Water moving sideways through shallow clay reaches the footing. The drain intercepts it there.
Under Orchard Hill the clay sits on rock, so water soaking in stops going down and travels sideways through the top few feet of soil. A basement footing sits in that zone and takes the water as it passes.
Because these are rural lots with no storm drainage, all the rain that falls has to move through the ground, and the volume reaching the foundation is higher than it would be in town. That makes both interception and interior drainage worth having.
Acreage makes the discharge straightforward. Where the land falls away we run a gravity line as far as needed, which costs nothing to operate. The interior channel goes in around the footing in washed stone with fabric, and the shallow rock sets how deep we can reasonably go.
Our basement french drains scope is the same on every Orchard Hill home, whatever the Spalding County ground turns out to be doing.

From the first phone call to the final walkthrough, you deal with the Trench Guys team - start to finish.
We come out (you don't even have to be home), inspect top to bottom, and pinpoint exactly what's going on - no scare tactics.
You get a clear, fixed-price plan with options to fit most budgets. We explain everything in plain English.
Our experienced crews do the work right the first time, treat your home with respect, and clean up when we're done.
Your waterproofing is backed by a lifetime warranty and our workmanship guarantee. If something's not right, we make it right.
Rated 5.0 stars across 158 Google reviews - see why neighbors call Trench Guys first.
Trench Guys came to my home and corrected a sagging kitchen floor. They did a great job and guarantee their work for 10 years! I absolutely will be calling them anytime I need help.
I don't usually write reviews but John and his crew are absolutely awesome. They did my crawl space encapsulation. I got other quotes - don't waste your time with the other guys. Outstanding service at an incredible price!
Thank you Trench Guys for repairing our foundation. John gave our home a thorough inspection and explained the process so we knew exactly what the problem was and our options. They worked hard and were friendly and knowledgeable.
We run the same crews across Spalding County and the rest of Middle Georgia.
You don't even have to be home. Call Trench Guys today for a 100% free inspection and an honest, no-pressure quote to protect your home.
Free inspections · Budget-friendly options · Lifetime warranty on waterproofing