St. Johns County · Northeast Florida
Drainage & Stormwater in St. Augustine
Grading, swales, culverts and retention that move water away from the structure instead of toward it. Licensed and insured, Florida Certified Building Contractor CBC1265492.
- Away from the structure
- Positive fallAway from the structure
- Pipe sized to real storm flow
- SizedPipe sized to real storm flow
- Seeded or sodded before we leave
- StabilizedSeeded or sodded before we leave
Drainage & Stormwater for St. Augustine property owners
We take on drainage work throughout St. Augustine, St. Johns County. That covers all of St. Augustine, including the the Castillo de San Marcos area and the property around St. George Street. What comes across our desk from St. Augustine is mostly historic-district homes, bayfront property and small commercial and hospitality buildings.
Two site conditions drive most of what drainage work costs here. Coquina, shell and centuries of fill — archaeological review can be triggered by excavation before a footing is ever poured. And Matanzas Bay tidal flooding reaches downtown streets on king tides, which sets the floor elevation conversation for any renovation.
What St. Augustine geology and review rules change
Drainage around St. Augustine is a water-quality question before it is a nuisance question. Matanzas Bay tidal flooding reaches downtown streets on king tides, which sets the floor elevation conversation for any renovation. That means anything you infiltrate goes more or less directly into the aquifer, and the rules reflect that — stormwater treatment requirements here are tighter than almost anywhere else in the region. Coquina, shell and centuries of fill — archaeological review can be triggered by excavation before a footing is ever poured. Karst adds a second wrinkle: water that disappears into a sink is not drainage, it is a direct conduit, and directing runoff into one is both bad practice and a regulatory problem.
Something else that decides the scope here: some of the oldest building stock in the country alongside 1920s frame houses, all of it visually regulated. That matters because the right approach to drainage work follows local conditions as much as it follows the plan set.
Approvals in St. Augustine come from City of St. Augustine, with Historic Architectural Review Board approval. The Historic Architectural Review Board reviews exterior materials, windows, roofing and massing — approval comes before permitting, not after. We establish that before anything is drawn, because a redesign after a review comment is the most avoidable cost on a project.
None of that is exotic. It's just the difference between an estimate written for St. Augustine and one written for anywhere.
What drainage & stormwater in St. Augustine covers
- Survey and flow mapping
- Grading and swales
- French drains and subsurface systems
- Culverts and driveway crossings
- Roof water routing
- Retention, outfall and stabilization
Signs it's time to call
These are the things owners tell us on the first call. If more than one sounds familiar, it's worth a look.
- There's a dark tide line or chalky efflorescence on the slab edge or the bottom course of block.
- Mulch and topsoil migrate toward the street after every storm.
How we deliver drainage & stormwater in St. Augustine
01
Walk it wet
02
Survey and design
03
Permitting and outfall approval
04
Earthwork
05
Pipe and structures
06
Stabilize and verify
What actually drives the cost
We won't quote a number sight unseen. These are the factors that move it, so you can see where your project is likely to land before we ever walk the property.
- Surface versus subsurface
- Regrading and swales cost a fraction of a piped subsurface system. We recommend the cheaper one whenever the site will accept it, which is more often than people expect.
- Permitting and outfall approval
- Tying into a public system or a district facility requires approval, and approvals have timelines that belong in the schedule rather than in the surprises.
On the ground in St. Augustine.
We do drainage work in and around St. Augustine — treatment-first designs, swales and vegetated conveyance that filter before they infiltrate, and grading that keeps runoff away from sinks and spring runs. Historic-district homes, bayfront property and small commercial and hospitality buildings form the context.
St. Augustine is one stop in a St. Johns County circuit that also takes in Vilano Beach, St. Augustine Beach, Elkton and World Golf Village.
- historic-district homes
- bayfront property
- small commercial and hospitality buildings
Other work we do in St. Augustine
Land Clearing in St. Augustine
Clearing, grading, driveways and drainage that get a property ready to build on.
Learn more →Excavation in St. Augustine
Foundation, pond, utility and pad excavation on sites where the water table is close and the soil changes across the lot.
Learn more →Custom Home Building in St. Augustine
Ground-up custom homes, from land clearing through the final walkthrough, with one builder accountable the whole way.
Learn more →Drainage & Stormwater near St. Augustine
All areas we serve for drainage & stormwater →Drainage & Stormwater questions in St. Augustine
There's a sinkhole on my St. Augustine property that takes all the water — can I drain into it?
No, and it's worth knowing why. Around St. Augustine a sink is a direct opening to the aquifer, so runoff going into it arrives untreated in the drinking water supply. Directing stormwater to one is a regulatory violation as well as an environmental one. We design conveyance that treats and filters water well before it reaches any karst feature.
What should I budget for drainage work in St. Augustine?
It depends on the site more than on the square footage. Coquina, shell and centuries of fill — archaeological review can be triggered by excavation before a footing is ever poured, and Matanzas Bay tidal flooding reaches downtown streets on king tides, which sets the floor elevation conversation for any renovation, both of which move the number materially in St. Augustine. We quote after a walkthrough, free of charge.
What's the permitting process for drainage work in St. Augustine?
Yes for anything structural or involving systems. Permits come from City of St. Augustine, with Historic Architectural Review Board approval, and there's a local wrinkle worth knowing: the Historic Architectural Review Board reviews exterior materials, windows, roofing and massing — approval comes before permitting, not after. We handle the whole submittal.
When could you get out to look at a St. Augustine property?
Quickly for the walkthrough — St. Augustine is close enough to Keystone Heights that scheduling isn't the constraint. Permitting is, and we'll be straight with you about how long City of St. Augustine, with Historic Architectural Review Board approval actually takes.
Do you actually travel to St. Augustine?
Yes, regularly. We're based in Keystone Heights and St. Johns County is core territory for us; Vilano Beach, St. Augustine Beach and Elkton are all on the same routes. (352) 478-6112 gets you a site visit.
Why does water stand in my yard when it never used to?
Usually something upstream changed — a neighbor built up their pad, a ditch silted in, a culvert collapsed, or your own landscaping slowly reversed the fall. Drainage problems are rarely spontaneous; something redirected the water, and the low spot is just where it now ends up.
Can't I just add topsoil to the low spot?
That moves the puddle rather than removing it. Water has to go somewhere, and filling the place it collects sends it to the next lowest point, sometimes the foundation. Fill only works as part of a plan that gives the water a route out.
Ready to talk about drainage & stormwater in St. Augustine?
Free consultations, straight answers, and one contractor accountable from the first walkthrough to the last punch item.