We had Rain Water Systems install a French drain and sump pump at our 78-year-old home after dealing with water intrusion in the basement. Albert Barlow went above and beyond. While he was here, he noticed some pretty serious code violations with a recently installed water heater as well as issues with the electrical panel, things I never would have caught on my own. It's so rare these days to find a contractor who genuinely cares and doesn't just cut corners or do the bare minimum. What impressed me most is that he took the time to send me a very detailed punch list of things that needed attention around the house, purely out of concern for our safety. He had absolutely nothing to gain from doing that. Honestly, it restored my faith that there ARE still honest contractors out there. Because of his generosity and attention to detail, he may very well have helped us avoid some serious safety issues down the line. I was even able to call back the plumber who installed the water heater and will have them come fix the violations free of charge. If you have an older home and especially if you need drainage work done, I strongly recommend getting Albert out there. You may be as lucky as we were and have him catch something important before it becomes a major problem. He also gets in there and at times and works right alongside his crew instead of just supervising from a distance. They worked fast, kept us informed throughout the process, and had a solid team of guys there getting the job done efficiently. Overall, a really excellent experience. TEN STARS! read more

We had a great experience with Albert from Rain Water Systems. He was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. We were in escrow on a house and found water intrusion during our initial inspection. Alex was very detailed in reviewing the issues with me, providing solutions and helping me prioritize them as well. His visit to the site felt like a second inspection as he noted other concerns with the property and offered helpful suggestions based on his decades of experience. He mentioned he will be offering home inspection services and I would certainly recommend him for this. He is very knowledgeable, a clear communication, and prioritized the health of the house. We will be working with his company on the drainage repair needed at this house when escrow closes. read more

Albert and his team installed the perfect drainage system at my primary home a couple years ago. They do annual maintenance to keep it clean and running perfectly, they even cleaned our gutters! We have had such an amazing experience that now we are doing our Air BB rental home as well! The QUALITY of work is second to none, and they get it done fast too! I cannot recommend them enough! read more

Albert and his fantastic crew solved a long standing problem with a high water table under my home and low elevation. He spent a great deal of time educating me and detailing what needed to be done. His crew was so knowledgeable and so pleasant to work with. Better still.......it's working!!!! Karen read more

The reviews are glowing but they don't mean much if no one shows up. I personally stayed at home on a Friday afternoon and a Monday afternoon waiting for an estimate that never came. No follow up. EDIT: After posting my review I received numerous texts from the proprietor calling me a liar. Not a great way to do business and doesn't make me feel comfortable as a woman. read more

I performed a lot of research on home drainage systems and chose Rain Water Systems to install a French drainage system with two sump pumps around my entire home. The owner, Albert Barlow, explained to me in detail my home's specific drainage issues and answered all of my technical questions. On the very same day I contacted Rain Water Systems, Albert showed up for an assessment of my home, and within a few weeks, his team began working on my home. I found Albert to be very upfront, honest, and fair as well as willing to work around my personal schedule and desire to make in-progress changes. I would not hesitate to hire Rain Water Systems again. read more

After talking with three different contractors, getting quotes, etc. we hired Rain Water Systems for several house drainage projects. The owner/contractor, Albert, helped develop our house-specific drainage solutions during a visit. His emailed proposal/cost estimate made the most sense and was $ competitive. After the more intense rains last year we needed to prevent flooding under our house again this winter. It was a big project including two French drain sump pumps, one of which was under our house, and four new roof rain gutter down spouts.being tied into our existing storm drain system. When the work started Albert arrived with a large crew that was efficient and friendly getting everything done in less than three days. The guys checked in with us as needed and kept the work areas neat when they left for the day. The finished job seems robust and practical in its design/installation. Albert honored the original scope/cost estimate, cared that we were happy with everything, leaving us with the sense that Rain Water Systems will be around if we need anything in the future. read more

