Does your Wheaton yard flood every time it rains? Do you have standing water that lingers for days, muddy patches that never dry out, or water seeping into your basement after heavy storms? You are not alone — and you do not have to live with it.
Ware Landscaping has been solving yard drainage problems for Wheaton homeowners and businesses for over 20 years. We design, install, and guarantee custom drainage systems built specifically for your property — and we back every installation with a 10-year drainage guarantee. If water comes back, we fix it free of charge.
As a homeowner in Wheaton, Illinois, owning your property comes with real challenges you never planned for. Every year, Wheaton receives an average of 39 inches of rain and 30 inches of snow. That precipitation feeds lush, green DuPage County lawns — but it also overwhelms yards that weren’t designed to handle it.
Without proper drainage, beautiful Wheaton lawns turn into swamps. Water pools near foundations. Basements flood. Soil erodes. Mosquitoes breed in standing water. Mold begins forming in basement walls. And what started as a soggy patch in the backyard becomes a structural problem affecting your home’s foundation.
DIY yard drainage in Wheaton is nearly impossible to do correctly. The heavy clay soil common throughout DuPage County — which drains poorly and compacts under saturation — means most off-the-shelf drainage products fail within a season. A system that isn’t graded correctly, installed at the right depth, or connected to a proper outlet simply moves the problem somewhere else on your property.
Ware Landscaping’s drainage experts have resolved flooding issues across Wheaton neighborhoods for over two decades. We understand Wheaton’s soil, its topography, and where the water needs to go. We identify the source of your drainage problem, design a system engineered for your specific property, and install it with the precision that earns a 10-year written guarantee.
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Before choosing a drainage solution, it helps to understand why Wheaton properties are so prone to flooding in the first place.
DuPage County clay soil is the primary culprit. Unlike sandy or loamy soils that allow water to percolate downward quickly, Wheaton’s heavy clay soil becomes near-impermeable when saturated. Water has nowhere to go — so it pools on the surface, erodes topsoil, and eventually finds its way toward the lowest point it can reach, which is often your foundation or basement.
Flat topography across much of Wheaton compounds the problem. Without natural slope to direct water away from structures, properties have no passive drainage. Water simply sits — sometimes for days after heavy rain.
Aging infrastructure in Wheaton’s older neighborhoods means downspouts, gutters, and existing drainage systems that were installed decades ago and are no longer adequate for today’s rainfall intensity.
Improper grading around home foundations — whether from settling, landscaping changes, or poor original construction — directs water toward your home rather than away from it.
Understanding your specific problem is the first step. That’s why every Ware Landscaping drainage project starts with a free on-site assessment before we recommend a single solution.
BASIC
30′ French Drain, including connecting one downspout and the sump pump.
$3,995
PREMIUM
150’ French Drain, connecting four downspouts and the sump pump, along with regrading and sodding a 150’x20’ area.
$14,995
STANDARD
90’ French Drain, connection to two downspouts and the sump pump, plus regrading and sodding 90’x15’ area.
$9,995
Estimate Disclaimer
The prices listed are initial estimates and subject to change. Each project is uniquely designed to meet your property’s specific needs, which may affect final pricing.
Introducing our unbeatable guarantee: Bid farewell to sitting water in your yard or basement. Should you ever experience this issue, we commit to promptly address and fix it at absolutely no cost. But here’s the cherry on top – if, by a rare chance, the problem persists after our intervention, we’ll not only resolve it but also treat you to two plane tickets to Hawaii. Your satisfaction is not just our promise; it’s an unforgettable experience waiting to happen.
Not every drainage issue announces itself as an obvious flood. Here are the warning signs Wheaton homeowners should watch for
If you recognize two or more of these signs, you have a drainage problem that will worsen with every rainfall. The longer it goes unaddressed, the more expensive the repair becomes. Foundation repair, mold remediation, and structural work cost many times more than a properly installed drainage system.
Every Wheaton property is unique. We don’t apply a one-size-fits-all system — we assess your property and install the solution your specific conditions require. Here are the drainage systems we work with most frequently in Wheaton:
The French drain is the most effective and most commonly installed drainage solution for flooded Wheaton yards — and it’s the system we install most frequently. A French drain consists of a perforated pipe wrapped in filter fabric, surrounded by clean gravel, and buried in a sloped trench that directs water away from your home or to a designated outlet.
