Yard drainage in Port Wentworth
Drainage help for north Chatham County's fastest-growing city, where most homes are only a few years old.
Port Wentworth is in the northern corner of Chatham County, between Effingham County, Garden City and the Savannah city limits around Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. It more than doubled in a decade, from 5,359 residents in 2010 to 10,878 in 2020, so a large share of homes are recent builds.
Young yards, young problems
When so many houses go up at once, the first few years bring the same calls. Fill around slabs settles and starts to tilt toward the house. Sod laid over compacted construction soil doesn't absorb much rain. Gutters were often added late or not at all, so roof water lands right at the foundation. These problems are usually fixable with downspout lines, small grading corrections and a French drain at the soggiest spot.
Detention ponds and shared swales
Newer neighborhoods often send yard runoff through rear-lot swales to a detention pond. If water now sits in your back yard longer than it used to, the swale may be blocked downstream, the pond may be full, or a neighbor may have changed the grade. A contractor can tell you whether the problem is on your lot, and your HOA or the City of Port Wentworth may need to hear about the rest.
Document it during rain
Take photos and short videos while it's raining and again the next day. They show where water enters, where it stops and how long it stays, which helps a contractor and any warranty claim.
Common jobs
- Buried downspout lines on recent builds
- Regrading settled soil along slabs
- French drains in rear yards that stay wet
- Driveway and patio channel drains
Common questions
My yard floods since a neighbor built a fence. What can I do?
Check whether the fence crosses a drainage easement on the plat, then talk with the neighbor and the HOA. A contractor can show where the water is being blocked.
Is Port Wentworth part of Savannah?
No. It's a separate city, so permit and drainage questions go to the City of Port Wentworth.
Services in Port Wentworth
- 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.