French drains
Perforated pipe in clean stone with fabric, set with real fall to a real outlet.
Services
Drainage
French drains, footer drains, swales and culverts in your neighborhood and across the Delaware Valley — moving water away from structures by following it, not guessing.
Capabilities
What Drainage covers
Footer / foundation drains
Drains at the footing to relieve water against basement walls.
Swales
Shaped surface channels that carry runoff around structures.
Downspout lines
Solid pipe that takes roof water away instead of dumping it at the foundation.
Culverts
Driveway and ditch culverts sized for the water that actually crosses the property.
Outlets & dry wells
Daylight outlets, pop-ups or dry wells where the site allows.
Process
Five steps, every job
- 1
Consultation
Tell us the project, the property and the timing. We'll say plainly whether it's a fit.
- 2
Site walk / scope
We walk the site, follow the water, check access and note anything that needs review.
- 3
Proposal
A written scope built for your project — inclusions, exclusions and assumptions spelled out.
- 4
Mobilize & execute
Utilities marked, protection set, then the work — with check-ins, not surprises.
- 5
Walkthrough / punchlist
Grade and drainage verified with you, punch items closed, site left clean.
What's included
Included
- Site walk to trace the water source and path
- Excavation, pipe, stone and fabric for the scoped run
- Outlet construction
- Backfill and rough restoration
Honest exclusions
Not included unless scoped
- Interior waterproofing or sump systems
- Engineered stormwater management (coordinated with your engineer)
- Discharging onto a neighbor's property — we won't
- Lawn and landscape restoration beyond rough grade unless scoped
Why Sentinel Earthworks
Why us
Veteran-owned
Discipline, integrity and follow-through — the standard we brought home from service. Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business.
A quality watch
Someone is posted and paying attention: elevations checked, protected areas flagged, conditions documented.
Two audiences, two standards
Homeowners get plain answers and a protected property. GCs get submittals, look-aheads and grade that holds to plan.
FAQ
Drainage questions
+Why is my yard wet?
Usually grade, roof water, a high water table or a blocked outlet. We look before we recommend.
+Will a French drain fix my basement?
Sometimes it's part of the answer. Many basement issues start with grading and downspouts — we'll be straight about what will and won't help.
+Do you cover my area?
We work across the Delaware Valley — Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. Outside that? Ask — we'll tell you honestly whether it makes sense.
+Who handles permits?
It depends on the job and the municipality. We'll tell you during scoping what's needed and who typically pulls it; engineered or permitted work is coordinated with your engineer or GC.
+Where does the water go?
To a legal, workable outlet: daylight, a dry well, a swale or a storm connection where permitted.
Ready for a site walk?
Tell us about the property and we'll set a time to walk it.