Drainage & concrete leveling in Taylor, TX

Taylor sits in the heart of the Blackland Prairie, and the clay is the dominant fact about every yard. The Bureau of Economic Geology describes the Blacklands region as underlain by marls and chalks of the Taylor Group, a Cretaceous rock unit, and the soils above them are deep, dark and calcareous. The Williamson County history of Mustang Creek, which flows through the area, says the creek crosses flat to rolling land surfaced by clayey soils used mostly for crops. That fits what homeowners see. Water soaks in slowly, ground swells in wet weather and cracks in dry weather, and the surface stays soft well after a storm. Almost all of the original Blackland prairie has been plowed under or built on, and what remains is the clay that made farming so profitable. Taylor lots feel that clay every season, in tilted walks and wet corners. A quick check of the USDA Web Soil Survey for your address shows the mapped soil unit and its shrink-swell rating.

Several waterways thread through the area. Mustang Creek rises about four miles northwest of Hutto and runs roughly twenty miles to join Brushy Creek, which lies about six miles southeast of Taylor. Battleground Creek runs south of town. Taylor sits where State Highway 95 meets US-79 in the southeast part of Williamson County. The land is flat to gently rolling, so storm water moves slowly toward these creeks, and low lots near them can stay saturated for days. Because there is so little natural fall, drain pipe needs a carefully planned outlet, and a street curb, a swale or a legal discharge point has to be identified before the first trench is dug. We map slope on every lot before suggesting a fix. Check the low spots along the street, since a curb or ditch may sit higher than your lot and send water back toward the house.

Taylor was built for the railroad. Like Hutto and Thrall, it grew after the railroad arrived around 1875, when land that had been mostly dormant turned into a shipping point for cotton and other crops. That history shows in the houses. Historic homes near the old downtown often have pier-and-beam foundations, deep porches, original sidewalks and little modern drainage. Mid-century neighborhoods have slab homes with older concrete and gutters that may be cracked or missing. Newer subdivisions on the edge of town have small lots and builder grading that is still settling. Each type needs a different approach. For an older house, we look first at how gutters, grade and the crawl space area handle water. For a newer slab home, we look at swales, downspouts and soil compaction. For a historic home, ask a neighbor with a similar house what drainage work has been done, because the earliest owners may have left no records.

Typical Taylor complaints include back yards that stay wet, water pooling beside a slab or porch, and sidewalks and driveways that tilt or crack as the clay moves. Older concrete often has open joints that let rain wash soil out from underneath. On historic houses with raised floors, poor drainage can leave crawl spaces damp, so keeping water away from the base of the house matters. French drains, regrading, underground downspout drains, catch basins, dry wells and foam leveling all have uses. We do not do structural foundation repair, including pier work. If you see cracked brick, sagging floors or sticking doors, a structural engineer or foundation repair company should evaluate the house before we address the water. Wet crawl spaces can also invite mold and wood rot, so water control under an older house is worth taking seriously.

Check local rules before you begin. Taylor has historic areas where exterior changes may be reviewed, and many newer neighborhoods have HOAs with approval processes. Drainage easements may also limit what can be done on a lot. We cannot state the City of Taylor's grading or permit requirements, so contact the city and your HOA first. Texas Water Code Section 11.086 makes it unlawful to divert or impound the natural flow of surface water in a way that damages a neighbor's property, so route outlets to the street or an approved point. For a dispute, consult an attorney. Texas law also requires a call to Texas811 at least two business days before digging, and older Taylor lots can hide old lines that records do not show. Before you dig near an older home, remember that unmarked service lines can predate current mapping, which is another reason the 811 call matters.