Drainage reviews in Eugene, Oregon

One of the reasons we fell for our new home - purchased in November - was the lovely, mature garden, which obviously had been well tended. The home inspection revealed some standing water under the house, and we had negotiated remediation of this via installation of a sump pump (done by seller’s family member). I think both we and the seller (who had lived there for decades with no sump pump) felt confident this would fix the water issue. We had no idea what winter rains had in store, and how quickly we’d need to find real water experts! By December, *inches* of water would be standing in the yard, the sump pump was running non-stop, and it felt like the water was barely being kept at bay. After heavy online research and two other bids, I almost cried with relief when Dave came over and walked through the yard with me. His level of experience was evident from the beginning, and he wasn’t shy about pointing out (and digging into) things that were all new to us. While his bid (like other reviewers write) was the highest, choosing Innovative Underground was a no-brainer. This expense was totally unexpected so soon after a down payment, but it was not the time to save pennies at the expense of the yard and potentially the house’s foundation.

When Dave came over the weekend before the work was to start, he got to encounter the yard-slash-pond fresh after a couple days of rain. He kept saying “That’s a lot of water. Wow. That’s a lot of water.” He immediately redesigned his initial plans for a French drain system. He didn’t have to - we wouldn’t have known the difference between his initial vision and his revised vision - but of course his goal isn’t to save his own time, it’s to solve the customer’s problem.

Once the crew began work, we got to meet Joel, Dave’s son. Enter Redesign #3! When Dave was talking through the digging plans with Joel (and us), I think Joel’s ears perked up when he heard me say my dream was to plant a mini orchard. Joel just happens to live with a hefty acreage of apple trees, and he was really thoughtful about suggesting yet another drainage plan that would allow for tree roots to remain as far from the drains as possible.

What had initially been bid as a 3-day job turned into 5+ days, yet not for a minute did we doubt the integrity of the entire Innovative Underground crew, their willingness to get wet and muddy, haul 9 cubic yards of river rock into the back yard, crawl under the house to fix the unprofessional sump pump job, and even cut away some extra railroad ties for us. Despite the increased job, Dave was still sensitive to our budget and we so appreciate his consideration of this.

We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Innovative Underground, and will happily wear our new IU stocking caps. Thanks again to the entire crew - Dave, Joel, Dustin, and Leo.

We are very pleased with the french drain Innovative Underground installed on our property. They did a great job correcting our ground water issues. Would highly recommend.

We are repeat customers (see K. Mitchell’s 2021 review) and continue to be thankful for the impeccable integrity, skill, and professionalism of David and Joel. We really can’t recommend them enough. Following a surprise plumbing nightmare that the previous owners of our house created (there’s a reason you’re supposed to get permits for building your own bathroom), we were left either needing to remove a homemade bathroom or slowly start to bring it (back) up to functional and (first time) to code. We called Innovative Underground to see if they would be interested in helping. Even though macerating pump installation was new to them, Joel (foreman on the project) took on the challenge - doing the research necessary to install the pump, in constant communication with us the whole time. Communication is constant from the check-ins prior, during, and post-installation to contacts they’ve provided on other projects. Thank you guys so much for digging us out of this situation! 😉 When the inevitable next one hits, we will look forward to working with you again. Kalli and Kathleen

I can't say enough positive about David Craig and his company. They did such a good job, but were also very accommodating, attentive, professional, punctual and really went above and beyond in finding resources for me, and being patient as the project progressed. When completed, they cleaned the site, raked the grass, washed the street. What more could anyone ask for? I would use them again in a heartbeat. Terrific!

We bought a new house that had some drainage issues and could not have found someone better to work with, David and his crew were extremely professional and kind throughout the whole process. They were very straight forward with budget and when encountering any issues they were very clear on any changes. Would highly recommend if you have any drainage type issues. They will work with you to find a solution that suits your budget.

I had an excellent experience with Innovative Underground. I was referred to David and his company to install drainage pipes at my house. David was friendly, professional, and straightforward throughout the process. He and his team completed the work in one day and I am pleased with the results.

