
Most outdoor living projects fail before the patio is ever installed.
Not because of the pavers.
Not because of the lighting.
Because the drainage and water management were never engineered correctly from the beginning.
This City of Evanston project by Tommy Pollina Landscape Co. Inc started as an unusable backyard with major drainage problems, inconsistent grading, and no functional outdoor living space.
Before installing the patio, artificial turf, fencing, or lighting, we solved the drainage first.
That is where projects are either built correctly… or begin failing years later.
What was completed on this project:
- Full integrated NDS drainage system connected to underground 4-inch PVC piping
- Multiple downspouts tied directly into the drainage network
- Property elevations and grading engineered for proper water flow
- 232 sq. ft. Unilock Beacon Hill XL patio installation
- Over 800 sq. ft. of artificial turf with drainage integration underneath
- Custom western red cedar fence installed on steel posts for durability
- Integrated AMP® low-voltage landscape lighting built directly into the fencing system
- Solid brass landscape lighting fixtures installed throughout the property
- Full project rendering created before construction began
The drainage system was not added after the patio installation.
The drainage plan dictated the layout of the patio, turf elevations, grading, and how every section of the property connected together as one complete outdoor system.
That difference matters.
Once the water management was engineered correctly, we built the rest of the space around it.
The finished project was designed to function as one integrated landscape system — not separate features competing against one another.
- As you go through the photos, you will see:
- The original backyard conditions
- The design renderings
- The drainage and construction process
- The completed outdoor living space side by side
Same layout.
Same materials.
Same elevations.
Same vision.
Most landscaping and hardscape projects focus only on visible features like patios, turf, and lighting while ignoring the drainage and grading underneath.
If the water flow is wrong, nothing above it performs the way it should.
That part has to be solved first.
Once the drainage system is engineered correctly, everything above it lasts longer, performs better, and functions the way it was intended to.
Please call 847.698.6868 or Contact Us
Tommy Pollina Landscape Company – serving Chicagoland since 1982.
Landscaping Services
- Emergency / Expedited Drainage
- Drainage
- Sump Pump Solutions
- Basement Waterproofing
- Grading and Regrading
- Landscape Design
- Landscape Installations, Plantings
- Lawn Maintenance
- Spring Cleanup
- Stump Grinding
- Tree Triming, Tree Removal, Stump Grinding
- Artificial Turf Installations
- Pool Removal
- Planters
- Irrigation and Sprinkler System
- Seasonal Planter, Potted Plants
- Cemetery Management
- Outdoor Design & Build: Full Outsource Project
- Custom Putting Greens
- Summer Makeover
- Trimming & Pruning
- Lighting
- Mulch
- Waterscaping
- Fall Plantings
- Fall Cleanup
- Seasonal Color: Fall and Holiday
- Holiday Decor, Holiday Lighting
- Snow and Ice Management
Featured Landscaping Projects
- Planting Flowers – Lanscaping Project in Kenilworth
- Wilmette Design Build Hardscape Renovation with Unilock Pavers, Custom Railings, and Integrated Drainage
- Evanston custom outdoor kitchen island construction project
- Deerfield Drainage and Landscape Installation Project
- Backyard Paver Patio and Fire Pit Project in Kenilworth
- Trimming and Pruning Service – Project in Wilmette
- Planting-Bed Landscape Installation Project in Winnetka
- Lake Zurich outdoor enhancement and planting project
- Mt. Prospect Backyard Drainage and Patio Project | Unilock Patio, Artificial Turf & Landscape Lighting
- Custom Landscape and Drainage Upgrade in Mount Prospect
- Drainage Landscaping Project in Northbrook
- Wilmette arborvitae wall project with layered shrubs, trees, privacy, curb appeal, and integrated landscaping
- Park Ridge Landscape Lighting Installation Project
- Northbrook Landscape Design & Outdoor Lighting Project
- French Drain and Drainage Swale Installation in Lake Zurich
- Drainage Landscaping Project in Lake Forest
- Wilmette New Construction Landscaping with Bluestone Porch, Unilock Pavers, Deck, Sod, Irrigation, and Drainage Systems
- Schaumburg driveway reconstruction project with asphalt, concrete, Geo Grid, retaining wall, NDS drainage, and brick borders
- Precision Drainage Engineering Project in the Village of Willowbrook
- Northfield Privacy Planting & Landscape Renovation Project
- Starting a New Drainage Project in the City of Des Plaines
- Brick Driveway Channel Drain Project in the Village of Riverwoods
- Full Property Outdoor Makeover Project in Park Ridge – Landscaping, Hardscape, Drainage & Lighting Solutions
- Riverwoods Full-Property Drainage Project Preventing Flooding And Water Damage
- Niles Backyard Drainage, Excavation & Fence Installation Project
- Foundation Grading and Drainage Improvement Project in Winnetka
- Massive Drainage Project Install in Lake Zurich
- Kenilworth Front Yard Planting Installation with Arborvitae, Boxwoods, Barberries, and Multi-Layered Privacy Hedges
- Riverwoods Drainage, Grading, and Asphalt Driveway Installation Solving Long-Term Yard Water Issues
- Rolling Meadows Retaining Wall Repair Project, Engineered Drainage System And Safety Restoration
- Landscape Planting and Privacy Screening Installation Project in Wilmette
- Park Ridge Garden Bed Transformation Project
- Custom Baluster, Railing, Custom Brick and Mortar Stairs Project in Park Ridge
- Wilmette Asphalt Driveway Replacement, Patio, Drainage & Landscaping Project
- Project in Skokie retaining wall replacement with durable unilock stone
- Chicago Foundation Drainage and Swale Grading Project
- Driveway, Walkway, and Patio Hardscape Restoration Project in Glencoe
- Full Outdoor Construction Project in Glenview
- Glencoe Backyard Drainage Solution with River Rock Swale, Flow Wells, and Functional Landscaping Preventing Flooding
- Mt Prospect landscape refresh project with new plantings and cleaned bed lines
- Landscape renovation in Niles – New Trees, Plantings, Drainage & Lighting
- Chicago Backyard Privacy Landscaping Project with Arborvitaes & Evergreens
- Sump Pump Discharge Extension and Drainage Improvement Project in Mount Prospect
- Winnetka Pool Removal Project
- Ultimate Outdoor Living Space Project: Fireplace, Grill, Unilock Patio, Fence, Arborvitae



