Landscaping, Drainage & Hardscape in Clarksville, MD

Drainage and Stormwater Services in Clarksville

Clarksville sits in western Howard County, near the Middle Patuxent River — the waterway behind the community's 1,021-acre Middle Patuxent Environmental Area, the largest parkland in Howard County. The Middle Patuxent is a non-tidal, inland river where it passes Clarksville, so drainage work stays on the standard inland footing.

That rural setting shapes the drainage picture. Many of Clarksville's rural, large-lot properties rely on private wells and on-site septic rather than public water and sewer — a distinction from neighboring River Hill, the village of Columbia next door, which is served by public utilities. On a well-and-septic parcel, where runoff and grading matter around the drainfield, French drain and yard drainage installations manage water that pools in low areas, saturates lawns, and sheds off hardscape. Clarksville is inland, so these projects fall outside the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area tied to tidal shorelines.

Retaining Walls, Patios, and Hardscape in Clarksville

Clarksville is named for William Clark, a farmer who owned much of the land the community now sits on; a postal stop opened here on the 4th of July, 1851. The area kept its rural grain — Clarksville and neighboring Highland are dotted with horse farms and country estates — and its homes largely date from between 1970 and 1999, established but not old.

Retaining walls, patios, stone installations, concrete and masonry, driveways, and outdoor living spaces are the core hardscape scope for Clarksville homes, on the large rural lots common to this part of western Howard County. With no municipal permit office in Howard County, applications go to the county — confirm the requirements for a retaining wall or grading project with the Department of Inspections, Licenses & Permits before work begins.

Permits and Stormwater Programs for Clarksville Homeowners

Clarksville has no permit office of its own. Howard County contains no incorporated municipalities, so every building, grading, and hardscape application is handled by the county's Department of Inspections, Licenses & Permits at 3430 Courthouse Drive, Ellicott City, MD 21043 · (410) 313-2455. Plan to reach the counter by 4:00 p.m. before it closes at 5:00 p.m., or file online through the county's Citizen Access portal at dilp.howardcountymd.gov/CitizenAccess/.

The county's CleanScapes program reimburses homeowners who install qualifying stormwater practices — rain gardens, permeable pavers, dry wells, conservation landscaping, and the like — on homes built before 2003. The county publishes the reimbursement rates and the application window, which closes November 30 each year; find current rates and eligibility at cleanwaterhoward.com or through the county's Stormwater Division.

Other Howard County Communities Actaeon Serves

Actaeon serves homeowners and businesses throughout Howard County, including Columbia, Ellicott City, Savage, Elkridge, Fulton, Jessup, and Highland. See the Howard County hub for full county coverage.