This review is long overdue. If you have moisture intrusion issues, I highly recommend you just skip other contractors and even engineers, and go straight to Rain Water Systems. Even if they are busy and scheduling months out, they are worth waiting for (don't make the same mistake we did). These guys are drainage experts. They know San Diego and have done all kinds of drainage projects, so they know what they're doing. On top of that, Albert and his guys are all very nice, knowledgeable, and truly care about resolving your property's drainage issues. The price was also very reasonable. Most of the contractors I've experienced were rip-offs, unprofessional, untrustworthy, and even incompetent. RWA is the opposite. After the site evaluation, we received the quote the same day and were so lucky that they were able to come out the next week! They recommended French drains and sump pumps, which required removing some concrete and other work, so we thought it would take weeks. Guess what? They were done in 3 days and cleaned everything up beautifully. On top of that, RWS had to deal with a very problematic resident. They handled it very professionally and did not let it interfere with their work. Albert and his team are amazing. I'm forever grateful and cannot recommend them enough. read more

If I could give Albert and his team at Rainwater Systems 10 stars, I would. We have a raised foundation home, and after all the heavy rain that we've been receiving in San Diego for the past few years, we needed a long term solution for the groundwater that was pooling under our house following each rain. His team installed a French drain around the back and side of our house, a transfer drain system, a huge sump pump, and two fans to help with the humidity and ventilation underneath the house. As with all house projects, one thing led to another and we ended up having related projects completed alongside/immediately after Albert's work. (Weeps screed + stucco, pavers to replace demo'd concrete, some roof/gutter work, landscaping, etc.) Needless to say, I had about 30 different contractors at our house for quotes + actual work, and I have to say that Albert and his team were our favorites. Albert is a straight shooter, honest and transparent, fair and fun to chat with. His team was hardworking, pleasant and honestly nice to have around everyday, and most importantly, they did excellent work! MANY of the other contractors we had over complimented their work, and one even knew Albert by name and said he is the only guy in San Diego who knows how to install French drains correctly. Highly highly recommend Albert and SD Rainwater Systems! read more

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Albert is great. He knows his stuff and does not overcharge. He is an honest guy, which is unusual for a contractor.

Albert and his crew did a fantastic job both diagnosing our water management needs and completing the job. The whole process was simple, basic and affordable. They were all very honest and great to work with. They also helped fix other issues we were unaware of and left the entire site cleaner than when they started. We cannot recommend them highly enough. read more

Fantastic! Not a lot of people in San Diego know about the importance of drainage but it's critical. Albert and his crew were efficient, on time, and completed the job within the time frame and budget quoted, which is so rare. They all knew exactly what they were doing and I'm confident our system will work like a charm when it rains! Highly recommend giving them a call if you've had any issue with water pooling, mold, flooring buckling, etc. and they will get you sorted right out! read more

Albert and his team provided an excellent drainage system to my home that was able to withstand that unusual August rains brought upon by hurricane Hillary. I appreciate the great customer service that he demonstrated. I appreciate the follow ups to make sure I was satisfied with the work. And I appreciate him there being for me and my family after I a bad experience I had with another company. read more

Albert and his team are the real deal. During the initial consultation Albert listened carefully and made suggestions for each concern as I brought them up. He then proceeded to enter it all into an online quoting system, sending me a a detailed quote via email in a matter or minutes. I accepted the proposal and he was able to start the job the following week, on a Monday. During the weekend I received an automated reminder email confirming the start time. Albert supervised the job from the start, which was anticipated to take most of the week. They have a system and they have it down! His crew has 2 laborers, an electrician, and a general helper who is constantly cleaning up, making the dump runs, etc. At the end of each day they always checked in with me to update me on the progress. Our job included two separate sump pump systems - with dual pumps in each, a garage channel drain, French drains on both sides of the house (done the right way, fiber cloth socks on every pipe, holes facing down, ditch filled with gravel), cleanouts throughout, new seamless rain gutters/downspouts, a crawlspace ventilation system controlled by smart plugs, and a new rain barrel. They finished both drainage systems in 3.5 days, wrapping up the rain barrel and ventilation system on Saturday. I'm blown away and can confirm these reviews aren't fake. Thank you Albert and crew! read more

