Yard Drainage and French Drains in Travelers Rest, SC
Travelers Rest sits where the Upstate runs into the mountains, and the yards show it. Hillside lots send every storm downhill, and new subdivision lots on old farm ground hold it. Jordan regrades, cuts swales, lays French drains and buries downspouts so the water leaves on its own.
Yard Drainage in Travelers Rest
A town at the foot of the mountains, growing fast
Travelers Rest is the north end of Greenville County, at a little over 1,100 feet, with US 25 and US 276 climbing out of town into the Blue Ridge. For a long time it was a railroad stop and a mill town on the Reedy River. Between 2010 and 2020 its population grew by about seventy percent, and most of that growth is new houses on ground that used to be farmed.
That is where the drainage calls come from. On the hillside side of town, the problem is water arriving from above. On the subdivision side, the problem is water that arrives and never leaves. Both are fixable with a machine and a plan, forty minutes down the road from Tryon.
The new lot that never dries out
A builder grades a lot once, with heavy equipment, when the ground is whatever moisture it happens to be that week. The clay under the topsoil gets packed hard. Then sod goes over it. A year later the back corner is still soft in May, and the dog comes in muddy from a yard that looks flat.
Flat is the problem. Water on compacted clay needs a fall to leave, and a quarter inch per foot is enough if it is consistent. Jordan strips the low area, builds the fall back toward a swale or a yard inlet, and ties the downspouts into the same run. Where the lot has no low side, a French drain under the wet strip carries the water to a point where it can come out.
Hillside lots and water coming downhill
Out toward the mountains, and on the slopes around Paris Mountain to the south, the house is often cut into a hill. Everything above it sheds toward the back wall. In a hard storm that is a sheet of water hitting the foundation, and in winter it is a crawlspace that never dries.
The fix is almost always to intercept the water before it reaches the house. A swale cut across the slope above the back yard, shaped so it carries water around the ends of the house, does most of the work. Where there is no room for a swale, a French drain in the same line does the same job underground. The guide on French drains versus swales explains when each one is the right call.
Downspouts, stump holes and the small causes
A surprising share of wet yards in Travelers Rest come down to two things. The first is downspouts that dump at the corners of the house, so a roof's worth of rain lands in four spots a foot from the foundation. Burying those lines and running them to daylight, or to a pop-up at the edge of the yard, often fixes the crawlspace by itself.
The second is the hole left where a big tree used to be. The old root mass rots, the ground sinks, and a puddle forms that gets deeper every year. The soft material comes out, compacted soil goes in and the spot is graded back level. There is more on why it happens in the guide to a stump hole sinking.
Locates, the Reedy River and who to ask
Any trench deep enough for a French drain is deep enough to hit a buried line. In South Carolina the lines are located through SC811 before digging starts, with three business days' notice, and the law requires it. The request is filed before the excavator comes off the trailer.
Low ground along the Reedy River and the creeks that feed it can sit in a mapped flood zone. Greenville County's Floodplain Management office requires a permit for development in those areas, and the City of Travelers Rest has its own flood damage prevention rules inside the city limits. If your lot backs onto the river, ask before fill is brought in. Everywhere else, regrading a yard is just dirt work.
What the job costs and what else it fixes
Two photos of the wet spot and the house, plus the street, are enough for Jordan to give a figure. On a hillside lot he usually wants to see it in person, because the right answer depends on where the water is coming from. The estimate is free, and the number includes the hauling.
Drainage work pairs with other jobs on the same visit. A soft drive that ruts every winter has the same cause as a soft lawn, and the gravel driveway work in Travelers Rest is often done the same day. Stumps in the low spot can be ground first; see stump grinding in Travelers Rest. The full grading and excavation service covers the rest.
Yard Drainage & French Drains
Standing water moved away from the house: regrading, swales, French drains and buried downspouts.
See the serviceTalk to Jordan(828) 574-4474
Send a photo of the wet spot after a rain, with the house in the frame, and Jordan will tell you what it needs.
Call nowWhat that covers
- Regrading and swales. Flat clay yards given a fall, and shallow channels cut to carry water around the house.
- French drains. Gravel and perforated pipe under the wet strip, run to a point where the water can get out.
- Buried downspouts. Roof water piped away from the foundation instead of dumped at the corners.
- Sunken stump holes. Sunken ground dug out, filled with compacted soil and graded level.
Travelers Rest, SC
Travelers Rest sits at the foot of the mountains north of Greenville on the Reedy River, with new neighborhoods and old farm parcels side by side.
Town pageAlso in Travelers RestDemolition in Travelers Rest, SC
See the pageAlso in Travelers RestGravel Driveways in Travelers Rest, SC
See the pageAlso in Travelers RestStump Grinding in Travelers Rest, SC
See the pageThe serviceYard Drainage & French Drains
Standing water moved away from the house: regrading, swales, French drains and buried downspouts.
