Landscape Drainage & Grading Contractors

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As trusted Landscape Grading & Drainage Contractors, The Rick’s Group Landscape Management serves homeowners and businesses across north Metro Atlanta with expert erosion control, precision grading, and custom drainage solutions.

Landscape Grading & Drainage Contractors

From Atlanta to Suwanee and Johns Creek, our team ensures every property remains stable, beautiful, and protected from water damage through proven design, installation, and maintenance expertise.

Understanding the Different Types of Erosion

When evaluating your property the experienced team at The Rick’s Group identifies and mitigates all the common forms of soil and slope erosion, including:

  • Bank Erosion — soil loss along the edges of slopes or embankments, often adjacent to streambanks or pond edges.
  • Gully Erosion — large channels or rills carving into the ground, typically on steeper terrain near Buford or Duluth.
  • Rill Erosion — smaller channels formed by runoff that cut into soil between terraces or slopes.
  • Sheet Erosion — a thin, uniform layer of soil removed across a large area, often where grading leaves bare clay and no vegetation.
  • Splash Erosion — where the impact of raindrops scatters soil particles, loosening them and making them prone to movement.

Our grading and drainage services are designed to mitigate each of these risks, tailor-fit to the unique topography of your property in the north Metro Atlanta region.

Grading Techniques & Drainage Systems to Prevent Erosion

At The Rick’s Group Landscape Management, we deploy a full suite of professional grading and drainage solutions across Atlanta, Buford, Suwanee, Johns Creek, Roswell and Duluth. Our services include:

  • Reslope the yard: We adjust the contour of your property, so water flows gently away from your home — typically establishing a 5 % grade (about 6 inches of fall over 10 feet) by adding or removing soil. This ensures your foundation and exterior surfaces stay dry and stable.
  • Build berms: Raised soil barriers act as natural guides, directing water toward desired drainage points and away from foundations or vulnerable slope edges.
  • Construct terraces: On steeper landscapes found in certain Roswell or Johns Creek locations, we create stair-stepped levels to slow down water flow and reduce erosion.
  • Create swales: We dig shallow, wide ditches—planted with vegetation or filled with gravel—to collect and channel water gradually, creating a “dry creek bed” effect and helping infiltration.
  • Install rain gardens: Depressed areas planted with water-loving plants collect excess runoff and allow it to slowly filter into the soil — both beautiful and functional for homes in Duluth or Buford.
  • Install French drains: These gravel-filled trenches with perforated pipe collect and divert underground water away from specific areas — helpful in yards where water saturates soil near foundations.
  • Install surface drains: In low-lying areas that frequently collect water, surface drains carry water away through pipes — a smart solution for properties with poor grade or heavy drainage flow in Atlanta or the surrounding towns.
  • Install dry wells: We create underground pits filled with gravel that collect excess water and allow it to drain slowly into the subsoil — effective for managing heavy runoff after storms.

Erosion Control Strategies to Safeguard Your Johns Creek or Buford, GA Property

In addition to grading and drainage system installation, we deploy proven erosion control techniques to preserve soil stability:

  • Plant vegetation: Ground covers, grasses and other deep-rooted plants hold soil in place — especially useful in slopes and near stream banks around Buford and Suwanee.
  • Apply mulch: Covering bare soil with mulch shields it from raindrop impact, wind and erosion, and improves water penetration.
  • Use physical barriers: Boulders, sediment control logs or silt fences can slow water flow and direct it safely — meeting standards recommended in manuals supported by the EPA. (Environmental Protection Agency)
  • Install retaining walls: In higher-end homes around Roswell or Johns Creek, a well-engineered retaining wall holds back soil on a slope, prevents landslides and creates usable landscape space. Note: for walls over 4 feet in height, local jurisdictions such as Gwinnett County require permits and structural design review. (Gwinnett County)
  • Maintain gutters and downspouts: It’s a simple yet critical step — extend downspouts at least 5 feet from the foundation, ensure they’re free of debris and don’t direct water back toward your home. This works hand-in-hand with our grading and drainage work so that water flows away from your structure. According to widely accepted building-code principles, lots shall be graded to drain surface water away from foundation walls with a minimum fall of 6 inches in the first 10 feet. (ICC Digital Codes)

The Impact of Soil Erosion on Stormwater Systems | Safety Concerns

When your property in the greater Atlanta area—including areas like Buford, Suwanee, Johns Creek, Roswell and Duluth—is subject to improper grading and drainage, the consequences can be serious. Loose, unanchored soil begins to erode, and this loose soil is then carried downstream threatening to choke stormwater control  systems downstream.

