Quick verdict
An 18 inch square, 15 inch deep polyethylene catch basin with a composite resin grate and a lift-out debris basket, with no pre-cut outlets so you cut the hole to match your pipe. It collects surface water from a low spot or downspout and sends it into a drain line, and the basket catches leaves before they reach the pipe. Eighteen inches holds more than the common 12 inch basins, which matters where a lot of water arrives at once.
Strengths
- Large 18 inch basin handles heavy flows and holds more debris
- Lift-out debris basket keeps leaves out of the pipe
- Composite resin grate resists rust and UV
- Blank sides let you cut outlets to suit your pipe size and direction
- Heavy polyethylene body for burial
Weaknesses
- Cutting your own outlet needs a hole saw and care
- Grate is for foot and light traffic, not vehicles
- Large basin needs a large hole and gravel base
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
Where Puddles Go to Disappear
A low spot that floods after every storm needs a place for the water to go. A catch basin is that place: a box set in the ground with a grate on top and a pipe out the side that carries water away. Lealan’s kit is an 18 inch square polyethylene basin 15 inches deep with a composite resin grate and a lift-out debris basket, with blank sides so you cut the outlet to suit your pipe.
This review is based on the listing specifications and on how residential catch basins are installed and perform generally. We have not installed this basin ourselves.
Size
Most homeowner basins are 9 or 12 inches square. At 18 inches this one holds far more water during a downpour and far more leaves before it needs emptying, which suits a downspout that dumps a roof’s worth of water or a corner of the yard where everything collects. The cost is a bigger hole and more gravel.
The Basket
Leaves and grit are what kill drain lines. The basket sits under the grate and catches debris before it reaches the pipe; lift the grate, pull the basket, tip it out. Owners of basins with baskets describe it as the difference between a drain that works for years and one that clogs every autumn.
Cutting Outlets
No pre-cut holes means you choose: 3 or 4 inch pipe, out whichever side the drain line runs, at the height you need. Trace the pipe, cut with a hole saw or a jigsaw and seal the fitting with construction adhesive or a rubber adaptor. It is more work than a pre-cut basin and the result fits your site exactly.
Installation
Dig a hole a few inches larger all round and 4 inches deeper, lay and compact gravel, set the basin so the grate sits a quarter inch below the finished surface, connect the pipe with fall toward the outlet and backfill. The pipe must run downhill to a dry well, street gutter, pop-up emitter or french drain.
Traffic
The resin grate is for lawns, patios and walkways. If a vehicle will cross it, use a cast iron grate.
Who Should Buy It
- Homeowners with a yard low spot that floods.
- Anyone connecting downspouts to an underground drain.
- Patio owners managing runoff at the edge.
Common Owner Complaints
The effort of cutting outlets and the size of the hole. Both come with a large, adaptable basin.
Alternatives to Consider
NDS 12 inch basins come with pre-cut outlets for standard pipe. A 9 inch basin suits a single downspout. A channel drain handles a long patio edge instead of a point.
Verdict
For a spot that takes a lot of water, this big basin with a basket collects it and keeps the leaves out of the pipe. Cut the outlet carefully, bed it in gravel and the puddle is gone for good.
Full specifications
Lealan 18 x 18 x 15 Inch Catch Basin with Composite Resin Grate and Debris Basket FAQs
Into a buried drain pipe from the basin outlet to a lower point: a street gutter, a dry well, a pop-up emitter in the lawn or a french drain.
So you choose the pipe size, 3 or 4 inch, and the direction. Mark the pipe on the side, cut with a hole saw or jigsaw and seal the fitting with adhesive.
Dig a hole a few inches larger, lay 4 inches of gravel, set the basin so the grate sits just below finished grade, connect the pipe and backfill.
No. The resin grate suits lawns, patios and walkways. Driveways need a cast iron or ductile grate.