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I just wanted to say with all the rain in san diego lately, the system has worked flasslessly. I'll never worry about flooding or rain water damage again. It's like a symphony of proper irrigation all around the property thanks to this incredible team. I'm 100% satisfied with my system and confident it will continue to work. I can't recommend Albert and this team enough. Btw, when we first completed the project, I was somewhat anticipating some rain to see it in action... months and months rolled by with nothing. Now that all of that has changed, I'm just so relieved the entire system, with all its parts, and the extra care to not cut corners has paid out. I especially appreciate the gutters having a seperate connection into the sump pump from the drainage itself. Check out the YouTube channel- informative videos. One of my favorite quotes- once I understood this my whole perspective changed: "so whenever the house doesn't allow for proper sloped drainage to the street, the only way to have the drainage functioning well is with a sump pump." read more

Amazing job! Great team! Perfect communication and execution!! Highly recommend!!! The team was very clean and considerate of their surroundings. The crew was very self sufficient and responsive! The French drains went in and seamlessly integrated with the yard! Happy Vista customer!! read more

My husband called Albert to get a quote for drainage in our backyard because it floods in our courtyard like crazy when it rains. He came out within the next couple of days and was very professional and honest with the kind of work we needed to get done. He provided us with a detailed quote and was able to schedule us to start within the next week. Albert and his crew came to our house to install rain gutters and do ground work for channel drains and french drain with sump pump. They were able to finish all the work within 4 days! Everything was done quickly and well done. Everyday they kept us updated on the progress of the work. After everything was done, he thoroughly walked me along the drainage system and showed me how it works and what to look for. Albert is very knowledgeable, professional, honest, and trustworthy. We accidentally left some of our own tools in the backyard and it got mixed up with the crews and Albert was responsive and got the tools back to us. We've already recommended him to our friends and wouldn't hesitate to work with him again! read more

Albert was very responsive and gave us the best option for our drainage issue. We live at the bottom of a hill and had issues with an underground spring draining from black mountain area. For several months after the winter rains, we would have draining water from our hill. Albert installed a French drain and sump pump for us which has been working well. This most recent hurricane rain put the drain system to the test and we were very grateful for the work Albert did for us! read more

So I moved into a new house recently and we had a huge rain storm. I had to dig a temporary trench cause I had a river going under my house and into my garage. With more rain coming, I knew I couldn't handle this again. I contacted Albert at Rain Water Systems and he responded immediately. He was able to come out that day and give me an estimate on what needed to be done. I really liked his idea and contracted with him to install a French drain with a pump. They were able to come out before the next big rain and before Christmas. His team were extremely professional and did an amazing job! He explained what was going to happen, made a few tweaks and completed the install, quickly and at the price we had agreed on! I had asked if they could put down hardware cloth under the gravel because my dog is a major digger and they took care of it. The next big rain came in and everything worked fantastically! I've included pictures but just to give you an idea, during the previous big rain the path was under water and there was a river running down to it! Now, the water is going down a drain, into the pump and out to the parking space in front of my house. I could not be happier with the installation and the price. I highly recommend Rain Water Systems. read more

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Albert and his team did a great job installing two sump rain water collection systems in our backyard. Dual pumps in each. Outstanding service and responsiveness, excellent value. read more

I contacted Rain Water Systems about a pooling problem I had in my crawl space after a heavy rain. I got an almost immediate reply and an appointment to assess the issue. Albert provided a couple suggestions for addressing the problem, shared videos of his work and clearly explained what he would do. His quotes were reasonable and I agreed to move forward with one of the proposals. The work was scheduled to begin promptly and was completed inside of two days. The work was thorough and very clean and I was kept informed the whole way. I highly recommend Albert and his crew and would call on them again for this kind of work. Thanks Albert! read more

These guys are great - they know what they're doing and are very experienced. Their team is A+ all the way. They're responsive, clean up after themselves, and most importantly- they solve the water problem. We looked around before contracting with them- they weren't the cheapest or most expensive, but they were definitely the most knowledgeable. If you go with anyone else, it just won't be as good as Rain Water Systems. read more