What makes a French drain so effective in Wheaton is how it handles clay soil. The gravel layer intercepts water before it can saturate the clay, the perforated pipe collects it, and gravity carries it continuously away from your property. Unlike surface solutions, a French drain works underground — it doesn’t disrupt your yard’s usability or appearance.
French drains in Wheaton typically connect to downspouts, sump pump discharge lines, and surface collection basins to capture water from multiple sources simultaneously. Our installations follow NDS specifications and are guaranteed for 10 years.
French drain measurements: A properly installed French drain should be at least 1.5 feet deep and 9–12 inches wide. For properties with severe flooding or large surface areas, we go deeper and wider based on water volume and soil conditions.
A note on DIY French drains: We strongly advise against installing a French drain on your own. Incorrect depth, improper slope, wrong gravel specification, or a poorly connected outlet will result in a drain that backs up within one or two seasons. Our installations are engineered for your specific property and backed by a 10-year guarantee.
When surface water accumulates faster than it can be absorbed or redirected underground, surface drainage solutions work in combination with subsurface systems. We regrade problem areas, install collection basins at low points, connect downspout extensions, and create surface swales that direct water toward the French drain or to an appropriate outlet.
For Wheaton properties with flat topography — where there’s no natural slope to work with — we engineer a functional grade through controlled soil removal and redistribution, giving water a clear path away from your home.
Yards with no slope: We mark a drainage path, create a shallow trench that slopes gently from the problem area to the outlet point, and stabilize it with clean gravel or sod. This approach works on even the flattest DuPage County properties.
Water in your basement isn’t always a foundation problem — in most Wheaton cases, it’s a yard drainage problem that has reached your home. When yard water saturates clay soil against your foundation, it eventually finds every crack and gap in your basement walls.
We address basement water infiltration by solving the outdoor problem first: regrading the yard away from the foundation, extending downspouts, connecting the sump pump discharge to the French drain system, and installing foundation-adjacent drainage that intercepts water before it reaches your walls.
Our approach eliminates the source rather than just managing the symptom — meaning the water stops entering your basement, not just gets pumped out faster.
For larger Wheaton properties with extensive acreage, corrugated pipes provide a cost-effective way to direct large volumes of water across long distances to a designated discharge point. These systems are installed underground, preserve your yard’s surface appearance, and are particularly effective when combined with French drains in multi-zone drainage layouts.
Dry wells capture stormwater runoff — particularly from downspouts and gutters — and store it underground where it can percolate slowly into the soil rather than flooding your yard’s surface. This system is particularly valuable in Wheaton during heavy storm events when the volume of water arriving at once exceeds what a surface drain can handle.
Dry wells also prevent stormwater runoff from carrying debris, sediment, and fertilizer from your Wheaton property into the local watershed — an environmental benefit that matters in a community as environmentally conscious as Wheaton.
We schedule an on-site visit to your Wheaton property — typically within a few days to two weeks. We evaluate the drainage problem, identify every water source, and assess your yard’s grading and soil conditions. Be patient with the wait — the thorough assessment is what makes the solution work.
During the visit, our drainage expert evaluates where water is coming from and where it needs to go. We assess: standing water and flooding locations, water in the basement or crawl space, downspout discharge points, sump pump output, proximity to storm sewers or low-point outlets, and any grading issues directing water toward your home.
We develop an immediate solution and plan on-site. You receive a written estimate along with a video walkthrough explaining the proposed drainage system in detail — exactly what we’ll install, where it goes, and why. No vague estimates. No surprise charges. You’ll have everything you need to make a confident decision.
Our crew installs the drainage system in your Wheaton yard. We handle every step: excavation, French drain installation with clean gravel and collection basins, downspout and sump pump connections, grading the yard to proper slope, sod installation over disturbed areas, and full cleanup. Most Wheaton residential projects are completed in a single day.
With our ongoing drainage and lawn maintenance program, your 10-year guarantee upgrades to a lifetime drainage guarantee. We take care of everything: mowing, weekly cleanups, spring and fall cleanups, organic fertilizing, and cleaning drainage filters and testing the system twice per year.
Journey to Transforming Your Outdoor Oasis
Scheduling a Consultation:
Scheduling a Consultation:
Our office will immediately schedule an onsite appointment to come out and evaluate your drainage problem. We are usually a few days to 2 weeks out on scheduling. Be patient, it's worth it!