David and his son did a large excavation project for me digging out bamboo and trenching 75 feet of the property line for a bamboo barrier to stop the encroachment of the neighbor's bamboo. They were wonderful to work with, always in communication as to the schedule and where we were at. Came in under budget and knocked it out in 4 days! Really appreciated working with these guys and would hire them again for any excavation needs!

We had a significant drainage problem with our split level home. We had been slowly noting problems with leaking of water into the downstairs workroom/storage area. It became noticeably worse after work on our foundation. Whatever I tried didn't work so we called David Craig at Innovative Underground who came out shortly after our call. He also put together a good bid and clear outline of the work they were going to do. on several levels around our home. As of June 15, 2021 we have had more rain and absolutely no more problems of leakage. He stuck to his budget, cleaned up the area and left the areas in good condition. We strongly recommend him to anyone else experiencing drainage issues.

I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND Innovative Underground to any of my friends!

The drainage system from our rain gutters was completely shot, so it was a a "start from scratch" project on both sides of the house! Ouch!! I appreciated David's clear communication - right from the assessment and bid. All details were addressed, and it was great to get daily updates. I felt that I could trust his response when I'd ask: "What are my options?" Everyone on the crew was also friendly and courteous.

The rain troughs on both sides of my 1950’s house were unable to drain because the drainage tiles were old and broken. They were not easily accessible due to location- one was under a city sidewalk and the other under my neighbor’s driveway. Dave, the owner of Innovative Underground, designed a system that involved creating a swale in my front yard. He and his crew arrived on time and were finished with the work at the time he predicted. They were all professional and left my yard in good condition. They even cleaned off their fingerprints on my house!
A few months passed and it started raining. The sump pump ran night and day even when the rain stopped. I knew something was wrong so I called Dave and he was able to come out very quickly and diagnose the problem. He and his crew worked on the problem until it was solved. Dave and his man were skilled and knowledgeable. Very nice to work with. I highly recommend this company.

We contracted Innovative Underground for drain lines, crawlspace water issues and demolition of poorly designed concrete walkways. We are extremely pleased with the outcomes of the project for these reasons:
*Fair pricing
*Use of high grade, top quality materials
*Skilled crew
Who were adept machinery operators, paid attention to details (both technical and aesthetic), were polite, courteous, and respectful of homeowners' personal space, reliable and prompt, and cleaned up the site each day.
*A+++ for communication by owner and crew
We received daily updates, progress reports and general check-ins. Homeowner input was valued. There was always a prompt reply to email/text questions.
We highly recommend this local business. They did an excellent job for us. Everything is working perfectly as designed. Last, but by no means least, David and crew at Innovative Underground truly were a pleasure to work with.

Our French drain showed signs of failure this past winter and I looked up Innovative Underground online. I gave David a call and he came out to take a look. He was very professional and clear on his assessment of the issue.

After taking measurements he gave me a rough verbal estimate which was then emailed the next day. We signed the paperwork and scheduled the work.

On the day of construction, his colleague arrived to do the work. Dustin was also very professional in his demeanor and explained what was going on with the drain. He let me know when he was leaving the property and when he would return the next day to finish the work. After the work was complete he had me take a look, too.

The job looks fantastic and came in under budget. I have done a brief test of the drain with our hose and so far so good.

If I ever need more of this type of work done, I will certainly call David at Innovative Underground. David and Dustin did a great job on our property. Thank you David!

Dave and his crew installed a French drain system in our backyard over the Labor Day weekend. In the weeks leading up to installation day (and throughout the entire process), Dave communicated what to expect and laid out our options clearly when we needed to make any judgment calls. The work itself went really quickly, the guys were friendly and professional, and they left things a little cleaner than when they started. When all was said and done, the project came in almost exactly on budget despite slight improvements to the original plan. Highly recommended.

David Craig and his crew with Innovative Underground completed a project for my home this summer (2019). When I purchased my house last spring, I knew drainage system and crawlspace improvements were needed. Dave provided several estimates for various ideas and worked with me to arrive at a design that suited my needs. He was very professional, shared a great deal of knowledge and experience, and was willing to adjust the design to incorporate a rain garden. For a small home, this was a big project; I am more than pleased with the result. Dave was easy to talk with, reliable, and a specialist with this type of work. Two thumbs up! If I need additional work, I will call Dave!

