When does your garden need drainage — and how is it installed?
By Hovenier Hoofddorp · Updated July 19, 2026
Your garden needs drainage help when puddles last more than 24 hours after normal rain, the lawn stays squelchy, or plants yellow and die in wet corners. On the sea clay of the polders this is common. The fix is not automatically pipes: often soil improvement or a soakaway solves it — a piped system is the heaviest (and priciest) option.
How do you diagnose the problem?
The simple test: dig a 30 cm hole, fill it with water, and check after a day. Still full? Infiltration is inadequate. Signs to watch: 24h+ puddles, mossy squelchy lawn, footprints that stay, dying plants in wet spots, green algae on paving and water against the facade after cloudbursts.
Which fix fits which problem? (light to heavy)
| Fix | When | Cost indication |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Soil improvement (compost + aerating) | Compacted topsoil, squelchy lawn | €100–€400 |
| 2. Less paving / permeable joints | Water runs off tiles into borders | Often free during renovation |
| 3. Soakaway or infiltration crate | One wet spot or a downpipe | €300–€800 |
| 4. Drainage pipes to a ditch or sump | Structurally wet garden, high water table | €1,000–€2,500 (average garden) |
On polder clay we almost always start with steps 1 and 2 — half the time that solves it at a fraction of the cost.
How are drainage pipes installed?
- Find the discharge point: a ditch (rarely far away in the polder), soakaway or pump pit — without one, drainage is pointless.
- Dig trenches at 50–60 cm depth with a slight fall, in a herringbone or parallel pattern every 4–6 metres.
- Lay perforated pipe with a coco or fibre wrap against silting, on a bed of drainage sand.
- Backfill with drainage sand — never the excavated clay, or the system silts shut.
- Fit a flushing point so the system can be jetted every few years.
Best moment: summer or early autumn, when clay is dry and workable — ideally combined with a lawn or garden renovation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does garden drainage cost?
A complete piped system for an average back garden costs €1,000–€2,500 including digging, materials and reinstating lawn or planting. A single wet spot with a soakaway: €300–€800. After a free site visit we always propose the lightest fix that will work.
Why is my garden wet when the neighbours' is fine?
Small differences matter: a slightly lower plot, more paving, a compacted construction layer under the topsoil (common in new-builds) or an old silted drain. A 60 cm soil auger hole usually reveals the cause immediately.
How long does drainage last?
A properly built system with wrapped pipes and drainage sand lasts 15–30 years. Have it jetted every 3–5 years via the flushing point — silting is why older systems fail.
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