We had Albert come to our home and upgrade our existing drainage system. We are on a flat lot and thought we had adequate drainage, until... It was very clear that when an intense storm cell comes through our gravity-based system is very inadequate and we knew it was a matter of time before the puddling would enter our home. Fortunately, we found Albert before that happened. Albert immediately understood our needs, put in a new French drain leading to a double sump pump well that quickly pushes the water out. And he was very mindful that we had a really nice patio of cement, brick and decomposed granite. The finished product looks terrific. And best of all, when the next series of intense storms came through there was no puddling. The water was sucked out and pushed to the outlet immediately. I can't tell you how great it is to go to bed now, knowing a big storm is set to arrive at 3am and I don't have to worry about it. If you are on a flat lot and have had concerns during 2023's winter about drainage, don't fool yourself into thinking we won't get these type of storms again. Next year could reveal itself to be epically dry again. But we will get these intense storms again. Count on it. And almost all San Diego county homes are ill-equipped to handle such a deluge. My advice: hire Albert and get some flood insurance (regular home policies do not cover water intrusion from the outside of any kind). read more

Rain water systems did an outstanding job at my property, which was suffering from water pile-up along two sides of the house. Albert listened to the issues, and provided several solutions. He carefully explained each option and how each would help remedy the situation. During the work process, Alberts' crew were efficient, hard working, and communicated any issues in real-time to us. After the first rains hit, I am happy to note that we no longer experience flooding of our patio, or water build up along our foundation. I would highly recommend Rain Water Systems. read more

Albert and his team did a great job to design and install a drainage system that consists of two French drains, one channel drain and two sump pumps for a rental property I recently purchased. Albert is very knowledgeable and was very patient in answering all my questions related to the current stormwater regulations in San Diego. Albert answered my service request promptly and scheduled an in-person consultation and provided me a quote via email all on the same day of request. After comparing with several other contractors and going over so many positive Yelp reviews, I decided to use Rain Water Systems. Albert was able to schedule the installation within a few days after I approved the design and quote. I am very pleased with the quality of installation. Albert and his team were very professional and kept my property very clean throughout the project. They even helped me to remove some metal trip hazards in the backyard without additional charges. I'd highly recommend Rain Water Systems for any drainage projects. Albert made this YouTube video to help educating other potential customers. https://youtu.be/_duUzZq94xQ read more

LOOK NO FURTHER!!! Albert and his team have been a godsend. Albert responded to me within a few minutes of contacting him through Yelp. He came out as scheduled and was on time &. Extremely professional and really knows what he is talking about. I initially contacted him for rain gutters & He told me "I don't think you need rain gutters we need to fix your drainage issue." He was totally right! My house its lowest in a cul-de-sac and I literally get a waterfall flowing through my backyard when it rains. We recently discovered the storm drain running through my yard has completely collapsed and must be addressed. It's Caused a lot of groundwater to seep into my crawlspace. Story to be continued. Albert and his amazing team have arrived on time every day. So far they have installed sum pumps, as well as drains all along my home through my driveway & crawlspace. They all work really well as a team with clear communication. Albert comes out every morning to make a game plan for the day. He was even kind enough prior to starting the job to come out last minute just to speak with my Gardener because I wanted them to communicate. Albert is extremely Knowledgeable in his drainage expertise. I will never trust anyone again only Albert and his team!!!! He even has a YouTube channel with some really great videos for a reference. After hiring so many lemons in the past, Albert and his team are the best thing next to sliced bread! He will work with your budget and I truly believe he has my best interest in mind. His team are so kind and respectful as well. I like them so much I have bought them lunch a couple of times. They work so hard so far, it's the least I can do. Albert offers competitive pricing as well! Seriously forget about contacting anyone else, All of these reviews are true. I've spoken to other companies and they were so quick to try to sell me rain gutters. No one ever mentioned anything about Drainage. It's like they just want to slap a Band-Aid on open-heart surgery. THANK YOU ALBERT!!! I will update post in the future as well as add some photos for reference. read more

