this post was submitted on 01 May 2026
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Last summer we hired a company to build a patio and level out our backyard. The patio itself is fine but ever since the leveling work was done, water pools across the entire yard after every rain. It takes days to dry out and some spots stay muddy for over a week. My wife added sand to the worst spots and wants to plant a shrub there thinking it will absorb the water but I honestly doubt that's going to fix anything. From what I understand the problem is that the leveling compacted the soil so much that water can't drain through it anymore. And the yard is now basically flat with no slope to move the water anywhere. I've been reading about french drains, regrading to create a slope, and even something called a soakaway pit. But I have no idea which solution actually fits my situation or if I even need all of that. Has anyone dealt with this after having their yard leveled? What actually worked for you? Should I go back to the company that did the work or find someone who specializes in drainage? Any advice would be really appreciated because another rainy season is coming and I don't want to deal with a swamp in my backyard again.

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[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

From what I understand the problem is that the leveling compacted the soil so much that water can’t drain through it anymore. And the yard is now basically flat with no slope to move the water anywhere.

Yep...

So there's one big choice to make before anything else:

Do you want to mitigate the damage, or try to rip the lawn up?

You always want a gentle slope away from your house. But flat doesn't have to flood, you can aerate the ground, which will help it get down past what's compacted. You may need more than just an aerator. You may need to put very small but deep holes.

As the new grass grows it will develop roots, which go deep and not only soak up water, but they allow paths for water to go down as well. And obviously break up compacted ground.

Even if you do absolutely nothing, it will keep getting better on its own.

But if you really care and don't want to wait, now would be the time to get it redone correctly, and you can even do "tiling" if you think standing water will still be an issue.

"Tiling" isn't what it sounds like,bits basically installing a big tube (3-6 inches wide) with a bunch of holes on it under ground. The water goes into the tube as a resovoir during the rain and then leeches into the ground over time as the ground dries out after the rain.

I'm familiar with it around farm fields, but it would work in a yard too. It's the same thing as drainage from a septic tank if that helps. Just didn't want you to think I meant burying flooring tiles under your yard.