Yard Drainage in Encino, California
Yard drains, French drains, and grading that move water away from the house and off the property. Sprinkler and drip systems too, from a licensed Encino contractor.
5.0 from 39 Google reviewsFree on-site walkthroughLicensed & bonded · CA #1122918
Services
What we install
Option 1 Builders builds yard drainage in Encino, CA. We are a licensed and bonded general building contractor (CSLB #1122918) based at 16400 Ventura Blvd, Suite 319, Encino, CA 91436. We install yard drains and French drains, regrade soil that slopes the wrong way, and install or modify irrigation systems. The goal is simple: water moves away from the house and off the property. Call 818-297-2475 for a free on-site estimate.
Encino gets most of its rain in a few winter storms. Soil conditions make it worse: Valley clay soaks up water slowly. So water sits against the house, pools on the patio, or runs down a slope and takes soil with it.
We buy NDS drainage products and Rain Bird and Hunter irrigation parts from established suppliers, so you can still get parts years from now.
Option 1 Builders is a licensed and bonded general building contractor, CSLB #1122918. The same crew that builds the drainage also installs the turf, pavers, and planting above it. One written scope covers the whole yard.
Homeowners call us when water pools after rain, when a lawn stays soggy for days, when mud washes across a walkway, or when water sits near the house.
One low spot in a front yard and a whole hillside back yard get the same process. We find where the water comes from, where it sits, and where it can go. Each fix is its own line on the estimate.
Drainage is the part of a yard nobody sees. It is also what protects everything you do see in your outdoor space. Turf, pavers, mulch, and garden beds all last longer when water has a path off the lot.
Yard drainage can be quoted on its own. It can also be part of a full yard built by our Encino landscaper crew, on one written scope with one project manager.

Why homeowners call
Yard Drains, French Drains, and Grading
Water off sloped Valley lots
On sloped Valley lots, drainage that moves water away from the house protects everything else you are paying for.
Rain Bird, Hunter, and NDS
Irrigation parts we buy include Rain Bird and Hunter, with NDS drainage products, so you can still get parts later.
Written scope after the measure
We measure on site and send a written number tied to a specific plan, not a guess over the phone.
Licensed and bonded
Licensed and bonded under California contractor license #1122918. You can verify that number with the CSLB.
Get a written number
Request a Free Yard Drainage Estimate
Tell us where the water sits. We follow up to schedule a walkthrough, measure on site, and send a written scope.
Yard drains
A yard drain is a grate set at a low spot. Water drops in and runs through a buried pipe to a lower part of the lot or out to the street.
French drains
A French drain is a trench with a perforated pipe and gravel. It collects water that soaks into the soil and carries it away from the house or a soggy lawn.
Grading
Grading means shaping the soil so water runs away from the house. Sometimes regrading a low area fixes the problem with no pipe at all.
Sprinklers and drip
We install and modify irrigation systems: sprinkler and drip lines, including controllers. A sprinkler that soaks one corner of the yard is a drainage problem too.
Read what a cheap turf bid usually leaves out and why artificial turf installations fail on the Encino landscaping blog. Drainage shows up in both.
How a free estimate works
How a Free Yard Drainage Estimate Works in Encino
1
Walk the property
We schedule a walkthrough and talk through how you actually use the yard. The on-site walkthrough is free.
2
Measure on site
We measure the space. You are not charged to have us measure the yard or explain the base and drainage.
3
Written scope
We send a written number tied to a specific spec, not a per-foot guess over the phone.
Option 1 Builders is licensed and bonded under California contractor license #1122918. The Encino showroom is at 16400 Ventura Blvd, Suite 319. We measure on site and send a written scope. See about this Encino landscaping company, walk finished Encino projects, or request a written estimate.
Yard Drainage Encino: Where the Water Goes
Every drainage job answers three questions. Where does the water come from? Where does it sit? Where can it go? In Encino, the answer changes from street to street.
Lots in Encino Hills sit on slopes. Water runs downhill fast and has to be caught and piped before it reaches the house or the neighbor's fence. On the flat lots in Encino Village and near the Sepulveda Basin, water drains slowly, so it pools on lawns and patios.
We quote drains, pipe, grading, and repair of the surface above as separate lines. When a cheaper bid comes in with one lump number, ask which piece it left out.