We had one portion of our backyard that was cut off from existing drainage and surrounded by existing concrete. The result was standing water after back to back storms. I found out about Albert and Rainwater Systems after a quick Internet search. After reading his reviews, calling him for an estimate was a no brainer. He was able to make it out the same day. The proposal was detailed and competitive. Albert was able to schedule us quickly within about two weeks. Install was a breeze. His crew was professional and he ensured everything was in working order at the end of the day. We could not be happier with our sump pump drainage system. Quality components were installed correctly to last. It didn't take long to test the system. It handled the recent rainstorms with ease. No more standing water and we have peace of mind that water intrusion will no longer be an issue. Give Albert a call. You won't regret it! read more

I cannot stress how much I love this company. My home in Spring Valley had been experiencing several years of drainage issues resulting in a saturated, swampy yard with runoff water that had been running continuously out into the street gutters during the "rainy season" for the past 4 years. Even after weeks and sometimes months of no rain. Each year getting progressively worse and lasting longer and longer. In May of this year I was still having a steady stream of ground water seeping up into my yard and draining out into the street. For the past 4 years, my neighbor and I have been trying to get information from the county to see if there had been any changes made to the drainage off of the hills behind us that may have been causing these enormous amounts of water coming through our yards. But we had no luck. After realizing i would not get any help from the county, I reached out to Albert at Rain Water Solutions. He came out and assessed my problem. Although our particular circumstances were difficult to treat, he believed he could develop a system of french drains and a dual sump pump station to take care of our problem. Albert was able to bump our start date up after he got an opening in his schedule. The crew came out and did a fantastic job! They were done in a day and a half. A whole new drainage system, a dual sump pump station, electrical all set up. It has been 2 weeks since our project was completed. For the first week the sump pump was working regularly pumping out massive amounts of water from under our yard. I am so happy to report that our yard is completely dry. I feel like a weight has been lifted! My only regret is that I didn't do this all sooner. If you read more

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Albert & his team solved my drainage issue all along the side of my home. He and his crew were great! he went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect, even going to HD for an extra bag of rocks for one small area. Also, prices are so reasonable. After so many estimates for sooo much $, he offered a complete drainage solution at reasonable cost. AWESOME ! read more

In a word, wow. Rain Water Systems exceeded our expectations. These 5 star reviews are legit. We tried two other contractors without success. I found RWS by chance on Yelp, contacted Albert and he returned my email within 40 minutes. The next morning, Albert was at our house to give us an estimate. We had planned on doing a French drain, but he came up with another solution that cost us less money. This morning, Albert, Antonio and Eddie showed up on time and knocked the job out in one day. They treated our house like it was their own. The yard looks great, the drain looks great, and I'm actually looking forward to more rain. Why are you still reading this? If you need drain, gutter or landscaping work, contract these guys now. read more

Albert and his team installed rain gutters and some underground French drains on my property. You're truly paying for the expertise, skill, and tools with his crew. I thought it was take at least a week, but they were done in two days. I wish the down spout for the gutter would have been installed in a different place. It currently flows to my side yard and floods, but if installed on the other side of the corner would have gone down my driveway. read more

Albert & his crew are awesome and do excellent work! I had some drainage issues in my yard so i asked Albert to come out and give me an estimate. Albert is upfront and honest, he give you options but does not try to sell you or scare you on anything. He makes recommendations and thats it which is how all business should be done. Once we agreed on the project he had his crew come out the following week and start work. The work was slated to take 3 days and they finished the work on time. They installed french drains in the yard which they tied into redundant sump pumps, they also did wrap around custom gutters which they tied into the drains. Their attention to detail and workmanship was top notch. These guys worked hard and go the job done, they were at my house bright and early, cleaned up after themselves and im very happy with the finished product. I recommend Albert and his crew to resolve any drainage issues you may have. Thank you guys! read more

Albert came to install a drainspout and drainage in our area of new construction. He did a great job and was very knowledgeable on roofing and irrigation. read more

