Right For My Yard?

The original section of this page lists the common systems. Here is how we decide between them on a residential job:

• Regrading: the first fix when the yard pitches toward the house. See our residential grading page.
• Swale: a shallow, grassed channel that carries surface water around the house. It works well on open lawns with some fall.
• French drain or drain tile: perforated pipe in a gravel trench that collects water below the surface. Good for soggy areas where water sits after the surface dries.
• Solid pipe for downspouts: carries roof water to a safe outlet instead of dumping it next to the foundation.
• Dry well: a buried chamber that lets water soak in slowly. It only works if the soil can take the water.

Most yards need a combination, and every system needs a safe outlet.

Why Does Indiana Soil Make Drainage Harder?

A lot of ground in central and southeast Indiana does not drain well on its own. Purdue Extension groups Indiana soils into drainage associations and notes that most of them usually benefit from drainage. That is one reason tile drainage is so common on Indiana farms, and why many yards built on similar ground stay wet.

Purdue also points out that surface drainage comes first. Shaping the land so water runs off is usually step one, with subsurface tile added where water still sits. That is the order we follow in yards too. Before we dig, we look at the soil, and homeowners can look up their own soil in the county soil survey through the local Extension or Soil and Water Conservation District office. Clay that holds water may rule out a dry well and point toward tile or a swale instead.

How Do We Plan A Residential Drainage Project?

Every drainage job starts on site. Our process looks like this:

1. Walk the yard. We look at where water sits, where downspouts discharge and how the lot slopes, ideally soon after a rain.
2. Find the outlet. Water has to go somewhere safe, such as a ditch, a storm inlet where allowed, or a lower part of the property, without sending it onto a neighbor.
3. Shoot grades. We use GPS-guided equipment so pipe and swales have real fall.
4. Call 811. Indiana 811 needs at least two full working days of notice before we trench.
5. Install and restore. We lay pipe or shape swales, backfill, replace topsoil and leave the area ready for seed.

For larger properties and farm fields, see our commercial drainage and grassed waterways pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to fix standing water in my yard?

It depends on why the water is there. If the yard slopes toward the house or has low spots, regrading is usually the first fix. If water sits under the surface after rain, a French drain or drain tile may be needed. Jordan Excavating LLC walks the property first and recommends the simplest fix that will work.

What is the difference between a swale and a French drain?

A swale is a shallow, grassed channel shaped into the yard that carries surface water away. A French drain is a gravel-filled trench with perforated pipe that collects water below the surface. Swales handle runoff across a lawn, while French drains handle soggy ground. Many Indiana yards use both together.

Will a dry well work in Indiana clay soil?

Sometimes, but not always. A dry well depends on the soil around it soaking up water, and many central and southeast Indiana soils drain slowly. Purdue Extension notes that most Indiana soils benefit from added drainage. If your soil holds water, a swale, drain tile or regrading to a proper outlet is usually more reliable.

Do I need to call 811 before installing a yard drain?

Yes. Indiana law requires contacting Indiana 811 at least two full working days before any excavation, including a drain tile trench or dry well. Weekends and legal holidays do not count. When Jordan Excavating installs a drainage system, we place the locate request and wait for all utility marks before we dig.

Where does Jordan Excavating install residential drainage?

We install yard drainage across 20 counties in central and southeast Indiana from our base in Greensburg, including Decatur, Bartholomew, Shelby, Johnson, Marion, Hamilton, Hancock, Jennings and Ripley. That includes Columbus, Greenwood, Franklin, Shelbyville, Indianapolis, Greenfield, North Vernon and Batesville. Call (812) 371-6999 to set up a site visit.

Get A Free Estimate

If water is sitting in your yard or heading for your foundation, we will come out, see where it goes and lay out a plan that fixes it. Jordan Excavating LLC is licensed, insured and BBB accredited. Request your free estimate online or call (812) 371-6999.

Related: Residential Grading | Commercial Drainage | Grassed Waterways

Written by Cameron Jordan, owner of Jordan Excavating LLC, serving central and southeast Indiana for 10+ years. Last updated: October 22, 2026.

Sources: Indiana State Climate Summary 2022 (NOAA NCEI) | Purdue Extension AY-300: Drainage Recommendations for Indiana Soils | U.S. DOE Building Science: Final Grade Slopes Away From Foundation | Indiana 811: 5 Steps to Safe Digging