Main service pageTravelers Rest and the towns nearby
Wet-yard work runs the length of the US 25 corridor from Travelers Rest down into Greenville, and across the county line. The same drainage jobs are done in Greenville, in Taylors along the Enoree, and in Greer. Travelers Rest itself, with its stump and clearing work, is on the town page, and the service area shows everywhere the trailer goes from Tryon.
You get Jordan. Not a crew he sent.
You call
You call or send two photos. Jordan looks at the job himself, on the ground or from your photos, rather than pricing it off a guess.
A number first
You get one figure before anything starts, with the hauling and the cleanup in it.
He runs the machine
Then he shows up with the machine and the trailer and does the work.
Ground left usable
Voids get filled and the ground gets graded back so you can pour, build, seed or just mow.
Photos of his work.
These are photographs from actual jobs. See more recent work. Or read about the full yard drainage & french drains service.
Questions people ask
Not seeing yours? Call (828) 574-4474 and ask Jordan, or read the guides.
My Travelers Rest yard is flat and stays wet. Is a French drain the answer?
Not always. On a flat clay lot the first fix is usually regrading, so the water has a fall toward a swale or inlet. A French drain comes in where there is no low side to drain to, or where the wet strip sits against the house. Jordan looks at the lot and says which one it needs.
Water runs down the hill into my crawlspace. Can that be stopped?
Yes, by catching it above the house. A swale cut across the slope, shaped to carry water around the ends of the house, handles most hillside lots around Travelers Rest. Where there is no room for a swale, a French drain on the same line does the job below ground.
Do I need a permit to regrade a yard in Travelers Rest?
For an ordinary yard, no permit is usually involved. The exception is ground in a mapped flood zone along the Reedy River or its creeks. There, Greenville County Floodplain Management and the City of Travelers Rest both have rules about development and fill. Ask before anything is brought in if your lot is near the river.
Will the trench hit my water or power line?
Buried utilities are marked through SC811 before any digging, with three business days' notice, and that request is filed as part of the job. Private lines, such as a run to a shed or an irrigation main, are not marked by the utilities, so point those out when Jordan comes to look.
How do I get a price for drainage work?
Send two photos and your street, or ask for a visit. Hillside lots usually get a visit, since the fix depends on where the water comes from. Estimates are free and the figure includes hauling anything that has to leave.
Other work he takes on
Most jobs end up being two or three of these at once, and they get quoted together.
Yard Drainage & French Drains in other towns
Stump Grinding
Stumps ground below grade with a narrow tracked grinder, several at once, gated yards included.
Learn moreDemolition
Sheds, barns, carports, decks and slabs taken down and hauled off.
Learn moreGrading & Excavation
Pads cut, gravel drives built, wet yards regraded so they drain.
Learn moreLand Clearing
Brush, saplings and roots out, debris hauled, ground left workable.
Learn moreConcrete
Driveways, aprons, shed and shop pads and patio slabs on a proper base.
Learn moreDumpster Rental
Roll-off dumpsters out of Tryon for cleanouts and tear-downs.
Learn more5.0
5.0 on Google · 24 reviews
What People Say Afterwards
Word for word from the Google profile. The same three things keep coming up: he shows up when he says he will, the work is clean, and the ground is left tidy.
“Jordan with JB Stump Grinding & Land Management did an excellent job from start to finish. He was professional, courteous, respectful, and showed up exactly when he said he would. His work was very clean and neat, and he took the time to make sure everything was cleaned up and the property looked great before he left.”
“Exceptional job from start to finish — he was professional, efficient, and clearly takes a lot of pride in his work. His pricing was very fair and reasonable, and the quality of the work was excellent. He showed up, worked hard, and left the area looking great when it was finished.”
“I have used JB Stump Grinding multiple times and I couldn’t be more impressed! Jordan did a great job, showed up when he said he would, and left everything clean when he was finished. Professional, dependable, and easy to work with.”
“I have used JB twice and will use him again anytime. He is a pleasure to work with and also does a fantastic job. He cuts, cleans up and delivers. Definitely deserves 5 stars.”
“Jordan is a stand up guy! Can’t thank him enough! Would highly recommend him to anyone!”
“Best stump removal in the area!”
Free estimate in Travelers Rest.
Send the details and Jordan will come out and look at it. If it is easier to talk it through, call him directly.
Tryon, Polk County and the towns around it, down into Spartanburg and Greenville counties and up into Henderson and Rutherford counties.
Need yard drainage in Travelers Rest?
Send a couple of photos and the address or road, or call Jordan. Estimates are free.