Yard Regrading in Chicagoland: How We Fix Water Flowing Toward Your House

October 5, 2026

Tommy Pollina Landscape Company regrades yards across Chicagoland so surface water runs away from the foundation. We set exact elevations with laser-guided measurements, connect the new grade to drainage systems like French drains and channel drains, and build to municipal or permit-compliance requirements where they apply. We've been solving yard-water problems for 45 years.

How do I know if my yard needs regrading?

Your yard needs regrading when water collects against the foundation, pools in the same spots after rain, or runs toward the house. Soil that has settled near the walls, mulch washing out of beds, and wet patches that never dry are the usual giveaways.

Here's what we look for first when we walk a property:

• Standing water near the foundation after a storm
• Low spots that stay soggy for days
• Soil that has sunk along the house wall or around a patio
• Downspouts that dump water right at the base of the house
• Bare or washed-out strips where water keeps running the same path

One of these alone is worth a look. Two or three together point to a grade problem, and the cause is usually the shape of the ground rather than a single bad spot.

What does regrading involve?

Regrading means reshaping the ground so water leaves the property in a controlled way. Every project starts with measurement. We use laser-guided readings to capture exact elevations, then plan where water will collect and where it will go.

That plan ties directly into our drainage systems. Our approach intercepts water at multiple collection points, carries it below grade, and disperses it in controlled locations. The components we install include:

• French drains
• Channel drains
• PVC drainage lines
• Downspout connections
• Swales
• Flow wells
• River rock drainage systems

We've completed more than 10,000 drainage installations, and our team holds NDS Professional Drainage Contractor certificates. We're also licensed and insured. Regrading is part of that same engineering work, so the grade and the drainage get designed together.

Does regrading fix a wet yard by itself?

Regrading fixes surface flow, and that solves many wet yards. Some properties also need drains to move water below grade, or a sump pump discharge line routed to a safe location. We decide which pieces your yard needs after measuring elevations, and we install them as one system.

Here's how common symptoms line up with the services we provide:

Our basement waterproofing systems, interior and exterior, carry a lifetime warranty.

Barbara Forrest, who had us fix a drainage problem in Bartlett, wrote in a Google review: "We had a serious drainage problem in Bartlett that a severe storm made very apparent. We needed a good plan to resolve and experienced execution, and we got both with Tommy Polina. Before and after pictures tell the full story!!"

Can regrading be part of a larger landscape project?

Yes. Regrading often belongs at the start of a bigger project, because the finished grade decides where plantings, patios, and lawn will sit. We handle grading, drainage, hardscape, and planting under one plan, so the work fits together from the first day.

Picture a homeowner who wants a new paver patio beside the house. If the ground beside the foundation is flat or sloping inward, the patio inherits that problem. We set the grade first, add drainage where the water needs a path, and then build the hardscape on top of it.

Our landscape design service covers this planning. Plans come with detailed 3D renderings and walkthroughs, and they map grading, drainage, hardscape, and planting together. That lets the property be priced, phased, or installed as engineered. You can have the design done on its own or as design and installation.

Our artificial turf installations follow the same logic. We pair them with a full NDS drainage system so the turf drains as well as it looks. And on larger outdoor projects, grading sits alongside retaining walls, lighting, irrigation, and sod as part of one build.

Where we work

Our office is at 420 N. River Rd. in Mt. Prospect, Illinois. We serve Chicago and the north and northwest suburbs, including Arlington Heights, Barrington, Buffalo Grove, Deer Park, and Deerfield. Joe Pollina founded the company in 1982 as a one-truck operation on Chicago's Northwest Side, and Daniel Katz is our President. You can read more about our company, or browse drainage, grading, and hardscape projects in our project gallery.

If a storm leaves water standing against your home, tell us where it collects and what you see along the foundation. We'll tell you whether the fix is regrading, drains, a sump pump discharge solution, or a combination. Send us those details through the short form below this article, and we'll take it from there.