Surface Drainage Solutions in Sherman, TX

Water running across the surface of your yard toward the house is a drainage problem that can often be fixed without installing underground systems. Regrading problem areas or adding swales to redirect flow is sometimes the most efficient and cost-effective solution — especially when a french drain is overkill for the situation.

Sherman is home to Austin College, one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Texas, founded in 1849, and the tree-lined streets around the historic campus carry some of the city's oldest housing stock, on infrastructure that predates even the area's early-1900s rail and manufacturing boom. Sherman sits near the Texoma region's namesake Lake Texoma, though the lake itself sits far enough north along the Red River that its influence on in-town Sherman drainage is more indirect than the lake-adjacent DFW suburbs closer to Dallas. Loy Lake, a smaller reservoir just outside town, has a more direct localized effect on nearby neighborhoods' groundwater. Grayson County's Blackland clay here is real but slightly less severe than the deep black gumbo found in Collin and Dallas counties to the south.

When Surface Regrading Is Enough

If the problem is water flowing across the surface toward the house — from a sloped lot, a neighboring property, or poor original grading — correcting the slope is often simpler and less expensive than installing underground systems. Regrading restores positive drainage away from the foundation, and an assessment determines whether a swale would help direct the flow toward an appropriate outlet.

Combining Surface and Subsurface Approaches

In many cases the best drainage solution combines surface grading with a french drain or catch basin. Surface grading handles the water that's running across the yard; french drains handle the water that's moving through the soil below. Systems get designed to address both components when needed.

This content is reviewed by the Texas French Drains editorial team and informed by licensed-contractor sourcing, manufacturer documentation, and established industry standards for Drainage. Read our editorial standards.