Rain Water Systems - Albert installed a down spout and new drainage for our new construction in North PB - Gutter Services Near Me

I had them come out to take a look at my house. They walked around and gave me some recommendations to try with the existing irrigation before doing something more drastic. I have a ton of respect for someone that deals with you with such honesty. If those other options do not work, I can guarantee I will use Rain Water for a more extensive solution read more

Albert is the Jon Snow of the gutter and drainage world! Fair, just, and absolutely slays any sort flooding issues that arise from rainwater issues you might have on your home. We called literally about 15 different plumbers, contractors, so-called drainage dudes out for quotes and got a super wide spectrum of numbers thrown out...all on the high end. I found Rain Water Systems with a request a quote search and while Albert can be a bit tough to get ahold of, I promise you he's worth waiting for. Leave him a Yelp message or text him. He will get back to you and when he does the difference in both his quoting process and the price he gives are unlike anything you'll find from other for a similar project. Him and his guys came out a the day after the quote and were done 2 days later. They worked swiftly and professionally and since they left we haven't had an issue with rainfall. We feel pretty confidant that even during the winter months we won't have the same flood anxiety we did last year when the clouds start to form. Thank you Albert and Rain Water Systems! read more

Albert was great to work with! He was responsive on the Yelp chat. He kept me updated on his arrival for our appointment. He did all the work himself, so I know nothing was getting lost in translation. I'm sure you could find cheaper, but his prices were fair. I'll end by saying that his 5-star reviews are legitimate, and you won't find a better tradesman anywhere. read more

Fast and efficient! I appreciate the advice and recommendations for better drainage on my property.

Wanted to see how the system performed before I left my review. They installed gutters and a sump pump with catch basins and a French drain. Our house is below the street so it was only a matter of time before something unfortunately happened. Now we don't have to worry anymore! Albert and his team are communicative and honest. Said he was going to be here at a certain time and was. Said it was going to cost a certain amount and it did. Would recommend to anyone needing a solution. read more

Thankful I was able to find the one and only guru for rain water / drainage issues on my property in the county. I spoke to many different landscapers, contractors etc over a 2 week period to try to resolve my issue.. I finally found rain water system's website.. to have a solution presented that isn't a "this hopefully should get you sorted/maybe" type deal.. was like having weight lifted off my shoulders.. I've been battling water intrusion into my crawl space the last 2 years since buying an older home.. one area of my back yard is lower then the rest and water will pool during a heavy rain.. I needed a solution, and they were able to come up with something that works quite well.. combination of surface / sump / french drain system. I was facing heavy cost to relevel and replace my entire back yard of concrete to fix settling / poor previous work.. this got me sorted for far less. So far so good, I will report back after the next heavy rain with my final review. Thank you for being promp, professional, knowledgeable and fair pricing wise. San diego needs more honest companies like you guys, who do what you say, when you say, and deliver on your promises. read more

Rain Water Systems - 3 foot deep sump system right against house at lowest point to prevent pooling of water that ends up in my crawl space. - Gutter Services Near Me

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Albert is the best around. Seriously! I'm still praising my fiancé for such an excellent find. It's extremely difficult to find a contractor in San Diego that is responsive, does great work, & won't over charge you. At best, you can get two of the three qualities but Albert has them all. He's quick, he's very responsive, and he's very thorough. He provides careful recommendations and shows pride in his work. He won't take on something he can't do to a 110% satisfaction level & I appreciate him for that. We hired Albert for gutter work, we needed to ensure water was making its way away from our property as we had had a ground floor leak from water dumping down from the roof. Albert finished the gutter work in pretty much a single day. Once his work is complete, he ensures everything is clean on the job site. I asked Albert of what other things he was able to do as I had a big problem such as drainage... and this began a new project where he helped to ensure ground water would be able to make its way off my property via drains and sump pump. He made recommendations along the way and even found a plumbing leak which I needed to have fixed immediately to prevent further issue. His team is also extremely respectful and cleans up after themselves. I'd recommend giving Albert a call. read more