French drain INSTALLATION COST

Yard drainage

French drain in yard

A gravel trench with a perforated pipe. It takes water out of soggy ground and carries it to lower ground.

Low$20per ft
Typical*$32.50per ft
High$45per ft

Installed, national range as of Oct 2026. Ranges by length include ±15% for the measured length. *Typical is the midpoint of the published low and high rate.

Price it at my address French drain cost guide

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Two-story US house with a gravel French drain trench curving through a wet lawn.

What is a yard French drain, and do I need one?

A yard French drain is a gravel trench with a perforated pipe that takes water out of soggy ground and carries it to a lower outlet. It fits when the lawn stays wet and there is somewhere lower to send the water. Water running down a slope needs a curtain drain.

Water against the outside of the foundation needs an exterior footing drain. Roof water beside the house needs downspout drainage, and water inside a basement is outside what this site prices.

Cutaway of a yard French drain trench beside a brick ranch house: fabric-lined trench, gravel and a black perforated pipe under the lawn.
  1. Filter fabricNonwoven fabric keeps soil out of the gravel so the drain doesn't clog.
  2. Clean gravelWashed gravel around the pipe lets water reach it from every side.
  3. Perforated pipe, holes downWater rises into the holes and runs along the pipe, which slopes toward the outlet.

Signs your yard needs one

Most yards that need a French drain show the same few things after rain.

  • Puddles that outlast the rain

    The soil can't take the water as fast as it arrives, so it sits on top.

  • Lawn that stays soft and spongy

    Ground squelches underfoot, and moss or thin grass grows where turf should be.

  • One low spot that never dries

    Water from the rest of the yard drains into it, and nothing carries it away.

  • A muddy line across the lawn

    Water follows the same path each time and leaves bare ground behind it.

When another fix is better

A French drain handles water that is already in the ground. Look at where the water comes from first. If it matches one of these, the other job is usually cheaper or works better.

More drainage options

How a pro installs it

  1. Find the outlet first

    The water needs somewhere lower to go. If the yard has no lower ground, the job becomes a dry well or a pump outlet instead.

  2. Call 811 and mark the route

    Utility owners mark their buried lines for free. The route runs from the wet spot to the outlet and falls the whole way, with no dip in the middle.

  3. Dig the trench

    With a mini excavator where one fits through the gate, by hand where it doesn't. Digging is most of the labor, which is why access moves the price.

Finish the installation

  1. Fabric, gravel, pipe

    Filter fabric lines the trench, washed gravel goes in, then the perforated pipe with its holes facing down and more gravel on top. The fabric folds over the gravel.

  2. Build the outlet and close up

    The outlet is fitted, soil goes back over the fabric and the lawn is seeded or re-sodded.

Every step in detail

What does a yard French drain cost?

An installed yard French drain costs $20–$45 per foot nationally (as of Oct 2026). Length, ground, access and the outlet move the price.

See what changes the price.

Sources

S&S Excavation — published Kansas City French drain rates, checked Oct 26, 2026.

Doing it yourself

The materials are simple, and most of the price is labor, so a DIY French drain can save a lot. The hard parts are the ones you can't see once the trench is filled: a fall that never dips, fabric that keeps soil out of the gravel, and an outlet that really takes the water. A low point in the pipe holds water.

An outlet at the wrong height sends it back.

Either way, call 811 before anyone digs, and ask your city whether drainage work needs a permit.

Keeping it working
  • Keep the outlet clear

    Grass clippings, leaves and mulch block a pop-up emitter faster than anything else.

  • Ask for a cleanout

    A capped pipe at the high end lets someone flush the line with a hose instead of digging it up.

  • Keep roof water out

    Downspouts belong in their own solid pipe. Tied into a French drain, they flood it in a storm.

  • Check after big storms

    If water stands again, look at the outlet first, then the low end of the trench.

Questions to ask a contractor
  1. 1
    How will the pipe slope, and where does the water leave?

    The outlet decides whether the drain works. Ask to see it on the route.

  2. 2
    Is a permit needed, and who gets it?

    Rules differ by city. Get the answer in writing.

  3. 3
    What fabric, gravel and pipe go in?

    Ask for each in the written quote, so quotes compare like for like.

  4. 4
    How is the lawn put back?

    Sod, seed or bare soil changes both the price and the result.

  5. 5
    What does the written quote include?

    Length, route, outlet, materials, cleanup and the payment schedule.

Common questions
Does a French drain need an outlet?
Yes. The pipe only moves water, so it has to end somewhere lower than where it starts. Without an outlet the trench fills and the yard stays wet. Common outlets are a pop-up emitter at lower ground ($30–$85), a dry well ($300–$1,500) or a storm drain, where the city allows a connection.
Can a French drain go right next to the house?
A drain along the foundation is a different job: an exterior footing drain, laid at the base of the wall ($30–$90 per foot). A yard French drain goes where the water collects in the lawn.
Do I need a permit?
Rules differ by city and county. Some want a permit for drainage work, and most have rules about sending water onto a neighbor's lot or the street. Ask the contractor whether a permit is needed and who gets it, and have the answer written into the quote.
Will a French drain fix a wet basement?
Not on its own. Water coming through the basement wall or floor is outside what this site prices. A yard drain helps only when the yard is sending the water toward the house. Water against the outside of the foundation can be an exterior footing drain.

Other yard drainage jobs

Price a yard French drain at your address.

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