What a Catch Basin Is
A catch basin is a boxed drain — typically plastic — set into the ground with a grate on top at a low point in the yard, driveway edge, or landscape bed. Water flowing across the surface drops through the grate into the basin, then out through a drainage pipe.
Where Catch Basins Are Often Useful
- Low spots where surface water always ends up
- Bases of slopes and hillside walk-outs
- Between two hard surfaces that funnel runoff into one area
- Landscape beds that catch water from surrounding grass and hardscape
- Areas where a downspout line needs a shared collection point
How Catch Basins Are Usually Installed
- The location is chosen at the natural low point where water collects
- An outlet pipe is sloped from the basin to a suitable discharge point
- The basin is set with the grate flush to the ground or paved surface
- Backfill is graded so surface water flows toward the grate, not around it
Where a Catch Basin Fits in a Drainage Plan
A catch basin by itself is only as good as the pipe leaving it and the place it discharges. On many properties, catch basins are combined with regrading, downspout drainage lines, or a French drain to build a drainage system that actually moves water where it belongs.
When Something Else May Fit Better
If most of the water is coming from a single downspout, extending or burying that downspout may solve the problem more simply. If the wet area is caused by yard slope rather than a real low spot, regrading may be the better answer. A short on-site look usually makes the right call obvious.