That sedimentation process begins to clog your stormwater system, as the buildup of sediment restricts the flow of stormwater. At the same time, soil erosion is a compounding issue: when soil loss occurs, slope instability follows, which in turn results in faster-moving water that disrupts still more soil.

For homeowners and commercial properties in the north Metro Atlanta region—including Atlanta’s northern suburbs—this means that drainage systems, swales, and storm-control basins can fill more quickly, reducing their capacity and increasing the risk of surface flooding and landscape damage.

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How Erosion Leads to Stormwater Blockages, Structural Damage & Regulatory Risks

Sediment collecting around outlets may indicate internal pipe failure — or even be a symptom of a developing sinkhole. When stormwater control measures are compromised, flooding downstream can occur as the control structures have reduced capacity. The further downstream stormwater issues show up, the more likely property owners are to receive notice of violation, especially when multiple properties in areas like Roswell or Johns Creek are impacted.

In severe cases, erosion may cause structural damage to parking lots, foundations or even walks and patios around homes in Duluth or Suwanee. Soil loss may cause the ground beneath impervious pavement to shift, resulting in cracks, heaving or instability. The right approach is to engage experienced landscape grading and drainage contractors such as The Rick’s Group, who understand how to get to the root cause of the issue and implement effective remediation.

Avoid Regulatory Issues with Proper Erosion Control Solutions 

At The Rick’s Group Landscape Management, we provide analysis to evaluate and repair the original cause of issues on your property. Whether you’re in Atlanta, Buford, or the surrounding north Georgia corridor, neglecting soil loss or slope instability can lead not only to property damage, but to regulatory involvement: slope failures pose a safety risk for pedestrians, and eroded soils often carry pollutants into nearby lakes or streams.

For example, in the north Metro Atlanta region, many initial land-disturbing activities must follow the guidelines laid out by the Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission (GSWCC) — their Field Manual includes vegetative and structural BMPs (best management practices) for land-disturbing activities. (Georgia Soil & Water Commission)

Meanwhile, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stresses that proper stormwater management and erosion-control practices are required to reduce downstream sedimentation and protect water quality. (EPA) By choosing a qualified landscape grading and drainage contractor in your area — whether in Suwanee, Roswell or Johns Creek — you’re proactively preventing regulatory headaches and protecting your investment.

About The Rick’s Group Landscape Management

The Rick’s Group Landscape Management combines a strong local presence with premium expertise, making them the go-to landscaping and hardscaping partner for homeowners, HOAs, multi-family complexes and commercial properties across north Metro Atlanta.

Founded to deliver top-tier services in Buford and beyond, the team has grown into a full-scale operation backed by seasoned professionals and led by Alonzo Vega, who is passionate about quality, precision and client satisfaction. With over 90 glowing Google reviews, they’re consistently praised for being proactive, attentive, meticulous and for turning clients’ outdoor visions into sustainable, luxurious reality.

If you want a trusted partner who knows the local terrain, understands the unique challenges of properties in the Atlanta, Buford, Suwanee, Johns Creek, Roswell and Duluth region, and delivers exceptional design and execution—then The Rick’s Group is who you should engage.

Seamless Project Management from Design to Completion

From the initial site visit and consultation in Roswell to the final grading and drainage installation in Buford, The Rick’s Group takes full responsibility for your project from start to finish.

You’ll experience professional timeline management, clear communication, efficient execution and a fully coordinated crew that handles everything—from grading, berms, swales and drains to final surface touches and cleanup. Our team ensures minimal disruption to your daily routine and leaves your site clean, stable and ready for your next landscape, patio or hardscape feature.

Request a Free Consultation & Site Assessment Today

Don’t wait until erosion, standing water or slope instability become expensive problems in Suwanee, Duluth or Johns Creek. Contact The Rick’s Group today for a no-obligation site assessment and free consultation. We’ll evaluate your yard, identify underlying drainage or grading issues, and map out a tailored plan to restore slope stability, improve drainage and protect your property for years to come.

Looking for a reliable north Metro Atlanta concrete slab, patio or walkway contractor? Contact The Rick’s Group at (678) 451-6465 and let’s bring your vision to life.

Authoritative sources for further reading

  1. United States Environmental Protection Agency — Stormwater Discharges from Construction Activities. (EPA)
  2. Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission — Field Manual for Erosion & Sediment Control in Georgia. (Georgia Soil & Water Commission)
  3. United States Environmental Protection Agency — National Menu of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Stormwater. (EPA)