Boost Your Business By Adding Drainage Installation

Are you a contractor interested in another way to increase revenue or looking to make your business stand out in the competitive marketplace? If so, adding drainage solutions to your list of services might just be the answer. Many homeowners dream of beautifully designed landscaping, but proper drainage installation and maintenance is an important element that might not immediately come to mind. Sure, it isn’t the most glamorous factor to consider; but without it, standing water can quickly ruin a landscape, kill grass and plants, damage the structural integrity of a home, and create health hazards by attracting mosquitos and other pests. Homeowners can also avoid costly future repairs and ensure outdoor living spaces will look better, for longer. 


What is the ROI for your business? 

You can easily expand your business profile and profit margins by adding drainage design, installation and maintenance to your list of services. Understandably, there is a certain level of risk or discomfort for a contractor expanding services outside his or her core competency, but the potential benefits are significant. If you are currently offering irrigation installation or hardscapes, it is easy to transition into adding drainage services as well. In fact, you likely already have all the tools you need to get the job done—now you need the know-how, and that’s why SiteOne partners with experts in the industry to help get you started.

SiteOne and trusted manufacturers, NDS and ADS, offer high-performance drainage solutions to save time and labor, protect property and landscapes, maximize beauty and usability of outdoor spaces, and prevent negative impacts downstream. Stormwater drainage management solutions such as catch basins, grates or drains from NDS or durable corrugated pipe from ADS, protect both property and the environment by reducing runoff and mitigating pollution and erosion. Additionally, this allows customers to make the most of their outdoor living spaces and ensure protection when they need it most. 

With the addition of drainage systems, your business will see an increase in projects, income, accounts, return service and more. If you’re ready to learn more about adding drainage services to your business portfolio, SiteOne is here to help.
 

Identifying and Mitigating Target Opportunities 

To begin identifying opportunities for selling drainage, the simplest place to start is with your current customer base. You might be surprised to discover how many of your customers have existing drainage issues and would appreciate your help for improving and protecting their properties. Open up the conversation with current customers to connect and walk through properties experiencing drainage issues, then begin discussing plans for assistance and improvement.

Here is a breakdown of some of the most common issues to look for, as well as recommended solutions:
 

• Downspout runoff
  • Look for flooding and erosion at downspout, structural damage from water, or ask your customer if the basement or crawlspace is damp/wet or has standing water in it.
  • Solution: A downspout adapter can transition water from downspout straight to pipe. For properties with trees overhanging rooftops, the NDS Downspout Defender™ Grate blocks tree debris to protect the pipeline from clogging. Installing a proper drainage system using a catch basin or low-profile adapter under the downspout and a pop-up emitter to release water downstream is recommended. 

• Water on hardscapes
  • Look for staining from mold and mildew, mud or debris accumulating on surfaces, water intrusion and/or structural damage. 
  • Solution: Remove water from large, impervious surface areas such as pool decks, patios and driveways with a channel drain or trench drain. These long, narrow drains capture sheet-flow runoff from surrounding surfaces to prevent growth of slippery mildew, stains and costly property damage. Connect to a point of release downstream, such as a pop-up emitter. 

• High groundwater and saturated soils
  • Look for a wet basement or crawlspace, water seeping through a retaining wall, or standing water over 24 hours after a rain event.
  • Solution: Capture and remove groundwater adjacent to foundations, behind retaining walls and in saturated yards with an EZflow® Gravel-Free French Drain System. These underground drainage solutions capture and redirect high groundwater away from structures and poor drainage areas. Connect to a discharge point downstream, such as a pop-up emitter. 

• Water collecting in lower areas of the yard, landscape beds or natural areas
  • Look for patchy turf and muddy areas, musty smells from fungus and disease, or turf that is yellowing, thinning or dying. 
  • Solution: Collect standing water using a catch basin or low-profile adapter with a grate to block debris and direct water to pipe. For areas prone to flooding, other options include the Flo-Well® Dry Well System to collect, temporarily store and slowly release excess water into the ground, and the EZflow French Drain System. Drain away the excess water drowning plants or lingering in mulched plant beds using a catch basin or low-profile adapter with a domed atrium grate, and direct it to a pop-up emitter as a point of release. The EZflow French Drain System can also prevent surface flooding and saturation by capturing groundwater and sending it downstream by connected pipe. 

To further assist with recognizing and identifying potential issues, we have also developed a Drainage Pros video series to show you exactly what to look for.


Tools and Resources to Be Successful

Once you’ve learned how to identify these issues, we will walk you through the different types of product installations you can offer to help solve each problem. Here are just a few of the many resources and tools we’ve developed to help you get started and be successful in the drainage system installation and management industry:
 

• Branch Drainage Pros are available as a first resource for answering any project questions. Look for the SiteOne associate at your local branch wearing the NDS Destination Drainage polo.
   
• SiteOne University provides the training and knowledge to take your company to the next level and give you a competitive edge in your market. Specific training topics include: Business, Erosion Control/Drainage, Golf, Hardscaping, Irrigation, Lawn Care, Lighting, Pest Control, Nursery, Tree Care/Green Symposium, and a full track of courses available in Spanish.
   
• Project Services make it easy to develop bids and submittals for drainage and other project opportunities. Highly skilled SiteOne associates are always available to assist you with projects. Project Services is a great way to add new customers to your portfolio. 

In addition to these SiteOne resources, NDS has several tools and programs in place to offer further support and assistance, including:
 

• NDS Professional Drainage Contractor Certification through in-person and online courses, including Drainage Fundamentals, Common Problems and Solutions, Drainage System Design and more. With this NDS certification, contractors are also included in a Find-A-Contractor database available at NDSPro.com/Contractor where homeowners can easily connect with your business to do your job. To learn more about becoming a NDS professional Drainage Contractor, visit connect.NDSPro.com/contractor-training. 
   
• NDS Home Drainage Center will walk you through 4 easy steps to identify and solve the most common drainage problems.
   
• NDS DesignWorks links civil engineers with you to evaluate your design and provide guidance—ensuring project success. 
   
• NDS expert technical services are available by phone or email. A video library and a Drainage Calculator help you map out projects, calculate runoff and determine next steps. 

With so many tools and resources right at your fingertips, you can easily and confidently add drainage installation and maintenance services to your business. Where there is a need for landscaping, there is an opportunity for drainage services, and it can help make your hard work of landscape design, hardscaping or installing irrigation last longer.