North Fort Myers • Lee County
Drainage & Grading in North Fort Myers, FL
How a North Fort Myers yard handles water depends a lot on how close it sits to the river and its canals. In Lochmoor Waterway Estates, residents told FOX 4 they believe sediment and debris left by Ian have restricted flow and made flooding worse, and several neighbors have lifted homes after three floods. Lifting a house helps the structure, but it does not move water off the lot, and new steps, pads, and fill around a lifted home can change how a yard drains. Other North Fort Myers residents have raised concerns that new development nearby adds to flooding. On a single lot, the fixes are local: regrade so runoff heads to the street or canal instead of the slab, extend downspouts, add a French drain along a soggy side yard, or build a rain garden in a low corner. Hodges walks the lot after a rain if possible, then plans grades that keep water off neighboring properties.
or call (239) 301-9455
Where it comes up in North Fort Myers
Tropic Isles
Suncoast Estates
Sabal Springs
Plants and materials that suit it in North Fort Myers
- Fakahatchee grass
- Muhly grass
- Sabal palm (cabbage palm)
- Perforated drain pipe
- Washed drainage stone
- Downspout extensions and pop-up emitters
Questions
Who handles flooding from the canal or roadside ditch?
Public drainage in unincorporated North Fort Myers is a Lee County matter, not the homeowner's, and FOX 4 has put Lochmoor residents' questions to the county's Natural Resources director. A contractor can fix grading on your own lot but cannot change public drainage.
We lifted our house. Does the yard need new grading?
Often it does. New footings, stairs, and fill change where water collects. The ground around a lifted home should still slope away from the structure, and downspouts should drain onto a surface that carries water toward the street or canal rather than under the house.
Is a French drain or a rain garden better for my low spot?
A French drain moves water somewhere else, so it needs a lower outlet. A rain garden holds water briefly in a planted depression and lets it soak into the sand. In flat yards without an outlet, a rain garden planted with fakahatchee grass is often more practical.