French Drains & Drainage Systems in Edmonds, WA

Drainage & French drains in Edmonds: what to know

On a steep lot, a French drain has to be cut with the slope in view, or its gravel bed becomes a channel for the next storm. We set the outlet first, then build the fall back up the trench in short steps, checking the grade at both ends of every run. A curtain drain across the upslope edge catches seepage before it crosses the yard toward the house.

Roof drainage travels in solid pipe, kept apart from the perforated line, and each downspout line ends at its own outlet. The city’s current stormwater code, addendum, and checklists are the reference we read against the lot before the outlet is fixed on a drawing. Any line that reaches the street or joins a city system draws its own review.

Permits and rules in Edmonds

A line that reaches the street or joins a city storm system is reviewed by the city before we dig. We ask city staff which office covers the route, and we confirm the governing review for your address before we quote. The quote lists each answer that is still open, and the outlet drawing is kept with the job file.

Rules change and vary by parcel, so we confirm the current requirements with the city before we start.

How we approach it

Set the outlet before the trench fall is calculated
Cut curtain drains into the slope above the wet ground
Run downspout flow through solid pipe to a separate outlet
Confirm the stormwater checklist and any street review before digging

For the full process, see our Drainage Systems & French Drains page.

Questions from Edmonds homeowners

Can an Edmonds drain outlet onto the street?

We keep the street, the sidewalk, and neighboring frontage clear of the outlet where we can, and we confirm any street discharge against the city’s current stormwater checklists before the trench is laid out.

Does a drain line that crosses an Edmonds sidewalk need review?

A line that crosses the sidewalk or the right-of-way draws the city’s review before we dig. We confirm which office covers the crossing, and whether the frontage is involved, for your address.

Will a drain stop the wet patch below my Edmonds yard?

It may help when water arrives from above. We survey the slope and the flow path first, and we suggest a drain only where it reaches the source of the water.