We needed a French Drain on our property to solve a hydrostatic water problem with our foundation wall. David with Innovative Underground put us on his calendar, surveyed the project, and gave us an estimate in a timely manner. After excepting the bid Innovative Underground set the project on their calendar 2 weeks out. The crew arrived, began the work without creating any inconvenience to us and completed it on time. The crew went above and beyond, following additional work ideas that occurred while the work was in progress. Nothing but praise from this customer.

We contacted Innovative Underground after two failed attempts by other companies to replace a gravity drain pipe from our crawlspace to the street.

The job proved to be quite challenging. The depth at the highest point was over four feet, and layers of solid rock were encountered, requiring special equipment to break up. I’m not sure how many companies would have been able to perform what this project came to require.

David, the owner genuinely engaged us from start to finish. When extra measures were necessary, we were shown how and why they were, along with written documentation of the additional costs.

We are pleased how David and Jeremey got our major project done, and done right. 👍

My home had a few pipes leaking into our crawlspace but no plumber would go fix it because the crawlspace isn't up to code. As the smell and worry of mold grew worse, David with Innovative Underground came to the rescue. To clear the entire space would take more money than I could come up with anytime soon. David knew we were desperate and sent two guys to work right away digging a trench from leak to leak allowing access for the plumber. They were professional, fast, and hard working. Even brought in a portapotty so they wouldn't "disturb" my family inside. Once done they laid moisture barrier where they had dug and reported leaks much worse than we originally thought. Good thing I can get a plumber in there now! Great work and I will be using them again to do the rest of the crawlspace when I am able.

In 2025, after noticing a potential blockage, I contacted David for a service visit. Despite the company’s assurance that they maintain their own installations, he refused to help and told me to find another vendor. Having invested $25,000, I am disappointed by this lack of accountability. Furthermore, I am concerned about the long-term integrity of the system now that the original installer is refusing to service the very drainage they designed. See attached text.

2023 -- David stays with his team. He welcomes questions and homeowner thoughts. My project was more difficult than anticipated and he was fair with asking for additional money. Tree roots and gas line were my homes issue. Having an electrician handy would be nice to get it done all at once. Is good to his employees! Honest contractor I found through an online search. Fair to women and people not originally from Eugene (which is kind of like finding a unicorn).

This summer we had major foundation work done on our home. During the repair process we found out all of the old drainage pipes connected to the gutters were either made of a material that wasn't up to code or had completely deteriorated and needed to be replaced. We also found a natural stream flowing on the side of the house. David Craig and his company Innovative Underground were highly recommended to help us solve our drainage problems. David and his crew are fantastic to work with! They are honest, very hard working, and very respectful. They treated our home as if it was their own. Our home needed a French Drain, Sump Pump, and new connections (PVC Pipe) to all of the down spouts. During the project David communicated every step of the way. He would ask us to come out to see if we were happy with the work in progress. The project was completed on time and with precision, our yard looked beautiful when everything was completed. I highly recommend David Craig and his crew at Innovative Underground! I'd call them again if I needed more work done!

Our house that we bought last year had a unfortunate surprise in the form of an ongoing drainage issue in the yard as well as standing water pooling against the foundation. I wasn’t having any luck getting someone to actually come out and take a look at the problem until I came across an ad for Innovative Underground. David promptly came out, surveyed the problem and came up with options to address the problem at a fair price. He and his crew were hard working, dependable and communicative. I appreciated his desire to correctly fix a problem. During work on my property David uncovered additional problems with the house drainage that were the root cause of my water problems. Because of his attention to detail he was able to provide a solution to problems that previously hadn’t been able to be solved. If you have water problems and need them addressed don’t bother looking any further, go with Innovative Underground and have the job done correctly the first time. I’m planning on having them come out again to redo work previous people had done on other areas of the house and property.

David and his crew at innovative underground are very reliable and they do the work that you ask them to. We had a vapor barrier fixed by him and his crew. They did a fantastic job that was back in 2019. I hired him again recently to fix a broken ceramic sewage pipe. They installed the drain out and a new pipe it was very affordable and they did a great job. I would recommend them highly for any under the house and outside the house projects. Very easy-going, professional, affordable and reliable.

Troy Krusenstjerna