Marco Island • Collier County
Drainage & Grading in Marco Island, FL
Water leaving a Marco Island yard has a short trip: into a swale, a storm drain or straight into a canal. That proximity is why drainage work here is about direction as much as volume. Downspouts that dump onto bare sand next to a seawall carry soil and whatever is on the lawn into the canals, which the state listed as impaired for nutrients in 2018. Hodges routes downspouts into buried lines that release into planted areas, regrades beds that slope back toward the house, and installs French drains along narrow side yards between homes. Swales are a separate matter. The city's tree guidelines keep plantings out of a swale's flow line, and work in the public right-of-way requires a city permit, so drainage fixes that touch the street side are planned with that in mind. Regional flood control here falls under the South Florida Water Management District's Big Cypress Basin.
or call (239) 301-9455
Where it comes up in Marco Island
Caxambas
Bald Eagle Drive corridor
Hideaway Beach
Plants and materials that suit it in Marco Island
- Fakahatchee grass
- Cocoplum
- Silver buttonwood
- Perforated drain pipe
- Washed stone
- Filter fabric
- Pop-up emitters
Questions
Where should my downspouts drain on a canal lot?
Into the yard, not straight onto the seawall or into the canal. Releasing roof water into planted beds or a buried line lets sand filter it before it reaches the water, which matters because the state lists Marco canals as nutrient-impaired.
Can drainage work tie into the swale out front?
Any work in the public right-of-way, including the swale, requires a city right-of-way permit. Hodges usually solves the problem on private property first, with regrading or a French drain, and only extends work toward the street when the permit is in place.
Why does water sit along the side of my house after a storm?
Narrow side yards often lose their slope when pavers, AC pads or new beds go in. A French drain or a modest regrade restores fall away from the slab so water heads toward the swale or canal instead of pooling.