Yard drainage in Mobile, Alabama
Drainage help across the Mobile County seat, from low ground near the bay to the higher subdivisions out west.
Mobile is the county seat of Mobile County and had 187,041 residents at the 2020 census. The city sits on the Mobile River at the head of Mobile Bay, and water covers about 22 percent of its area. Elevation climbs from about 10 feet on Water Street downtown to about 211 feet at Mobile Regional Airport, which means drainage problems change a lot depending on which side of town you're on.
Why does the east side drain differently from the west?
Near downtown, midtown and the bayfront, lots are lower and flatter, and creeks like Dog River are tidal. Dog River runs about eight miles and drains a watershed of more than 90 square miles into Mobile Bay. On low lots, a drain outlet may only have a few inches of fall. Farther west, the ground rises and finding fall is easier, but heavy rain moves faster off streets and roofs and can wash out slopes and swales.
Older homes and newer ones
Many older midtown houses sit on piers or crawl spaces, with buried downspout lines that roots have cracked over the decades. Newer west Mobile subdivisions are mostly slab-on-grade, where the trouble is usually settled soil along the foundation, patios that tilt toward the house, or shared swales blocked by fences.
What does the city handle?
The city's Stormwater Department clears public catch basins, culverts and pipes. Report a clogged inlet through Mobile 311. Land disturbance permits are reviewed by the Engineering Department through Build Mobile, and a heritage tree 18 inches or more in diameter needs an Urban Forestry permit before removal.
Common jobs
- Replacing root-damaged downspout lines at older homes
- Crawl space drains and sump pumps under raised houses
- Regrading slab homes so water leaves the foundation
- Driveway channel drains on sloped west Mobile lots
Common questions
Who do I call about a clogged storm drain in Mobile?
Inside city limits, use Mobile 311 by phone, app or online. For a flooding emergency, call 911.
Does every yard drainage job in Mobile need a permit?
No, but work that disturbs larger areas, changes drainage patterns or adds fill in a flood zone may. Ask the contractor to check with Build Mobile.
Services in Mobile
- French drainsStone-and-pipe trenches that pull water out of soggy ground and carry it to a real outlet.
- Downspout drain linesBuried solid pipe that moves roof water away from the slab, crawl space and driveway.
- Yard grading and swalesReshape the yard so surface water flows away from the house instead of toward it.
- Catch basins and channel drainsGrated drains that catch runoff at low spots, patios, pool decks and driveways.
- Crawl space drains and sump pumpsGet standing water out from under raised and crawl space homes, and stop what feeds it.
Nearby areas
Back yard still a pond after the last Gulf storm?
Call the number above and get connected with an independent drainage contractor who works in Mobile County.