Question
I live in SW Montana and have a drainage issue.  House built in 1950, ranch style with basement.   Roadway surface is about 2' higher than the yard, where the yard is closest to the house.  Driveway slopes down about a car length then very slightly up again another car length toward the garage.  Yard next to driveway is about 2 inches higher than the concrete.  Where the drive changes direction, next to the yard, puddles form.  As I've read your previous answers we both know water flows downhill and it just so happens that the slope of the road from north to south as well as the slope from center shoulder and the lack of a ditch, the uphill water flows into my yard when the gravel 'drain' next to the road has too much water.  It then puddles in the drive next to the yard.

In January we had very warm weather which melted the snow from my yard, neighbor's yard, every other neighbor's yard uphill as well as a large church parking lot, again uphill.    The excessive water had nowhere to go but towards my house, into the flower bed and into my finished basement, which I just spent a year remodeling.  Luckily it only ruined 1 room's carpet.

My question involves my plan when the ground unfreezes:
1. Rent a backhoe;
2. Buy some dry wells (or whatever those are called from  NDS that have grates and a 4" hookup) and install one at the low spot of the driveway next to the yard, another one at a downspout at the corner of the house (I'll explain in a moment);
3. Tie the 2 drains together using 4" flexible pipe (I have to go around tree roots);
4. Continue a trench from the gutter location toward the backyard, using 4" drain tile (that's what I know it as - perforated pipe on top of pea gravel at a level of at least 4 foot deep) next to the foundation and connected to another gutter downspout;
5. Another trench with solid pipe to another location in the back yard where I would install a leeching tank with 4' of gravel at a depth of at least 5'.

The backyard slopes down from the house until it reaches the last 15-20 feet of my property where it goes up slightly, creating another water issue when the snow melts.

The gutter downspout next to the front corner of the house currently has a loose plastic gutter to drain water away from the house and it's about 10' long.  I have to move it when I mow, it's unsightly and it drains into the neighbor's yard.  Similar situation with the downspout at the back corner.  A home inspector suggested them to the last owners as well as resloping the yard right next to it to prevent seepage into the basement.

I'd love it if I had $25,000 to have someone landscape, slope, add topsoil, etc but I don't.  I can't replace the carpet in the basement that was ruined until this drainage issue is fixed.

Does my plan sound workable to you?  Do you have any other suggestions that would be cheaper and less work?  Am I planning on too much by adding the drain tile next to the foundation?  Should I add drain tile under the flower bed that flooded, next to the foundation?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Answer
I hear you, James.  Our area got 200%+ of snow this year, and we抮e all concerned with a possible warm spell.

Your plan sounds like it will work, overall.  You have option besides renting a full backhoe (http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/engines-equipment/backhoe-loader9.htm), and I am partial to the Bobcat line of compact tractors and excavators for tight sites (www.bobcat.com)

Rental fees are generally less for these smaller machines, and you can order it up with backhoe attachment for trenching work.  The backhoe attachment can dig down 6 1/2 foot deep.  Let the rental yard know what you are trying to do, so they can match you up with the best (and least expensive) piece of equipment for the job.

As to pipe sizes, a 6?pipe is not really that much more than a 4? but the capacity is 1/3rd again more.  NDS really has a good product line, and I抳e been happy with their performance.

Here is a REALLY good example of what you are trying to do:
http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/articles/keep-basement-dry-with-a-curtain...

If your lot is flat, another challenge is getting it all to drain away (positive flow) I see a potential problem with step 4.  Connecting the downspout into a perforated drainage system, you want the water to 揼o away?and not leach into a gravel bed, so the purpose of a perforated pipe is usually to capture water that isn抰 already in the system, and in a heavy downpour may actually run 揵ackwards?allowing water to escape back up through the perforations if the pipes, when flowing full.  Notice in the fine Homebuilding article, above, they actually run TWO pipes - one for the downspout, and one for the drain tile.    

Good tip: Add clean outs and junction boxes.  Make a map of where they are.  Not only for the next homeowner, but so YOU can find them 15 years from now!  It is a bit more expensive initially, but cheaper than ripping it up because you can抰 clean out a clog.

Drain tile comes in all sorts of configurations and names ?Curtain drain, French drain tile.  I抳e used special 揷urtain?pipe, which is like the system you described, except the pipe isn抰 round, its flat, and can be wrapped in filter fabric, and designed to intercept the subsurface water in a similar fashion.  It can be installed with a trenching tool instead of a backhoe around the foundation ?a little easier on the wallet, and potentially less damaging to existing underground utilities.

http://www.multi-flow.com/Menu/residential_app.html

Step 5 you mentioned a 搇eeching tank? and there are chamber systems that create a void for holding excess water (http://www.stormtech.com/download_files/pdf/ResDownSpout_S13.pdf).  Saves on the cost of gravel, and gravel can clog up, over many years of silt accumulation.  I would recommend lining the bottom with both stone AND filter fabric for added lifespan.  This should solve your 搇oose?10?gutter problem.

As to adding drain tile at the flowerbed, NDS has a new product that may be a lot easier to install ?Ezflow.  Check it out at NDS抯 website (NDS.cm).  It can be installed with shovel instead of a backhoe, and doesn抰 use gravel ?encased in material that is like packing peanuts, glued to the pipe.  They allow water to filter in, but are light-weight.

On a side note, be aware of your existing utilities ?have a plan in case you run into something unexpected, like power lines, abandoned sprinklers, or well heads.  Can you do without power or water for a few hours?

Sorry for all the links, but I find if folks can 搒ee?what it is I抦 talking about, it makes a bit more sense.  Hope it helps & good luck!! ~Marc