# Drainage contractor for larger Parker, TX lots, from the house out to the ditch > Drainage contractor in Parker, TX: long French drain runs, swales and outlets that spread water instead of aiming it at the next lot. Book a site visit. URL: https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/service-areas/parker/ Drainage contractor in Parker, TX: long French drain runs, swales and outlets that spread water instead of aiming it at the next lot. Book a site visit. Last Updated: November 11, 2026 - **Permits:** City of Parker (subdivision drainage rules, new-home and site grading review) - **Storm drainage:** City of Parker (roadside ditches and driveway culverts) - **The rule that changes the job:** No runoff onto neighbors ## What usually starts a drainage job in Parker ### Water racing toward the neighbor's fence On a wide lot, runoff gathers into one stream before it reaches the property line. Parker's rules aim to keep one lot's stormwater from being concentrated onto the next. ### A low corner far from the street The wet spot sits at the back of an acre, a long way from any curb. The run has to keep its fall the whole distance, or it holds water halfway. ### A roadside ditch out front Parker has rural ditch lots that drain to an open ditch, not a gutter. The ditch, and the culvert under the drive, have to keep flowing after the work. ### Clay that won't soak it in Parker is mapped on Houston Black clay, which takes water in very slowly. A big lawn can still hold puddles for days after a storm. ## Lots of yard, and the water won’t leave it? If the back acre turns to mud, or a sheet of water heads straight for your neighbor’s fence, the ground isn’t carrying rain where it should. [Clay Plano Drainage Company](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/) designs and installs drainage for larger lots in Parker. The distance is what makes Parker different. A long run has to keep falling every foot of the way, and its outlet can’t simply aim at the lot next door. ## Spread the water, don’t aim it Parker’s subdivision regulations lay lots out for positive drainage away from buildings. They also design drainage to avoid concentrating stormwater from one lot onto the lots beside it. That second idea shapes how we finish a route on a wide property. A single pipe that dumps everything at one point near a fence line can turn a gentle sheet of water into a gully on your neighbor’s side. - **Front ditch first.** Where the lot drains to a roadside ditch, that’s where the line ends. - **Spread discharge.** Where the ditch is too far, a level spreader or several emitters release the water across your own lawn instead of at one spot. - **Swales kept shallow.** A broad grassed swale moves water slowly and keeps it on your side of the line. When the runoff starts on the other side of the line, our page on [runoff between neighbors](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/guide/neighbor-water-runoff-texas/) explains where Texas law stands. ## Ditches and culverts at the road Parker’s rural ditch lots drain to open roadside ditches, with a culvert under the driveway. The city’s new-home permit spells out how those are built. | Item | What Parker’s new-home rules say | | --- | --- | | Driveway culvert | Reinforced concrete pipe, sized by the City | | Culvert bedding | Set on 3/4-inch rock | | Culvert grade | Checked against the ditch monuments | | Ditch flow | The builder is responsible for keeping it correct | | Materials | Nothing placed in the ditches | | Big changes | A site grading plan when major fill or drainage work is planned | Those rules are written for new construction. For a drain on an existing yard, we confirm with the city what applies to your address. Either way, a ditch blocked by spoil or a culvert half full of silt can push water back up your drive, so we check both on the visit. ## Long runs need steady fall A French drain behind a Parker house might run a few hundred feet to reach the ditch. Over that distance, a small dip in the trench becomes a spot where water sits and clay fines settle. We take elevations along the whole route before we price it. In the trench, the pipe is set to a measured grade, and every junction and bend gets a cleanout, which lets us flush all the way to the far end in years to come. - **[Whole-yard drainage](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/yard-drainage/)** ties several wet areas into one planned route. - **[Regrading](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/yard-grading/)** reshapes broad slopes where a pipe alone would be overkill. - **[A yard pump basin](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/sump-pump-drainage/)** is the answer where the wet spot sits lower than any outlet. ## Heavy clay under a wide lawn Parker is mapped on Houston Black clay. It drains at about 0.03 inches an hour, so a storm that soaks in stays in the top layer. A large lawn doesn’t help much when the soil can’t take the water. In this ground a drain does nearly all the work. We build the trench with a generous washed-stone zone, fabric that keeps fines out and a confirmed outlet, the layered build covered in [our clay-soil drain design page](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/guide/french-drains-in-clay-soil/). ### Around the house itself Parker’s rule about positive drainage away from buildings matches what the clay needs. A wall whose soil never dries out swells more than the rest, so we pipe [downspouts](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/downspout-drainage/) out to open ground and keep the beds sloping outward. ## How a Parker route comes together We trace the water first. On a big lot it can come from the roof, a higher pasture next door, a pond overflow or the clay itself, and each one needs a different collector. Then we design the run back from the outlet: ditch, emitters or a spreader. Before any backfill goes in, a hose test proves the whole run drains; then the turf strips return and we walk the line with you. ### Neighbors with different rules Parker sits between Murphy and Lucas, with Parker Road and FM 2551 running through it, and Southfork Ranch inside its limits. - **[Murphy](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/service-areas/murphy/)** won’t issue its easement permit until the utility locate is complete. - **[Lucas](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/service-areas/lucas/)** requires a permit for work in or near a street, right-of-way or easement. - **[Wylie](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/service-areas/wylie/)** asks for curb sections removed for private work to be restored to standard and certified. ## When to look, and what to send Watch the yard during a