Drainage & Erosion Control in Pelham & Birmingham, AL
Water Always Wins. Unless You Plan For It.
Standing water in the yard. A soggy crawlspace. A creek bank or lake shore that loses a little more ground every storm. Drainage problems never fix themselves. They get worse, and they get more expensive.
As a service-disabled veteran-owned excavation contractor based in Pelham, Higher Ground Land Management finds where the water is coming from, decides where it needs to go, and builds the drainage to put it there. We handle drainage and erosion control for homeowners and builders across Shelby and Jefferson counties, including Pelham, Hoover, Helena, Alabaster, Calera, Chelsea and Birmingham. We walk the property with you and give you a written estimate before any equipment is unloaded.
Our Drainage & Erosion Control Capabilities
French drains: a gravel-and-pipe trench that collects water underground and carries it away from your foundation, driveway and low spots in the yard. It is the most common fix for a wet yard.
Yard and lot regrading: if the ground slopes toward your house, no drain will keep up. We reshape the yard so water runs away from the structure, which is often the fix that makes everything else work.
Swales: shallow grassed channels that move heavy runoff across your property without washing out your driveway or yard.
Rip rap and ditch protection: stone armoring for ditches, outfalls and steep channels where fast-moving water strips the soil away.
Shoreline and bank stabilization: stone and grading that stop a lake shore or creek bank from eroding into the water and taking your property with it. We own our equipment and run it with our own crew.
French Drains & Yard Regrading
Hillside Grading & Stone Walls
On a steep lot, runoff picks up speed and takes soil with it. We grade the hillside so water moves away from the home, and finish it with a natural stone or block retaining wall built with drainage behind it.
Drainage Built Into Site Prep
On new lots, the cheapest time to get drainage right is before anything is built. We set the grade so water moves away from the pad instead of pooling on clay. This includes:
- Rough and final grading
- French drains and swales
- Rip rap for ditches and outfalls
- Backfill and final grade
Rip Rap & Ditch Protection
Stone armoring for ditches, creeks, lakes, outfalls and steep channels where fast-moving water strips the soil away. This rip rap ditch lining along a driveway in Birmingham keeps runoff or erosion due to water runoff.
Recent Drainage & Erosion Control Work
Recent work includes shoreline erosion control with stone at Smith Lake, rip rap ditch lining for erosion control along a road in Birmingham, and a Hoover hillside graded to move water away from the home and finished with a natural stone retaining wall.
See our projects or check whether your town is on our service area map. We also handle excavation and grading in Pelham, Alabaster, Hoover, Calera and Wilsonville.
“They did an extremely good job on a major erosion problem we had. Ryan is very professional and knew exactly how to fix the problem and made it look great and went above and beyond on the clean up.” — Jeff C., Google review
How it works: call (205) 913-2434 or send the form. We walk the property with you for free and look at the slope, the soil, the water and the access. You get the scope and price in writing before any equipment is unloaded. Then we do the work and leave the site clean and ready for what comes next.
Drainage & Erosion Control FAQs
Q: How do I know if I have a drainage problem?
A: Standing water a day after rain, a damp crawlspace or basement, mulch and soil washing onto your driveway, cracks near the foundation, or a bank that's visibly losing ground. If you're seeing any of these, call us before the next storm.
Q: Do I need a French drain or regrading?
A: If water sits in one spot or seeps toward your foundation, a French drain usually solves it. If water sheets across a wide area toward the house, the yard needs regrading. Many properties need both. We'll tell you which after we walk your site, and explain what we recommend and why, in writing, before any work starts.
Q: Are you licensed and insured for drainage and excavation work?
A: Yes. We are fully licensed and insured for all earthwork, excavation, and site prep services we perform. We take ownership and protect our clients and our team.
Q: Can you stop a lake shore or creek bank from eroding?
A: Yes. We use stone and grading to stabilize shorelines and banks, like our shoreline erosion control work at Smith Lake. We'll walk the bank with you, look at how the water hits it, and explain what it needs in writing before we start.
Q: Do I need a permit for erosion control near a lake or creek?
A: It depends on the project. Some work near lakes, streams and wetlands needs a permit or approval, and some doesn't. We'll tell you what your project requires and help you get permits in place before we start.
Q: How soon can you look at my property?
A: Call (205) 913-2434 or use the form on this page, and we'll set up a free walkthrough at a time that works for you. We're based in Pelham, so we're close to most of Shelby and Jefferson counties.
Q: Do you work for homeowners or only builders?
A: Both. We handle drainage, grading and erosion control for homeowners, builders, developers, and commercial and municipal projects.
The Higher Ground Advantage: Why Choose Us?
We Fix the Cause
Anyone can dig a ditch. We find out why the water is there and build a solution that holds up storm after storm.
Total Site Solutions
Excavation, grading, drainage and stone work from one crew. If the fix needs a retaining wall or a regraded yard, we don't hand you off to someone else.
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned
SDVOSB-certified. Military discipline, clear communication and doing what we say we'll do.
Execute Your Project With a Drainage Partner You Can Trust
From a soggy backyard to a creek bank that loses ground every storm, our veteran-owned crew finds the cause and finishes what we start. Request your free estimate today, or see all of our excavation services.