Sump Pump Installation in Austin & Central Texas
When a French drain alone isn't enough — when the water has no path by gravity, when the water table sits high, when flash flooding overwhelms surface drainage — a sump pump is the difference between a dry property and thousands of dollars in damage.
Scott Lockhart has been designing sump systems for Central Texas conditions since 1984. Over 10,000 completed projects. Forty-one years of figuring out where the water actually goes when the storm hits at 2 AM and the homeowner is asleep upstairs.
What a Sump Pump Does
A sump pump sits in a pit (the "sump basin") at the lowest point of a drainage system. When water collects in the pit, a float switch activates the pump, which sends the water through a discharge pipe to a designated exit — a swale, a storm drain, daylight on a downhill grade, or a stormwater inlet.
Sump systems handle water that gravity can't move on its own. In Central Texas, that's more common than people think.
When You Need a Sump Pump -- Not Just a French Drain
A French drain works on gravity. If your discharge point sits at a lower elevation than the trench, gravity carries the water away. When it doesn't, the system stalls — water backs up, the trench fills, and the drainage fails.
You probably need a sump pump if:
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Your lot is flat or graded toward the house
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Your foundation sits below the surrounding street or alley grade
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You have a basement, crawl space, or below-grade garage
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Your water table sits high (common near creeks, ponds, and low-lying neighborhoods)
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Flash flooding overwhelms your existing drainage during heavy storms
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You've had repeat seepage events even with surface drainage installed
A free first phone call with Scott will tell you whether you need a sump system, a deeper French drain, regrading, or some combination of all three.
Sump Pump Types Scott Installs
Submersible pumps. The pump sits inside the sump basin, fully sealed and submerged. Quieter, longer-lasting, more efficient for high-volume work. The standard recommendation for most residential and commercial installations in Central Texas.
Pedestal pumps. The motor sits above the basin on a column, with only the intake submerged. Easier to service, less expensive up front, but louder and shorter-lifespan. Appropriate for certain low-volume applications.
Battery backup systems. Critical for Central Texas, where the same storms that overwhelm drainage also knock out power. A battery backup pump activates when the primary system loses power or fails. For homes with finished basements, valuable below-grade storage, or any property that can't tolerate a single failure, backup is not optional.
Combined primary plus backup systems. Two pumps in one basin, monitored independently. The configuration Scott recommends for any property where flooding consequences exceed the cost of redundancy.
The Hidden Cost of Cheap Sump Pumps
A $150 big-box sump pump installed by a general handyman will work — until it doesn't. The failure modes are predictable: cheap float switches stick, undersized motors burn out under sustained load, discharge lines freeze or clog because they weren't properly pitched, and check valves fail silently.
The replacement cost of the pump is the small number. The real cost is the flood damage that happens between failure and discovery. A properly sized, properly installed sump system with appropriate backup costs more up front and pays back the first time a storm hits.
Scott Lockhart's Sump Installation Process
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Site assessment. First phone consultation is free. On-site assessment fee applies and is credited toward the project if you move forward.
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System design. Pump sizing based on watershed area, expected flow rate, and discharge run. Basin sizing based on water volume and pump cycle time. Discharge route planned for freeze resistance, slope, and code compliance.
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Excavation and basin installation. Pit excavated, basin set, gravel base laid, system plumbed.
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Pump and discharge installation. Primary pump installed, check valve set, discharge line run to the designed exit point, backup system installed where specified.
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Electrical. Dedicated GFCI circuit where code requires. Battery backup wired and tested.
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System test and walkthrough. Pump cycled, float switch verified, backup activated, discharge confirmed. You see the system work before you pay the final invoice.
Frequently asked questions
Service Areas
Scott Lockhart Drainage serves Austin and surrounding Central Texas, including Tarrytown, Westlake Hills, Mueller, Circle C, Lakeway, Bee Cave, Cedar Park, Dripping Springs, Round Rock, Georgetown, Pflugerville, Lake Travis, Spicewood, and Wimberley. If you're not sure whether your area is covered, call.
Get a Free Consultation
Call Scott at 1-512-914-5177 or use the contact form. The first intake call is always free of charge. Forty-one years of experience answering the phone.