long, steady rain, when the clay is already full. That’s when the real paths show up: the low corner, the stream toward the fence, the ditch that backs up. Send a video of that, your address and the survey. A few other details help on a lot this size: - **Fences and gates** along the route, and how wide the widest gate opens. - **Pond, pool or tank** on the property, since an overflow can feed the wet area. - **Septic field location,** if the home has one, so the route stays clear of it. - **Recent work** by the road, such as a new drive or culvert, that changed how the ditch flows. If you’re weighing a long run against regrading, our [guide to how long a French drain lasts](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/guide/how-long-does-a-french-drain-last/) explains what keeps a long buried line draining and what tends to clog one early, and the [outlet guide](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/guide/where-can-yard-drain-water-go/) compares where the water can end up. ## Drainage services in Parker - [Service**Yard drainage systems** One planned route that collects roof, surface and soil water from several parts of the yard and carries it in solid pipe to a legal outlet.](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/yard-drainage/) - [Service**French drains** A trench of washed stone and pipe that collects water held in the soil and carries it to a legal outlet at the street side of the lot.](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/french-drain-installation/) - [Service**Yard grading** Reshaping the soil so the ground falls away from the slab and toward a swale or the street, set to measured slopes instead of guesswork.](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/yard-grading/) - [Service**Downspout drainage** Buried solid pipe that takes roof water from each downspout past the beds and the slab to a pop-up emitter, an existing line or a permitted curb outlet.](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/downspout-drainage/) - [Service**Catch basins** A grated box set at the lowest point of a lawn, bed edge or patio that takes in surface water and sends it through solid pipe to an outlet.](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/catch-basins/) - [Service**Yard sump pumps** An outdoor pump basin that collects yard water on a lot with no downhill path and pushes it through a buried line to the street or another approved outlet.](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/sump-pump-drainage/) ## How a job usually runs in Parker ### Address and survey Send the address, a survey if you have one and photos from the last rain. On a large lot the survey shows us where the water can travel before we arrive. ### Site visit We walk the whole flow path, from the roof to the ditch, probe the clay and take elevations along the run. The written estimate shows the route, the outlet and the restoration. ### City check and locates We confirm with Parker what your address needs for the work, and arrange it. Texas811 marks the utilities and we paint the route in white. ### Build, test, restore We trench narrow, keep stone and soil out of the ditch, run water through the system before backfill and put the lawn back before the walk-through. ## Neighborhoods, landmarks and routes ### Landmarks - Southfork Ranch ### Routes - Parker Road (FM 2514) - FM 2551 (Dillehay Drive) ## Parker: questions ### Can my Parker yard drain empty toward the neighbor's lot? Not as a concentrated stream. Parker's subdivision rules lay lots out so drainage avoids concentrating one lot's stormwater onto adjacent lots. We aim outlets at the front ditch or spread the discharge across your own ground. ### Who sizes a driveway culvert in Parker? For new homes on ditch lots, the City of Parker sizes the reinforced concrete pipe culvert, and it is set on 3/4-inch rock and checked against the ditch monuments. If a culvert is part of your problem, we raise it with the city before we plan around it. ### How much does a long drain run cost on a Parker acreage lot? Our typical range is the same as anywhere we work: $25 to $60 per foot for a French drain, and $3,000 to $8,000 per project for a whole-yard system. Longer runs mean more feet, so length matters more on a big lot. The site visit and written estimate set your number. ### Can I put gravel or spoil in the ditch while the work is done? No. Parker's new-home rules say no materials go in the ditches, and correct ditch flow is the builder's responsibility. We stage soil on tarps away from the ditch and keep washed stone out of it. ### Does Parker need a grading plan for drainage work? Parker asks for a site grading plan on new homes when major fill or drainage work is planned. For work on an existing yard, what applies is confirmed for the address with the city before anything is scheduled. ## Nearby service areas - [City of Murphy (right-of-way/easement, utility and flatwork permits)**Murphy**](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/service-areas/murphy/) - [City of Lucas (permits for work in or near streets, right-of-way and easements)**Lucas**](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/service-areas/lucas/) - [City of Wylie Engineering (right-of-way construction permits)**Wylie**](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/service-areas/wylie/) ## Guides for yards in Parker - [Learn**What does Texas law say about a neighbor's water runoff?** Natural runoff from a higher lot and water a neighbor has redirected are two different problems. How to tell them apart, write it down, and protect your yard without pushing water back.](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/guide/neighbor-water-runoff-texas/) - [Decision Guide**Where do you drain a French drain in Plano?** The outlet decides the design, so we choose it first. Every option a Plano yard has, what each one needs, and how to pick when the lot is flat.](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/guide/where-can-yard-drain-water-go/) - [Learn**Do French drains work in clay soil?** Plano's clay moves water at a crawl, which changes where a trench goes, how much stone it holds and what keeps it from silting up. What works here, and why some clay drains quit.](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/guide/french-drains-in-clay-soil/) - [Learn**How long does a French drain last?** A drain's life is set less by the pipe than by what gets into the stone and what blocks the outlet. The signs one is failing, the upkeep that keeps it going, and when to repair rather than rebuild.](https://clayplanodrainagecompany.com/guide/how-long-does-a-french-drain-last/) ## Get an estimate in Parker Tell us what the water is doing and where the house is in Parker.