Site
Assessment
Site Assessment
We will assess your drainage problem and listen to your concerns. We will also find out where the water is coming from and where we can drain the water to. During the process we will evaluate if you are getting water in your basement, flooding and sitting water in your yard, downspout drainage, accounting for sump pump discharge and if there is a nearby storm sewer or low point to drain the water to.
Design and
Estimate
Design and Estimate
During the site assessment we will come up with an immediate solution and plan. We will select the type of drainage system and the location where it will go. You will receive an immediate design and estimate along with a video explaining the plan in detail. This will provide clarity on exactly what the plan is so you have everything you have to make a decision.
Installation and
Construction
Installation and Construction
Our team will layout out the drainage system in the problem areas of the yard. We will do the digout, install the french drain with clean gravel and collection basins, connect downspouts and sump pump, grade the yard to the french drain, and install the sod.
Ongoing
Maintenance
Design and Conceptualization
With our ongoing drainage and lawn maintenance program we will upgrade our drainage guarantee from a 10 year to a lifetime drainage guarantee! We will take care of everything in your lawn including, mowing, weekly clean ups, spring and fall clean ups, organic fertilizing and cleaning drainage filters and testing the drainage system twice a year!
(This is a special lawn maintenance upgrade for our drainage customers only)
No other drainage contractor in Wheaton offers what we offer: a 10-year written guarantee on every drainage installation.
If standing water returns to your yard or basement within 10 years of our installation, we come back and fix it — at absolutely no cost to you. We stand behind every system we install because we engineer them correctly from day one.
And here’s the offer that sets us apart from every competitor in DuPage County: if, in the rare event that the problem persists after our return visit, we’ll not only fix it again — we’ll also treat you to two plane tickets to Hawaii. Your drainage problem is solved or your next vacation is on us.
For clients who combine their drainage installation with our ongoing lawn maintenance program, the guarantee upgrades from 10 years to a lifetime drainage guarantee — for as long as you remain on the program.
Some vital facts to know about Wheaton yard drainage systems include:
Yard drainage systems can fluctuate in cost based on the difficulty of installation and the damage your property has already incurred. However, a free assessment could give you a fairly accurate estimate of the cost.
If you have mildew, mold, and rot issues in your home due to flooding or standing water, or your yard has significant soil erosion, these issues could prove far more expensive to repair than a properly installed yard drain.
The most common yard drainage system is the French drain, due to the relatively easy installation and maintenance, and the system’s effectiveness.There are several effective drainage solutions and one of the most common is the French drain. Other Wheaton yard drainage system options include corrugated tubes and dry wells.
As all yards vary in size and dimension, the most important guidelines to follow have to do with depth. For example, a French drain should measure at least 1.5 feet deep and between 9 and 12 inches wide. Depending on the depth of your yard and size of your property, you may want to consider going deeper and wider.
Answering the following questions about issues in your Wheaton yard can help you determine whether or not you need expert assistance:
To drain a yard with no slope, start by marking a path for the water to follow. Then, dig a shallow trench that slopes gently to redirect water away from problem areas. You can enhance the look and stability of the area by adding pebbles or planting grass and other vegetation along the trench.
To reduce runoff on your sloped yard, start by evaluating the slope and making adjustments as needed. You can install terraces or retaining walls to help slow down the water flow. Creating contour swales and using mulch can also be effective. Planting ground cover, setting up rain gardens, and considering hydroseeding will help absorb water. Additionally, installing drip irrigation and using permeable surfaces can further minimize runoff while practicing proper watering techniques.
To locate the main water line in your yard, start by walking around your home and looking for water pipes that go into the ground. Typically, you’ll find it near the water meter on the street side of your property.
As a Wheaton homeowner, you shouldn’t have to deal with the stress of disastrous yard issues on your own. Don’t avoid the issues until it’s too late. Contact the yard drainage experts at Ware Landscaping to ensure your yard remains beautiful.
Expert Landscaping Services That Make Your Dreams Bloom
If your lawn looks rough every April patchy, thatchy, maybe a little swampy near the
If your lawn looks thin, feels hard underfoot, or develops puddles after rain despite regular
Most homeowners either fertilize too much, too little, or at the wrong time — and
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