Foundation drainage
On expansive clay, managing water is part of foundation repair. Here's what drainage work around an Abilene house usually covers.
Clay swells where it's wet and shrinks where it's dry. When roof water dumps off one side of a house and soaks the ground there, that side of the foundation is living in different soil than the rest. TDLR's technical bulletin on residential foundations over expansive soil lists drainage, landscaping and watering habits among the things that affect how a foundation performs. It also says the ground should slope water away from the house on every side.
Is your drainage working against the foundation?
- Downspouts that empty at the base of the wall
- Puddles that sit along the beam for hours after a storm
- Flowerbeds or soil piled up to the top of the slab edge
- Water collecting under a crawl space house after rain
- A washed-out strip of dirt under the roof edge where there's no gutter
What kinds of drainage work are there?
- Gutters and extensions. Catching roof water and carrying it several feet out before it reaches the ground.
- Regrading. Reshaping the soil so it slopes away from the house.
- Surface and French drains. Collecting water in low spots and carrying it to a safe outlet.
- Crawl space drainage. Keeping storm water out from under pier-and-beam houses.
Can you water the foundation in Abilene?
Keeping soil moisture steady can limit how much clay shrinks in a long dry stretch, but too much water causes its own swelling. As of mid-October 2026, the city's Save Abilene Water page lists normal conservation with two watering days a week. Odd-numbered addresses water Thursday and Sunday, even-numbered addresses Tuesday and Saturday, and only between midnight and 10 a.m. or 6 p.m. and midnight. The city's stage chart has the full rules. Check it before you set up a soaker hose, because the rules change as lake levels change.
Before anyone digs
Texas law requires excavators to contact Texas811 at least two business days before digging. Anyone installing drains or digging next to a beam should make that call, and it's reasonable to ask them to confirm it.
We don't quote prices. A contractor can only price foundation work after measuring the floors and finding what's making the house move, and what you pay is agreed between you and that contractor.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Can drainage alone fix my foundation?
Not if part of the house has already dropped and needs support. But leveling a house without fixing the water problem leaves the repair exposed to the same cause.
How much should I water near the foundation?
Enough to keep the soil from drying out and cracking, not so much that it stays soggy. Ask your contractor what makes sense for your house, and stay within the city's watering schedule.
Related services
- Slab foundation repair
- Crawl space foundation repair
- Foundation piers
- Foundation evaluation and crack repair
More background: Abilene foundation guide.
Cracked brick, a sticking door or a floor that slopes?
Call and get connected with a foundation repair contractor who works around Abilene.