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French Drains & Drainage Systems in Yelm, WA

A French drain works only when its slope and outlet are right, so we test the soil, confirm where the outlet lands with the city, and write down the owner’s upkeep before any trench is opened.

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French drain cross-sectionA trench wrapped in filter fabric and filled with clean drain rock around a perforated pipe, collecting water from the surrounding soil. 12345
French drain section: fabric, clean rock, perforated pipe
  1. Filter fabric keeps silt out of the rock
  2. Clean drain rock gives water an easy path
  3. Perforated pipe carries the water away
  4. Soil cover over the trench
  5. Groundwater and runoff move toward the drain

Drainage & French drains in Yelm: what to know

YMC 13.16 adopts the latest edition of the Department of Ecology’s Stormwater Management Manual by reference, and we judge infiltration outlets against that manual. Its new-development line begins at 5,000 square feet of new impervious surface or one acre of land disturbing activity. Even a short run has its outlet confirmed with the public works director, because an outlet that reaches the public right-of-way is a different question from one that stays on the lot.

Where the outlet would reach the public right-of-way, Yelm’s engineering specifications say a right-of-way access permit may be required before work in the road can commence. YMC 13.20.050(D) assigns the owner the upkeep of each outlet, so each outlet is recorded on the scope for the owner to check.

Permits and rules in Yelm

Before a trench is cut, we check each run against the parcel lines, nearby road frontage, and any septic record on file for that lot, and we confirm the endpoint with the public works director. The disturbed area is measured against the city’s stormwater thresholds, and any outlet that touches the public right-of-way is referred to the public works director in writing first.

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

How we approach it

  • Fix the fall and the endpoint on paper before digging
  • Run a soil test before any infiltration outlet is designed
  • Confirm the endpoint with the public works director before the trench opens
  • Note the owner’s inspection schedule on the scope

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

Questions from Yelm homeowners

Will Yelm require review of a French drain placed in a yard?

A drain kept on the lot is measured against the city’s stormwater thresholds, and any outlet that reaches the public right-of-way is confirmed with the public works director first. The answer goes into the file before the trench is dug.

Can a Yelm French drain soak water into the ground?

A soil test comes first. Infiltration is judged against the Ecology manual that YMC 13.16 adopts, so the test result and the outlet design are filed together before the drain is installed.

Can a Yelm French drain discharge onto a neighbor’s lot?

No. Outlets stay on the lot, and any route that would reach a neighboring parcel or the public right-of-way is changed before the trench is cut.

Other work in Yelm

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Talk to us about your project

Call or email us. We’ll talk through the work and set up a time to see the site.

Call 206-483-5334
Get a quote
Call 206-483-5334Get a quote