Foundation Drainage Correction in Wichita Falls, TX

Water is the root cause of a lot of foundation trouble

The clay soil under most Wichita Falls homes moves when its moisture changes. When one side of your house stays wet and the other side stays dry, the house gets pushed up on one side and drops on the other. Fixing where the water goes is often the cheapest way to protect your foundation.

Drainage work can be done on its own, or along with foundation repair so the problem does not come back.

Signs you have a drainage problem

Tell us what you see. These are the drainage problems Wichita Falls homeowners call about most:

• "Water stands next to the house after it rains."
• "The downspout dumps right at the corner of the house."
• "The yard slopes toward my house, not away."
• "My flower bed holds water like a bowl."
• "The crawl space is wet after storms."
• "There is a gap between the soil and the foundation in summer."
• "The gutters overflow in heavy rain."
• "Mud washes onto my patio or driveway."

Why drainage matters so much in Wichita Falls

Soil that holds water. USDA rates both Tillman clay loam and Kamay silt loam, two common soils in Wichita County, as slow to let water through. Their subsoils run 35 to 50 percent clay. Water that lands by your wall does not drain away fast. It soaks into the clay, and the clay swells.

Rain that comes all at once. Wichita Falls gets about 29 inches of rain in a normal year, but it often comes in heavy storms. In 2015, the city got 50.5 inches, the most it had seen in one year at the time, and parts of the city flooded. Gutters, yards and drains that work fine in a light rain can be overwhelmed in a storm like that.

Then long dry spells. Between storms, the clay dries and shrinks. During the 2011 to 2015 drought, the city's lakes dropped to just under 19 percent. In Stage 4 in 2013, the city only allowed foundation watering with a soaker hose, from 8 p.m. to midnight on your watering day. In October 2024 the city went back into a Stage 1 drought watch. Dry seasons are a normal part of life here, and the soil around a house dries with them.

Creeks and the river. Wichita Falls sits on the Wichita River, and Holliday Creek runs through town to join it. A 1950 flood on Holliday Creek forced about 500 families from low areas, and a flood control project on the creek was finished around 1998. In 2007, a Wichita River flood put water in 167 homes, according to the USGS. If your home sits on low ground near the river or a creek, good drainage around the house matters even more.

How drainage gets fixed

Gutters and downspout extensions

The simplest fix is often the best one. Clean gutters and downspouts that carry water several feet away from the house keep the soil by the wall from getting soaked. Downspouts can also run into a buried pipe that carries water farther out.

Regrading

Over the years, flower beds, mulch and settling can leave the ground sloping toward the house. Regrading reshapes the soil so it slopes away. The crew may bring in fill dirt and pack it down.

French drains

A French drain is a trench with gravel and a pipe that collects water and carries it away. It works well along a side of the house where water collects, or where the yard slopes toward the wall.

Surface drains

A surface drain is a grate set in a low spot that collects standing water and sends it away through a buried pipe.

Watering plan for dry months

In a long dry spell, a soaker hose set a little way out from the foundation can keep soil moisture more even. The crew can tell you how much and how often for your house, within the city's current water rules.

What moves the price

The table above shows typical ranges from published cost guides. They are not quotes.

The length of the drain, how deep it goes, how much soil needs moving, and where the water can be sent all move the price. Concrete, fences and trees in the way add time. Your written estimate lists every item. See the full cost guide.

When drainage is not enough

If your house has already moved, fixing the drainage stops it from getting worse, but it will not lift a corner that dropped. In that case, the plan may combine piers with drainage. See foundation repair and slab foundation repair.

What a good drainage inspection covers

• A walk around the whole house, looking at gutters, downspouts and yard slope
• A check for low spots, standing water and soil gaps by the foundation
• Floor level readings inside to see if the house has already moved
• A look at sprinklers, trees and flower beds near the wall
• A written plan that shows where water goes now and where it should go

Water by the house is a warning you can fix. Call (940) 468-1786 or send the short form for a free drainage and foundation inspection.