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Serving Redlands, CA and surrounding areas. (909) 488-7710
Water pooling on your driveway after every storm isn't just an inconvenience - it's quietly destroying the base beneath. We design and install drainage systems that move water away from your pavement and your home for good.
Drainage solutions in Redlands control where water goes after it rains - using channel drains, catch basins, regraded surfaces, and French drains to move runoff away from your pavement and foundation - most residential projects take one to three days depending on scope.
Water is the number one enemy of asphalt. When it pools on the surface or seeps under the base, it softens the ground below, leading to cracks, sinking, and potholes that keep coming back no matter how many times you patch them. In Redlands, where clay-heavy Inland Empire soils swell when wet and shrink when dry, that cycle is especially destructive. If you are also dealing with a surface that has already deteriorated, our grading and excavation team can reshape the base and reestablish proper slope before new pavement goes down.
Fixing drainage is often the most cost-effective thing you can do to protect a paving investment. No amount of resurfacing will hold up if the underlying water problem is not solved first. A drainage system that works correctly extends the life of your pavement by keeping the base dry and stable through every wet season.
If you see standing water on your asphalt after a storm - even a light one - your surface is not draining properly. In Redlands, where winter storms can be intense and sudden, pooling water has nowhere to go and begins working its way into cracks and under the base almost immediately. The longer it sits, the more damage it causes.
You patch a crack and it returns in the same spot a season later. This is a classic sign that water is getting under the pavement and softening the base. On Redlands clay-heavy soils, water infiltration accelerates the swelling and shrinking cycle that breaks pavement apart from below - patching without fixing the water source just delays the same failure.
If rain or irrigation water flows across your driveway toward your garage or foundation rather than away from it, you have a grading or drainage problem. Left unaddressed, this leads to moisture intrusion in your garage or crawl space - a much more expensive problem than fixing the driveway grading now.
Low spots in asphalt are almost always caused by base failure, and base failure is almost always caused by water. If you can see where water collects because the surface has settled or dipped, the drainage problem has already progressed to structural damage - and the sooner it is addressed, the less pavement will need to be replaced.
Every drainage job starts with a site assessment - we walk your property and observe how water actually moves across your driveway and yard before recommending anything. Some situations call for a targeted fix: a channel drain or catch basin installed at the low point where water collects, with a trench cut into the existing asphalt, hardware set and connected to a proper outlet, and the disturbed area patched and repaved. Other situations require a more comprehensive approach, where the old surface is removed, the base reshaped for correct slope, and new asphalt laid over a properly graded foundation. Our speed bump installation team coordinates when a project involves multiple surface modifications to a shared driveway or parking area.
For properties on sloped lots - common in the foothill neighborhoods north of downtown Redlands - we assess both the pavement surface and the uphill areas feeding water onto it. Some hillside properties also need perimeter drains alongside the paved area to intercept runoff before it reaches the driveway. When the scope includes significant earthwork, we bring in our grading and excavation crew to reshape the site properly before any pavement goes down. One contractor handling the full scope means the drainage design and the paving are coordinated from the start.
For driveways with a clear low-point problem - we cut in a channel drain, connect it to a proper outlet, and repave the disturbed area.
For areas where runoff collects and needs to be captured and redirected - suited to flat lots and driveway approaches near the street.
For driveways where the slope is wrong from the start - the old surface is removed, the base is shaped correctly, and new asphalt restores proper drainage.
For hillside lots and properties where water comes off a slope or lawn and runs onto the paved surface before it can be stopped.
Redlands sits in the Inland Empire, where rain is scarce most of the year but can arrive in heavy bursts during winter storms. Because the ground is dry and compacted for long stretches between rains, it absorbs water slowly - even a moderate storm can send a large volume of runoff across a driveway in a short time. Drainage systems here need to handle peak flow events, not just steady drizzle. The clay-heavy soils common throughout this area compound the problem: clay swells when wet and shrinks when dry, which means the ground under your pavement is constantly moving with the seasons. Keeping water away from the base reduces how much the soil shifts, and that directly extends the life of your pavement. The California Stormwater Quality Association provides guidance on managing stormwater runoff that contractors working in the state follow as a baseline.
Redlands also has significant elevation variation, with many homes on hillside or gently sloping lots in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains. Sloped properties concentrate runoff and can send water rushing across a driveway rather than around it. We work regularly throughout Redlands and in neighboring Yucaipa, where hillside lots and similar clay soil conditions create the same drainage challenges. Knowing how water moves on these properties - and designing a system that accounts for it - is the difference between a fix that lasts and one that fails after the next winter storm.
Describe what you are seeing - pooling water, recurring cracks, runoff toward the house. We get back to you within one business day to schedule a site visit. There is no charge for the assessment and no obligation to proceed.
We walk your property, read how water actually moves across the surface, and measure the slope. After the visit, you get a written proposal that explains what we recommend, why, the timeline, and the total cost - with no pressure to sign on the spot.
If your drainage needs to connect to the city curb, gutter, or storm drain system, we handle the permit application through the city. This can add a week or two to the start date, but it protects you from liability and ensures the work is done to code.
The crew cuts, sets drain hardware, backfills, and repaves the disturbed area. New asphalt needs 24 to 48 hours before light vehicle traffic. Before we leave, we walk you through the finished work and show you exactly where water will now flow.
We will walk your property, show you exactly where the water is going wrong, and give you a clear written quote - no pressure and no surprises.
(909) 488-7710We design every drainage system around how water actually behaves on Redlands properties - accounting for clay soils that shift with the seasons and intense short-duration storms that overwhelm surfaces with poor slope. A contractor unfamiliar with these conditions tends to undersize drains or miss the real flow path.
We do not quote drainage work from photos or phone descriptions. We walk the property first, observe the slope, and trace where water enters and where it needs to exit. That site read is what separates a drainage fix that actually works from one that looks right but leaves water with nowhere to go.
When drainage work connects to the public curb or storm drain system, city approval is required. We manage the permit application on your behalf and coordinate with Redlands public works, so you are not left navigating the process yourself. The work is done to code and documented.
We handle drainage installation and the paving repair in one project rather than leaving you to find a separate contractor for the asphalt work. That means the drainage design and the surface grade are coordinated from the start - and you deal with one crew, one timeline, and one point of contact.
California requires paving contractors to hold a current state license before doing work on your property - you can verify any contractor's status directly through the California Contractors State License Board. We carry both general liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage, and we provide a certificate of insurance before any project begins.
Add traffic calming to your driveway or parking area - often scheduled alongside drainage work when a surface is already being modified.
Learn MoreWhen drainage requires reshaping the base or removing failing pavement, our grading crew handles the earthwork before new asphalt goes down.
Learn MoreRedlands winter storms won't wait - get your driveway draining properly before the next one hits and the repair bill gets bigger.