Katy Drainage Home / Services / Soggy Yard Diagnosis
Why is my Katy yard always soggy?
Two different problems look the same from the patio. Either water keeps arriving on the lawn, or the water that lands there cannot leave. The fix for one does little for the other, so the first visit should settle which one you have.
Two Questions That Split the Problem
| If you notice | Water is probably | Where that points |
|---|---|---|
| The wet area is worst below a downspout or roof valley | Arriving from the roof | Downspout extensions or a buried line |
| It is wet along the fence after the neighbor’s sprinklers run | Arriving from next door | Grade and swale work at the lot line |
| One zone is wet on dry, rainless days | Arriving from irrigation | A licensed irrigator, not a drainage crew |
| The whole lawn stays soft for days after any real rain | Staying because the ground drains slowly | French drain or subsurface work |
| A low corner ponds and the rest of the yard is fine | Staying because there is no path out | A catch basin or regrading |
The Ground Under a Katy Lawn
The soil series named for the town is described by the USDA as a fine sandy loam over a subsoil that turns more clayey with depth, with moderately slow permeability and slopes mostly under 1 percent. A temporary water table forms in the upper layers in the cool months and after heavy rain.
That description explains the most common complaint in newer Katy subdivisions: the yard takes the rain quickly, then holds it. The lawn is not flooding; it is saturated. Surface drains do little for that, because there is not much water on top to catch.
The soil and grading page goes further into what that means for the yard.
What a Useful First Visit Covers
- Where every downspout lets out, and where that water goes next.
- The fall of the ground from the slab outward, checked with a level rather than by eye.
- The lowest point of the lot and whether it has any way to reach the street or an easement.
- Beds, borders, fences and patios added since the house was built.
- Sprinkler heads and zones in the wet area.
- Whether the lot is in the city, Harris County or Fort Bend County, which decides the permit question.
If a contractor proposes a French drain before looking at the downspouts, ask why. It is the most expensive answer, and on some lots it is the wrong one.
Soggy Lawn Questions
Why does my yard stay wet when it has not rained for days?
On much of the Katy prairie the upper soil drains faster than the layer beneath it, so water perches in the top few inches. A lawn over that layer can stay soft long after the surface looks dry.
Can a sprinkler system cause this?
Yes. A zone that runs too long, a broken head or a leaking line can keep one area wet. The contractor may point it out; a licensed irrigator repairs it.
Find Out Which Problem You Have
Tell the contractor how long the lawn stays soft and where it is worst. The walk-through answers the arriving-or-staying question before anything is quoted.
Call (346) 239-7247 Send the Details