That lake in your backyard isn't supposed to be there.
Cedar Park homeowners in Brushy Creek, Twin Creeks, and newer Buttercup Creek subdivisions are discovering an uncomfortable truth: builders grade lots for speed, not drainage. After every heavy rain, water pools against fences, saturates foundations, and turns backyards into temporary ponds.
The real cost of waiting: Standing water isn't just annoying—it's destroying your home's foundation. Clay soil holds moisture unevenly; when one side of your slab stays wet while the other dries, differential settling cracks walls, jams doors, and can cost $15,000-40,000 in foundation repair. That $8,000 drainage fix starts looking cheap.
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Get Free QuotesCedar Park drainage: what your builder didn't tell you
- Many Cedar Park subdivisions were mass-graded with minimal individual lot attention—your drainage problem might be caused by how your neighbor's lot was graded, not yours
- The heavy clay soil here (Houston Black series) has near-zero natural permeability; water doesn't soak in, it runs off or sits
- City of Cedar Park has impervious cover limits that affect how much hardscape you can add—permeable pavers count differently than solid concrete
- French drain installations in Cedar Park clay require specific aggregate depths (12"+ vs. 6" elsewhere) or they fail within 2 years
Cedar Park cost factors to budget for
Questions to ask Cedar Park contractors
Use these to separate experienced local pros from generalists who don't know the area.
- 1 Can you show me a drainage project you did in Cedar Park clay soil that's been in place for 3+ years?
- 2 What aggregate depth do you use for permeable paver installations here?
- 3 How do you handle drainage that originates from neighboring lots?
- 4 Do you pull permits for French drain installations, and does Cedar Park require inspection?
- 5 What's the maintenance schedule for permeable pavers, and do you offer service contracts?
Best time to start
After a heavy rain, actually. You want contractors to see the problem at its worst so they can design appropriately. Spring (March-May) installations give the system time to establish before summer thunderstorm season tests it.
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Permeable Pavers & Drainage questions from Cedar Park homeowners
Frequently asked questions
Why didn't my builder fix the drainage before I moved in?
Builders grade for 'positive drainage away from the foundation'—meaning water flows away from your house. They're not responsible for where it goes after that. Most new Cedar Park homes meet code at closing but develop pooling issues as soil settles over the first 1-3 years.
Is a French drain enough, or do I need a full permeable patio?
Depends on the volume. For moderate pooling (clears within 4-6 hours), a French drain system ($3,000-6,000) usually works. For serious flooding that persists 24+ hours, you likely need to combine French drains with permeable hardscape to handle both infiltration and conveyance. A site assessment tells you which approach fits.
Will permeable pavers get clogged with Cedar Park clay?
They can if installed incorrectly. Quality installations include filter fabric and washed aggregate that prevents clay migration. Plan for annual maintenance (vacuuming joints) to maintain infiltration rates. Cheap installations skip these steps and fail in 3-5 years.
My neighbor's lot drains into mine. What can I do?
Texas law generally doesn't allow you to redirect water onto a neighbor, but doesn't require them to fix existing drainage patterns either. The practical solution is intercepting the flow on your property with swales, French drains, or grading. In some cases, neighbors split costs for a shared solution—a good contractor can help facilitate that conversation.
Do permeable pavers count against my impervious cover limit?
In Cedar Park, properly installed permeable pavers typically get 50% credit—meaning 100 sq ft of permeable pavers counts as 50 sq ft of impervious cover. This matters if you're near your lot's limit and want to add a patio or driveway extension.
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