Shreveport · NW Louisiana Guide
Standing water at your Shreveport foundation is a five-alarm problem in Louisiana clay. Here's what to check and what to fix, in order.
Louisiana clay soils (Yazoo, Perry, Portland series) have shrink-swell potentials that punish any foundation surrounded by wet soil. Water at the wall in December means expanded clay pushing on the foundation; that same soil drying and pulling back in July means differential settlement and cracks. Six months of cracked drywall, six weeks of sticking doors, and the eventual expensive question of whether to underpin — most of that starts with standing water at the wall.
Walk the house during or right after a rain. Every downspout should discharge at least 8-10 feet from the wall, and preferably into a buried extension. If you find splash blocks, or worse, downspouts terminating directly at the flowerbed, that's your first fix. Cheap, high leverage. See downspout drainage.
The ground within 10 feet of the wall should slope away from the house at 6" of drop (5%). If it doesn't — if it's flat, or if it slopes back — regrading is the second fix, before you spend money on trench work. See grading.
Even with good grade and buried downspouts, the water has to go somewhere legal. If it's pooling 15 feet out and then working its way back, you need a discharge structure — a rain garden, dry well, or daylight outlet — to actually get the water off the property.
If your house sits below a neighbor, a road, or a slope, ground water may be reaching the foundation from below-grade seepage regardless of surface fixes. That's the case for a curtain drain — an exterior French drain at foundation depth on the uphill side of the house. See foundation drainage.
If you have standing water at the wall after a rain, don't wait for spring — the wet season is when the damage happens. Ask any contractor for: (a) a site walkover including a rain-time visit if possible, (b) a proposed system with sketched trench lines and discharge point, (c) a written itemized quote, (d) confirmation they'll pull LA811 utility locates before digging. Anything less is a red flag.
A local coordinator will do a site walkover and provide a written itemized quote — no pressure.
Request a Callback