Sod Installation and French Drain Cleanup in West Des Moines

New concrete work has a way of leaving the surrounding lawn looking rough. Dirt gets displaced, grades get thrown off, and water has nowhere good to go. That's exactly what we were dealing with here on University Ave in West Des Moines - a freshly poured sidewalk with the surrounding turf stripped down to bare, uneven soil.

We started with the Harley rake to get the grade right. That step matters more than people realize. If the ground isn't graded correctly before you lay sod, water pools, roots struggle, and you end up with a patchy lawn in a few months. Getting the slope right from the start is what makes everything else hold up long-term.

Once the grade was dialed in, we brought in topsoil and laid fresh sod along the full length of the sidewalk. We also installed French drains to handle water movement - so when it rains heavy, water isn't just sitting against the building or washing through the new turf. It moves where it's supposed to go.

The French drain cleanout cap visible at the fence line is a small detail that makes a big difference for long-term maintenance. It means the system can be cleared out easily without digging anything up. That kind of thoughtful install is what separates a job that holds up from one that becomes a problem down the road.

Start to finish, this was a full landscaping restoration - grading, topsoil, sod installation, and drainage all in one visit. If your property is in a similar spot after concrete work or construction, this is exactly the kind of cleanup that gets it looking clean and functioning right again.