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Yard Drainage & Erosion Control in Indianapolis, IN

Quick answer

Wet yards around Indianapolis usually come from slow-draining glacial clay, flat lots, and downspouts or sump pumps discharging near the house. Common fixes are extending discharge lines, regrading, swales, French drains with a real outlet, and rain gardens. Check subdivision drainage easements and old farm tile before you change grades.

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Wet yards are one of the most common landscaping complaints around Indianapolis, and the reasons are mostly in the ground. Central Indiana's soils formed from glacial deposits, and many have dense, slowly permeable clay below the surface. Much of the metro is also flat, so water has nowhere obvious to go. Add spring storms, sump pumps and downspouts emptying next to the house, and you get lawns that squish for days after a rain.

Signs of a drainage problem

  • Puddles that last a day or more after rain
  • Soggy, thin or moss-covered turf in the same spots every spring
  • Water collecting against the foundation or showing up in the basement or crawlspace
  • A sump pump that runs constantly and discharges right beside the house
  • Soil and mulch washing onto walks, or eroding creek and ravine banks

Common solutions

  • Downspout and sump discharge lines: carrying roof and sump water well away from the house through buried solid pipe to a safe outlet.
  • Regrading: restoring a slope away from the foundation and reshaping low spots so water moves.
  • Swales: shallow grassed channels that move surface water across a flat lot.
  • French drains: gravel trenches with perforated pipe that collect water from saturated soil. They need a real outlet, which can be the hard part on a flat lot.
  • Dry creek beds: rock channels that carry storm water and look intentional.
  • Rain gardens: planted depressions that hold runoff while it soaks in. On heavy clay they often need amended soil and a test of how fast the ground drains.

Old farm tile and subdivision drainage

Many suburban neighborhoods around Indianapolis were built on former farmland, and buried clay field tile from those farms can still run under yards. A crushed or blocked tile can suddenly create a wet spot that wasn't there before. Subdivisions also have designed drainage, such as rear-yard swales, inlets and detention ponds, often inside recorded drainage easements. Filling a swale or blocking an easement can cause problems for you and your neighbors and may break HOA or local rules. Check your plat and talk with your HOA or city before changing grades along lot lines.

Erosion near creeks and ravines

Lots along Fall Creek, Eagle Creek, the White River and their tributaries, and around Geist and Morse reservoirs, often deal with bank erosion. Covering bare soil, using deep-rooted native plantings, slowing water before it reaches the slope and, where needed, terracing all help. Work in a floodway or along a waterway can require a state or local permit, so ask your city or county before regrading near water.

Where the water goes

You generally can't solve your problem by sending concentrated water onto a neighbor's lot. In Indianapolis, connecting downspouts or sump pumps to the sanitary sewer is not something a homeowner should do on their own; ask the city or Citizens Energy Group what's allowed for your property.

Before you hire

  • Take video during a heavy rain showing where water comes from and where it sits.
  • Note where every downspout and the sump pump discharge.
  • Ask each contractor where the water will end up and how the outlet will be protected.
  • Make sure Indiana 811 is contacted at least two full working days before trenching.

If water is actively threatening a foundation, wall or driveway, mark your request as urgent. Request a drainage company, or read our guide to fixing a wet yard on central Indiana clay.

See how it works

How a French drain carries water away from a yard. Press the buttons to run each step and see what happens inside. Made with Colorfigures ·
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Frequently asked questions

Why is my yard always wet in spring?

Many central Indiana soils have dense clay below the surface that drains slowly, and much of the metro is flat. Spring rain, roof water and sump discharge collect faster than the soil can absorb them.

What is field tile and why does it matter?

Field tile is buried drainage pipe, often old clay pipe, that farmers installed to drain fields. Many subdivisions were built on former farmland, and a broken tile under a yard can create a new wet spot.

Can I connect my downspouts to the sewer?

Don't do it on your own. Rules depend on the sewer system and your city. In Indianapolis, ask the city or Citizens Energy Group what's allowed before connecting any downspout or sump line.

Sources and further reading

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