French Drain Installation in Livermore, CA
If water pools against your foundation, saturates a low part of your yard, or seeps into a crawlspace after rain, a French drain is often the fix — a gravel-filled trench with a perforated pipe that collects and redirects groundwater away from the problem area. The Otter Squad evaluates the grade and the source of the water before recommending placement, because a French drain in the wrong spot is a waste of a trench. We are a family-owned, union contractor licensed C-36 and C-42 under CSLB #1053855. Clear Lines or You Don't Pay a Dime.
The Otter Squad Guarantee
Clear Lines or You Don't Pay a Dime. If we can't clear your blocked line using our standard drain clearing procedure, you don't pay for the attempt.
French Drain Services:
- Foundation French Drains
- Yard & Low-Area Drains
- Crawlspace Drainage
- Slope & Grade Evaluation
- Discharge Routing
- Cleanouts for Service Access
When a French Drain Helps
A French drain is for groundwater, not sewage. These are the signs it is the right fix.
- Water pooling against the foundation after rain.
- Saturated, muddy low areas of the yard that never dry out.
- Damp or wet crawlspace from surface runoff.
- Erosion at the base of a slope or a downspout discharge point.
- A downspout that dumps water against the foundation instead of away from it.
How a French Drain Install Runs
The placement is the whole job — a trench in the wrong spot collects nothing.
- 1
Evaluate the grade and water source.
We find where the water is coming from and where it needs to go, and confirm the grade will carry it there by gravity if possible.
- 2
Plan the route and discharge.
We lay out the trench path and a discharge point safely away from the foundation, with cleanouts where the line can be serviced.
- 3
Dig and install.
We dig the trench, lay the perforated pipe in a gravel bed, and wrap it in filter fabric to slow silt buildup.
- 4
Backfill and restore.
We backfill and restore the surface — lawn, gravel, or hardscape — so the drain does its job without leaving a mess.
- 5
Confirm flow.
We confirm water moves through the line and out to the discharge point before we leave.
Alfredo Ortiz
Owner, The Otter Squad · C-36 & C-42 #1053855
I am Alfredo Ortiz, and I have spent more than 30 years in plumbing and drainage. The Otter Squad is my family's company, Latino-owned, licensed under CSLB #1053855 for C-36 plumbing and C-42 sanitation, and staffed by union, UA-trained crews. A French drain is only as good as its placement — I find the water source and the grade before I dig, so the trench actually collects something. If a sump pump is the better answer, I will say so. Call me any time, day or night, at (925) 397-2271.
Alfredo Ortiz · Owner, The Otter Squad · C-36 & C-42 #1053855 · 30+ years in the trade
How we work
Diagnose first
We find the real problem before we quote, so the fix matches what is actually wrong, not a guess.
Explain clearly
We show you what we found in plain language, with photos or camera footage.
Honest options
Real choices and upfront pricing, and we point you to the honest path, not the priciest one.
Done the right way
Tidy, licensed work, backed by the Otter Squad Guarantee.
Why Livermore chooses The Otter Squad
We're family-owned and Latino-owned, led by Alfredo Ortiz with 30+ years in the trade, fully licensed (C-36 & C-42 #1053855), bonded, and insured. We diagnose the real problem first, then give you honest options and upfront pricing before any work begins.
Every drainage job is backed by the Otter Squad Guarantee: Clear Lines or You Don't Pay a Dime.
Request Drainage Evaluation
Prefer to talk now? Call (925) 397-2271. We answer 24/7.
Frequently Asked Questions
Problems With Water? Call the Otter.
We answer 24/7. Diagnose first, honest options, upfront pricing.