Stop water pooling and damp patches with French Drains in Earl's Court. We design discreet, high-capacity drainage runs that suit Victorian gardens and tight access. Installed neatly, finished cleanly, and built to last.
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Persistent puddles, soggy lawns and damp lower-ground rooms are common around SW5, especially after heavy rain. Our French drain systems intercept water and carry it safely to a suitable outlet, protecting your garden and foundations. We regularly work near Earl's Court tube station and around Philbeach Gardens, where space is limited and finishes matter. Expect tidy excavation, careful levels, and an installation that disappears into the landscape.
Earl's Court has a mix of Victorian mansion conversions, period flats and garden square properties, often with shared boundaries and compact rear gardens. These homes can suffer from run-off from paved areas, raised flowerbeds, or neighbouring levels. We tailor solutions for courtyards, side returns and lightwells as well as traditional lawns. If you’re in Kensington, West Brompton, Chelsea or Fulham, we’ll plan the route to minimise disruption and keep access clear.
We start with a site assessment, then set a proper gradient design so water flows consistently to an outlet connection. Each run is built with trench excavation, a perforated pipe, gravel fill and a geotextile membrane to reduce silting. Where needed, we install multiple runs to capture water from different zones. Homeowners choose us for clear specifications, clean reinstatement, and workmanship backed by a 10-year warranty.
Working in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea often means tight access, basement levels, and careful neighbour considerations. We plan spoil removal, parking and deliveries to suit SW5 restrictions and busy streets near the former Earl's Court Exhibition Centre site. Victorian architecture also calls for sympathetic detailing and minimal disturbance to mature planting. Our approach adapts to changing ground conditions and existing services, with levels checked throughout.
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Costs vary with length, depth, access and where the water can discharge. As a guide, smaller installations for a side return or courtyard often start around £1,200–£2,500. Medium runs for a typical rear garden are commonly £2,500–£5,500. Larger or more complex systems with multiple runs, deeper excavation, or difficult spoil removal can be £5,500–£10,000+. We provide a detailed, itemised quote after a site visit.
Most French drain projects take 1–3 days on site, depending on the run length and reinstatement. A short trench with straightforward outlet connection can be completed in a day, while multiple runs or deeper work near basement areas may take longer. Timescales are affected by access for mini-diggers, hand-dig requirements, existing paving to lift and relay, and whether we need to coordinate with neighbours or manage restricted parking in SW5.
In many cases, French drains in gardens are permitted development because they’re below ground and don’t change the building’s appearance. However, rules can differ for listed buildings, properties within conservation areas, or where works affect shared boundaries and party walls. Discharging water into public drains also has requirements. We’ll advise on the likely permissions, check constraints relevant to RBKC, and recommend the correct outlet method before work starts.
We provide a 10-year warranty on our French drain installation workmanship, covering correct construction of the trench, pipework, membrane, gravel fill and connections. If a defect arises due to installation issues, we’ll return to investigate and put it right. The warranty doesn’t cover damage from third-party works, blocked outlets caused by external debris, or changes to ground levels after installation. We also offer maintenance visits to keep systems performing well.
We can specify different pipe diameters, gravel grades and membrane types depending on flow rates and soil conditions. Options include single runs along a boundary, multiple runs to collect water from separate zones, and connections to soakaways or approved drainage points. For tight courtyards, we can integrate discreet surface inlets feeding the perforated pipe. We’ll recommend the best layout after checking levels, outlet feasibility, and how you want the garden finished.
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