Grading, drainage & French drain installation
Looking for a drainage contractor near you? Marvel installs French drains, repairs failed drain lines and regrades ground so water runs away from your house, your driveway and your buildings instead of sitting on them. Licensed and insured, 5.0 stars on Google, and every estimate is free.
French drains, grading and drainage systems
Water is the reason most driveways, yards and building pads fail. Get it moving in the right direction and everything you build on top of the ground lasts longer.
French Drain Installation
A gravel-bedded perforated line that collects water below grade and carries it somewhere safe. It is the standard fix for ground that will not dry out or water sitting against a foundation.
Site Grading
Surface water drainage starts here: reshaping the ground so water runs where you want it to. Cut, fill and compaction, whether it is a building pad, a yard, or the base under a new driveway.
Drainage & French Drain Repair
French drain repair on older lines that have collapsed, silted up or were never pitched properly. We work out where the water is actually going before anyone starts digging.
Driveway & Road Drainage
Culverts, cross drains and shoulder work so a long driveway or private road sheds water instead of rutting out every winter.
Catch Basins & Drain Lines
Surface inlets, drain boxes and solid pipe run out to daylight or a legal discharge point, sized for the water the site actually gets.
Erosion & Runoff Control
Swales, rock and fabric where a slope is losing soil, plus the grading that stops the problem coming back next season.
If water is not leaving, it is going somewhere
Standing water is rarely just a wet patch. It is water finding the lowest point and staying there, and over a season or two it works into foundations, softens the base under pavement and carries soil off slopes. These are the signs worth acting on.
- Water stands in the yard for days after it rains
- Runoff heads toward the house or pools against the foundation
- The driveway ruts, washes or gullies every winter
- The same patch stays soggy, mossy or bare year after year
- Downspouts dump straight onto the ground beside the house
- An existing drain line has quietly stopped taking water
The part nobody sees, and the reason pavement lasts
Most paving contractors sub the grading out. We do not, so the base under anything we pave was cut, filled and compacted by the same crew that laid the surface.
Grading Before Paving
Cut, fill, base rock and compaction done properly first, so the driveway or lot laid on top of it holds its shape and sheds water.
Asphalt paving
When Water Has Already Won
If drainage is what broke the driveway, patching the surface is temporary. We fix the water first, then the asphalt.
Driveway repairA local drainage contractor
Comparing drainage companies, or looking for a French drain contractor near you? Marvel is a local drainage contractor and grading contractor, not a national outfit routing your call somewhere else. We install and repair French drains and grade property in Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Sebastopol, Sonoma, Healdsburg, Windsor, Napa, San Rafael and Novato, and we come out to look at it for free.
“The crew showed up on time and left the site clean. The seal coating looks great and the whole process was straightforward.”
“I appreciated that they explained exactly what needed to be done before starting. The grading work solved a drainage problem we had dealt with for years.”
“Solid work and clear communication throughout. The asphalt repairs held up well and the striping came out sharp.”
A free look, then a written price
No high-pressure close, no today-only discount, no number invented over the phone.
Call, text or request a quote
Tell us about your driveway or lot. Call, text or send the form, whatever is easiest.
Free on-site estimate
We come to you, measure, and give you a clear written price. No pressure, no invented numbers.
Scheduled around you
We book your job in the dry-weather window and work around your home or business hours.
Paved, striped and cleaned up
Precise paving and striping, cleaned up and ready to use.
Save 10% on paving jobs 3,000+ sq ft
Schedule now and save 10% on any paving project of 3,000 square feet or more. Free estimates, always. Just mention the offer when you call or text.
Get your free drainage estimate
Tell us where the water is sitting and we will come out for a free, no-obligation look. Prefer to talk? Call or text (707) 484-1771.
- A free, no-pressure on-site visit with a clear written price
- Licensed and insured, CSLB #1011139
- 5.0 stars on Google from local North Bay customers
- Save 10% on paving jobs of 3,000 sq ft or more
Quick reply, no forms needed. Text us photos of your driveway or lot any time.
Straight answers before you call
What is a French drain and when do I need one?
A French drain is a perforated pipe bedded in gravel and wrapped in filter fabric, set below grade so it collects water out of the soil and carries it away. It is the usual answer when ground stays saturated, when water is sitting against a foundation, or when a low spot will not drain on its own.
What does French drain installation cost?
It comes down to how long the run is, how deep we have to go, how easy the site is to get equipment into, and where the water can legally go once we have collected it. We will not guess at that over the phone. We come out, look at where the water actually moves, and give you a written price at no cost.
Can you do drainage work in the winter?
Yes, and it is often the best time. Asphalt paving needs warm dry weather, but grading and drainage do not, and a wet winter is when a drainage problem finally shows you exactly where the water is going. If you are watching it pool right now, that is worth a call.
Do you repair French drains and drain lines that already exist?
We do. French drain repair is a good share of the drainage work we get called for, and a lot of those calls turn out to be a line that has silted up, been crushed, or was laid without enough fall to move water. We find out which one it is before recommending anything, because a repair is usually cheaper than a new system.
Do you handle the grading before paving?
Yes, and it is the part that decides how long pavement lasts. Grading, base rock and compaction are our own work, so when we pave a driveway or a lot the surface underneath was built by the same crew. See our asphalt paving page for the paving side.
Are you a licensed drainage contractor?
Yes. Marvel is a licensed and insured drainage contractor, CSLB #1011139, and we are happy to show you the paperwork before any work starts.
Get a free, no-pressure paving estimate
Driveways, parking lots, chip seal, grading and repair, done right by a third-generation family business you can reach directly. Tell us what you need and we will come take a look.