For most home buyers and homeowners, the home is the largest purchase they’ll ever make. It’s also their biggest asset, one they’ll often spend thousands of dollars trying to protect and upgrade.

One of the best and most important ways to do this is to install a first-class drainage system, or upgrade the system in an existing residence. Whether the home is new or lived in, having a well-designed, comprehensive drainage system adds value and helps ensure peace of mind for the owners.

But getting it done right requires top-level professionals. And finding those professionals means doing some homework about drainage systems and those who install them. Here are some of the basics when it comes to finding the company and people with the knowledge and experience to get the job done right.

Before you hire a drainage contractor, acquire some knowledge about your existing drainage system. Modern systems are designed to mimic the natural flow of water in the area. Most drainage solutions fall into one of two categories: drainage minimization solutions and drainage control system solutions.  From there, you should know the different types of drainage used in these solutions. Point drainage intercepts water at gullies and requires deep excavation. Channel drainage, meanwhile, offers a greater interception rate, and less deep excavation.

But the biggest development in drainage in the last two decades is slot drainage. This is a type of channel system that eliminates the need for extra pipework to be installed in parallel to the drainage, improving water collection and reducing the environmental impact of excavation and construction.

Finally, before you hire a drainage contractor, know the location of your utilities. This process should occur before excavation starts in an existing residence, and it will [...]