Yard drainage in Pooler
Drainage help for one of Georgia's fastest-growing cities, northwest of Savannah where I-95 meets U.S. 80.
Pooler is in northwestern Chatham County, bordering Savannah, Port Wentworth, Garden City and Bloomingdale. Its population went from 19,140 in 2010 to 25,711 in 2020, a 34 percent jump, and much of that growth is in subdivisions built around I-95, I-16 and the Godley Station shopping area.
Why new neighborhoods hold water
New lots are graded to drain toward the street or a shared swale, usually to a neighborhood pond. That design depends on every yard keeping its slope. In the first few years after a house is built, backfill settles against the slab. Owners add privacy fences, sheds, raised beds and patios, and each can block the shallow swales between houses. On flat ground, it doesn't take much to make water stop moving.
Check the plat and HOA first
Many Pooler subdivisions have drainage easements on the plat and HOA rules about ponds, fences and grading. Before anyone pipes water across a property line or regrades a shared swale, check what's recorded so the fix doesn't move the problem next door. Building and permit questions go to the City of Pooler, not Savannah.
Builder warranty?
If the house is new, check whether a drainage or grading problem falls under the builder warranty before paying for a fix. Photos and video taken during a storm make a much stronger case than descriptions.
Common jobs
- Reopening blocked side-yard swales
- Correcting settled soil along the slab
- Downspout lines to emitters or the curb
- Patio and pool deck drains in small back yards
Common questions
Does the City of Savannah handle permits in Pooler?
No. Pooler is its own city, so building and site questions go to the City of Pooler.
Can I put a fence across the drainage swale behind my house?
Check your plat and HOA rules first. Blocking a drainage easement can flood your yard and your neighbors'.
Services in Pooler
- French drainsGravel-and-pipe trenches that pull water out of soggy ground and carry it to a safe outlet.
- Downspout drain linesBuried solid pipe that takes roof water away from the slab or crawl space.
- Yard grading and swalesReshape a flat yard so surface water moves off the lot instead of sitting by the house.
- Sump pumps and crawl space waterGet water out from under raised and crawl space homes, and stop what's feeding it.
- Catch basins and channel drainsGrated drains that grab water at low spots, patios, pool decks and driveways.
Nearby areas
Yard still underwater a day after the storm?
Call now and a local drainage contractor will help you work out where the water should go.