Exterior French Drain with GradingShield™

Engineered exterior drainage installed near the surface — to capture water before it reaches your foundation. No reliance on a distant storm drain. No deep trenching to the footing.

Engineer-Founded · Since 2005

Lifetime Warranty

No Subcontractors — Ever

Dry Well Discharge

The Right Drain at the Right Depth.

Most homeowners are told there's one way to do an exterior french drain — dig down to the footing, install drain tile, and connect it to a storm drain. The problem? Many DMV homes don't have a usable storm drain nearby, and getting one to grade from footing depth often isn't possible.

That's where GradingShield™ comes in. Instead of placing drain tile at the bottom of the foundation (where it's our FootingShield™ system), GradingShield™ is installed near the surface — approximately one foot below grade. From there, water collected from the yard and the foundation perimeter is routed to a dry well in the yard, no storm drain required.

Same engineering principle as a footing drain. Different depth. Different problem solved.

When We Recommend GradingShield™

GradingShield™ isn't a one-size-fits-all upsell. It's the right answer in three specific situations — and we'll tell you honestly which one applies to your home.

With WallShield™ Exterior Waterproofing

When we install full exterior waterproofing and the site grade doesn't drop enough to discharge a footing-level drain, GradingShield™ becomes the drainage finale. The membrane stops water at the wall. GradingShield™ removes it before it ever reaches the membrane.

As a Standalone Solution

Sometimes the diagnosis is clear: water is reaching the foundation through downspouts, surface runoff, or poor grading — but the wall itself doesn't need full waterproofing. In those cases, GradingShield™ alone solves the problem at a fraction of the cost.

To Support FootingShield™ Interior Drainage

Some homeowners install interior drainage and want a second layer of defense — to reduce how much water ever reaches the inside system. GradingShield™ on the exterior catches water before it gets that far, extending the life and quiet operation of the interior system.

How GradingShield™ Is Built

Every GradingShield™ installation follows the same engineering sequence. The depth is set by grade — not by foundation height — which is why the system works on any home, regardless of foundation depth.

1. Excavate the foundation perimeter. If GradingShield™ is paired with WallShield™, this is the same excavation. If it's standalone, we open the perimeter to the depth required — typically just one foot below grade.

2. Complete WallShield™ first (if applicable). For full exterior waterproofing projects, the wall membrane and protection board are installed before backfill begins.

3. Backfill and compact up to one foot below grade. Soil is compacted with mechanical compactors. The backfill stops one foot short of finished grade — leaving room for the drainage system above it.

4. Set the drainage slope. Before the drain tile is installed, the final foot is shaped with a continuous slope toward the discharge point. Water needs a path — we build one.

5. Install L-shaped drainboard against the foundation. A rigid L-shaped drainboard is placed against the wall. It directs any surface water down into the gravel bed below — and protects the wall from soil pressure during the next steps.

6. Lay 4 inches of clean gravel, perforated pipe, and 4 more inches of gravel. Inside the foot-deep trench: 4" of gravel as base, then 4" perforated drain tile, then 4" of gravel covering. The pipe sits in a 12" gravel envelope, wrapped in filter fabric to keep silt out indefinitely.

7. Route the drain tile to a dry well in the yard. The pipe is run away from the foundation and discharged into a dry well placed in the yard — far enough from the home that the water dissipates safely. A pop-up emitter handles overflow during heavy storms.

8. Finish grade and restore landscaping. Final topsoil is graded gently away from the home. Sod, mulch, or plantings are restored. The drainage is invisible — but it's doing its job every storm.

Why GradingShield™ Works When a Footing Drain Can't

Exterior french drains have a physics problem: water flows downhill. If your foundation footing is 6 to 8 feet below grade, a drain tile at that depth needs somewhere lower to discharge — usually a storm drain at the curb or a daylighted slope on the property.

Many DMV neighborhoods don't offer either. Storm drains are too far, too high, or simply unavailable. The yard doesn't slope enough to daylight a footing drain. Companies that insist on footing-depth drainage in these conditions often end up running pipe to a useless endpoint — or worse, leaving the drain to fail silently.

GradingShield™ solves this with engineering judgment: place the drain where it can actually discharge. One foot below grade gives us enough fall to reach a yard dry well — and enough depth to catch the water that matters most: surface runoff, downspout discharge, and the water sitting against the upper part of the foundation wall.

According to the FEMA Homeowner's Guide to Retrofitting, surface and shallow subsurface water management is the most cost-effective way to protect a foundation from water damage. GradingShield™ is the implementation of that principle.

Backed by Our Lifetime Warranty

GradingShield™ is covered by our lifetime warranty — for as long as you own your home. The drain tile, gravel, filter fabric, drainboard, and discharge system are engineered to last the life of the foundation they protect.

The warranty remains valid as long as the drainage system isn't disturbed by excavation, drilling, or third-party landscaping. As with all our warranties, it transfers to future homeowners at no cost. For full warranty terms, see our Warranty page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between GradingShield™ and FootingShield™? FootingShield™ is interior drainage installed at footing depth inside the basement — it catches groundwater rising from below. GradingShield™ is exterior drainage installed near the surface — it catches water from above before it reaches the foundation. Different depth, different direction, different purpose. Some homes need one. Some need both.

Do I need WallShield™ exterior waterproofing too? Not always. If your foundation wall is structurally sound and the only issue is surface water management, GradingShield™ alone is often enough. We diagnose first and tell you honestly what's needed — no upsell.

Where does the water go? To a dry well installed in your yard, away from the foundation. The dry well allows water to dissipate slowly into the surrounding soil. For overflow during heavy storms, a pop-up emitter handles the excess.

Will my landscaping be ruined? The trench follows the foundation perimeter, so plantings and lawn near the wall will be disturbed during installation. We restore topsoil and grade the surface back to original condition. Plantings that were removed can typically be replanted — though we recommend allowing a season for the soil to settle.

How long does installation take? A typical residential GradingShield™ installation takes 2 to 4 days, depending on the perimeter length, soil conditions, and access to the property. Standalone projects (without WallShield™) are usually faster than combined ones.

Can GradingShield™ replace an existing failing french drain? Yes. We frequently install GradingShield™ on homes where an older exterior drain has failed or was never connected properly. We excavate, evaluate the failure, and install the new system to current engineering standards.

Schedule a Free Inspection

We'll evaluate your foundation, your grading, and your drainage situation — and recommend the right solution for your home. Sometimes that's GradingShield™. Sometimes it's a different system. We tell you honestly which.

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