Channel drains for driveways and patios

When water sheets across concrete toward the garage or house, a channel drain catches it in a grate and pipes it away.

Difficulty: Hard
Time: 1–2 days, plus time for the concrete to cure
Fixes: Water running down the driveway into the garage, puddles on the patio
You'll need: 5 tools, 4 materials

Step by step

Pick the spot. Put the drain where the water crosses: often across the driveway just before the garage, or along the low edge of a patio.
Plan the outlet. The channel’s outlet pipe has to run downhill to a safe spot: a lower part of the yard, a pop-up emitter or a dry well.
Cut the concrete. Snap lines a little wider than the channel and cut with a wet saw, which keeps the dust down. Concrete dust is harmful to breathe, so wear a respirator anyway.
Dig out the trench. Break out the concrete and dig deep enough for the channel plus a few inches of concrete underneath it.
Set the channels. Bed the channel in fresh concrete so the grate sits just below the surface around it. Check the line and level as you go.
Connect the outlet. Attach the end outlet and run solid pipe to your outlet point with a steady downhill slope.
Pour and finish. Fill concrete along both sides of the channel, finish it flush, and keep traffic off until it cures.

Fixes: Soggy spots, standing water, water running toward the house

Fixes: Water pooling by the house, damp basement walls, washed-out beds under the gutters

Fixes: Water against the foundation, damp basement walls, puddles next to the house

Rather not spend the weekend in a trench? We can take it from here.