Jobs run from a single yard drain beside a patio to a full drainage plan under a new lawn and paver patio.
Grading and Drainage Services in Encino
Each grading and drainage job is quoted on its own after we see the yard. We do not price drainage over the phone, because the fix depends on the slope, the soil, and where the water can go.
Drainage services include yard drains at low spots, French drains along soggy lawns and slopes, regrading soil that tilts toward the house, drain lines out to the street, and a draining base under new turf and pavers.
Resloping a yard is often the first step. If the soil tilts toward the house, pipes alone will not fix it. We reshape the grade first, then add drains only where they are needed.
Irrigation: Sprinkler and Drip Systems in Encino
We install and modify sprinkler and drip systems. When a lawn becomes turf or a planting bed, the old sprinklers have to be capped, moved, or switched to drip.
Drip lines put water at the roots of the plants and waste less than spray heads. They pair well with drought-tolerant planting beds.
We use Rain Bird and Hunter parts. We do not sell weekly lawn care or landscape maintenance.
From Walkthrough to a Dry Yard
The free consultation is the walkthrough. We look at where water sits, check the slope, and ask what happens in a heavy rain. Photos or video from the last storm help a lot.
Then we send a written scope with each drain, pipe run, and grading area listed. The crew digs the trenches, sets the pipe at a steady fall, backfills, and restores the surface above.
Yard Drainage in Encino and Across the San Fernando Valley
Option 1 Builders is based on Ventura Blvd in Encino and builds yard drainage across the San Fernando Valley, including Sherman Oaks, Tarzana, Lake Balboa, and Van Nuys.
Hillside lots and flat lots need different fixes. Our guide to Encino neighborhoods and lot types explains how yards change across Encino. Call 818-297-2475 and we will tell you whether your address is inside our service area.
Drainage is often built with other work. See artificial grass installation for lawns on a draining base, paver installation in Encino for patios and walkways, or request a free estimate.
Yard Drainage Cost in Encino
Yard drainage cost depends on how many drains the yard needs, how far the pipe runs, how much digging and grading it takes, and what sits on top, like lawn, turf, or pavers. We do not quote drainage by phone. We measure on site and give you a written number tied to a specific plan.
If you are comparing drainage bids, ask each contractor the same questions: where does the water end up, how deep is the pipe, how much does the pipe slope, and who restores the surface. The answers explain the price gap.
Drainage Under Turf and Pavers
Turf and pavers both sit on a compacted rock base, and that base has to drain. On yards that pool, we add a French drain or yard drains before the turf or pavers go down.
Pet turf needs even more drainage. It uses a permeable base and a drainage layer so urine passes through. See our guide to artificial turf for dogs in Encino.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
FAQ: Yard Drainage Questions Encino Homeowners Ask
Yes. We install and modify sprinkler and drip systems and build drainage that moves water away from the house and off the property. On sloped Valley lots this is usually the part that protects everything else you are paying for.
A French drain is a trench with a perforated pipe and gravel. Water in the soil seeps into the pipe and flows away from the house or a soggy part of the yard.
A yard drain catches water on the surface through a grate at a low spot. A French drain collects water that has already soaked into the soil. Many yards need both.
It depends on the number of drains, the length of pipe, the digging and grading, and what has to be restored on top. We measure on site and send a written scope. We do not quote drainage over the phone.
Sometimes. If the soil tilts toward the house or a low spot holds water, reshaping the grade can be enough. We check that first and add drains only where they are needed.
To a lower part of the lot where it can soak in safely, or through a buried pipe out to the street. We show you the path during the walkthrough and write it into the scope.
The base under turf has to drain. On most yards a compacted rock base is enough. On yards that pool, we add a French drain or yard drains before the turf goes down.
Yes. Drainage, irrigation, artificial grass, pavers, and fencing can each be quoted on their own. A full yard combines them under one project manager.
We install and modify sprinkler and drip systems as part of a yard project. We do not sell weekly lawn care or landscape maintenance.
Yes. We walk the property, measure on site, and send a written scope. Call 818-297-2475.
Services
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Get Started
Ready to Fix Yard Drainage in Encino?
Tell us about the water on the lot. We will walk the property and send a written scope for yard drainage in Encino. Call 818-297-2475 or request a free estimate.


