French Drains in Bixby, OK
Bixby is one of the youngest and most owner-occupied towns in the Tulsa area, and it lives next to the Arkansas River. If rain keeps pooling in your yard, independent local drainage companies can quote the fix. If your worry is the river itself, this page explains why that is a different problem.
Get Free QuotesTwo kinds of water in Bixby
In May 2019, during the Keystone Dam releases, news reports described evacuations in Bixby neighborhoods along the Arkansas River, including Johns Park, Saker, Southtown, Woodland Acres and Riverview Terrace, and noted that the police headquarters sits in the floodplain. That was river flooding.
French drains handle yard and roof runoff. They don't protect a home from creek or river flooding. The rest of this page is about the everyday kind of water: rain that falls on your lot and your roof and has nowhere good to go.
Bixby homes by the numbers
Bixby sits about 16 miles south-southeast of downtown Tulsa. Nearly all of it is in Tulsa County, with a sliver (about 219 residents) in Wagoner County.
| Measure | Bixby | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 | 32,766 (up 14.0% since 2020) | Steady new construction and new sod |
| Median year built | 2002 | Most homes are slab-on-grade tract builds |
| Built in the 2000s / 2010s | 27% / 23% | Builder grading and platted drainage easements |
| Built 2020 or later | 5.6% | Fresh lots where soil is still settling |
| Owner-occupied | 76.0% | Most requests come from owners planning to stay |
Sources: Census PEP Vintage 2025; ACS 2020 to 2024.
Soil can change from one Bixby street to the next
Across Tulsa County, about 47% of the land is high or very-high shrink-swell clay, and the single most common soil, Dennis silt loam, is rated "somewhat poorly drained" by USDA. That is why so many Tulsa-area yards stay soggy for days.
Bixby adds a wrinkle. Near the river, soils tend to mix sandier layers with clay, while lots farther from it are more likely to look like the rest of the county. A drain that relies on soaking water into the ground, like a dry well, may work on one lot and stall on another. Ask any contractor how they checked your soil.
Rain timing matters too. April through June brings about 36% of Tulsa's yearly rain, so spring is when most Bixby owners notice the problem and when contractors get busy.
Common Bixby fixes
- Yard drainage for a backyard low spot that holds water after storms.
- French drain installation along a side yard or fence line where grade alone cannot move the water.
- Curtain drains uphill of a slab where runoff from the next lot soaks the ground near the house. Good drainage can help reduce moisture swings in Tulsa's clay soils.
Check your HOA covenants and plat for drainage easements before regrading or trenching. Most Bixby additions are platted, and many have swales in easements along lot lines.
Oklahoma law requires anyone digging for hire to contact OKIE811 at least 48 hours ahead (excluding weekends and holidays). It's free. Sprinkler lines and other private lines aren't marked, so your contractor should plan for them.
Bixby drainage questions
Will a French drain protect my Bixby home if the Arkansas River floods again?
No. A French drain moves rain and roof runoff off a yard. It does nothing against river water, which rises from below and comes in far larger volumes. If you are near the river or a creek, ask the City of Bixby about your floodplain status and talk to an insurance agent about flood coverage.
Is the soil in Bixby sandier than in Tulsa?
Some of it may be. Land close to the Arkansas River often has a mix of sandy and clay layers, while upland lots are more likely to sit on the heavy clay found across most of Tulsa County. It varies lot to lot, which is why a contractor should dig a test hole or check a soil map before choosing a design.
Who handles permits for drainage work in Bixby?
Bixby runs its own permitting, separate from the City of Tulsa. Ask the contractor you choose whether your project needs a permit, especially for regrading, work near a creek or a pipe that runs to the street.
Near Bixby
Bixby borders Tulsa and Jenks, with Glenpool to the west and Broken Arrow to the northeast.
Nearby towns
Services Bixby owners ask about
Get free drainage quotes in Bixby
Tulsa French Drain Pros is a free matching service, not a drainage contractor. Oklahoma doesn't issue a state license for general, landscape or drainage contractors. Plumbing, electrical and mechanical work does require a Construction Industries Board license. Ask any contractor for proof of liability insurance, and use a licensed plumber for anything tied into your home's plumbing.
Standing water after every storm? Get free quotes.
Describe the problem once and independent Tulsa-area drainage companies can reply with no-obligation quotes.