Short answer: A standard yard French drain, 18 to 24 inches deep, costs an estimated $25 to $47 per linear foot installed, or about $2,580 to $4,900 for 100 feet with a pop-up outlet. Deep footing drains along a basement wall run $57 to $115 per foot, and interior basement drains $55 to $93, before a sump pump.
$25–$47 per linear foot, shallow yard drain installed (estimate; see method)
$24.75–$47.13 per foot: six contractor bids for 4-inch perforated drain tile on a 2023 city park job (West St. Paul, Minn.)
623 gallons of runoff from 1 inch of rain on 1,000 sq ft of roof, versus 50 gallons in a common plastic dry well kit (our arithmetic; NDS spec)
+59% producer prices for construction sand, gravel and crushed stone, 2019 to 2026 (BLS PPI)
“French drain” covers three different jobs that share a name and a pipe. A shallow trench across a soggy lawn, a footing drain dug down to the bottom of a basement wall, and a channel jackhammered through a basement floor can differ by a factor of three per foot. Most price pages blend them into one national average, which is why the quotes people get rarely match what they read.
This guide prices each one separately and shows the arithmetic. We built every range from published inputs: dated supplier price lists for washed stone, filter fabric and pipe; BLS wage data (OEWS, May 2025); and the 2022 Economic Census for how drainage and waterproofing contractors’ revenue splits between materials, crew pay and everything else. We then checked the result against real contractor bids from a public project. Rules come from the code sections, city handouts and state statutes themselves. For other project prices, see our cost guides and the overall landscaping cost breakdown.
French drain cost per linear foot, by type
Depth and what sits on top of the trench decide the price. A yard drain needs a narrow trench, a little over a cubic foot of stone per foot and a topsoil cap. A footing drain means excavating 6 to 8 feet beside the house and building the stone envelope the residential code describes. An interior drain swaps the excavator for a concrete saw, a jackhammer and buckets carried up the basement stairs.
| Drain type | Typical depth | What the price includes | Installed per linear ft | 100 ft installed | DIY materials per ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shallow yard drain | 18 to 24 in | 12-in trench, washed stone, nonwoven fabric wrap, 4-in perforated pipe, topsoil cap | $25–$47 | $2,580–$4,900 with one pop-up outlet | $6–$12 |
| Interior basement perimeter drain | 8 to 12 in below the slab | Saw-cut 12-in strip, dig, stone, pipe, re-pour concrete | $55–$93 | $6,160–$10,590 with a sump pump | Not a typical DIY job |
| Deep exterior footing drain | 6 to 8 ft, to the footing | Excavate and backfill along the wall, stone envelope per IRC R405.1, fabric, pipe, regrade | $57–$115 | $5,700–$11,500, outlet extra | Not a typical DIY job |
Uses the per-foot and per-item ranges in this guide. Site modifiers are calibrated on yard drains. Excludes permits, sod, hardscape repair and wall waterproofing; see How we built these numbers.
The yard-drain range lines up with what contractors actually bid. When the City of West St. Paul, Minn., took bids on a park project in April 2023, six contractors priced 130 linear feet of 4-inch perforated drain tile at $24.75, $25.28, $28.00, $29.75, $34.00 and $47.13 per foot, a median of about $28.90 (West St. Paul bid tabulation, Project 23-7). The city engineer had estimated $12. Public bids sit inside a larger contract with a crew already on site, so a stand-alone residential job usually lands at or above that median, not below it.
How much a 50, 100 or 200 ft French drain costs
Most searches are for a specific length, so here are the per-foot ranges multiplied out. Yard drains include one pop-up outlet. Interior drains include a sump pump with check valve and discharge line, but not the plastic sump basin. A full perimeter for a 1,000 sq ft basement measuring 25 by 40 feet is 130 feet.
| Length | Shallow yard drain + pop-up | Interior perimeter drain + sump pump | Deep footing drain | DIY yard drain, materials only |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 ft | $710–$1,380 | $2,040–$3,620 | $1,420–$2,880 | $150–$290 |
| 50 ft | $1,340–$2,550 | $3,420–$5,940 | $2,850–$5,750 | $310–$580 |
| 75 ft | $1,960–$3,720 | $4,790–$8,260 | $4,280–$8,620 | $460–$870 |
| 100 ft | $2,580–$4,900 | $6,160–$10,590 | $5,700–$11,500 | $610–$1,160 |
| 130 ft (25 x 40 ft basement perimeter) | Not typical | $7,820–$13,380 | $7,410–$14,950 | Not typical |
| 150 ft | $3,840–$7,250 | $8,920–$15,240 | $8,550–$17,250 | $920–$1,730 |
| 200 ft | $5,080–$9,600 | $11,660–$19,890 | $11,400–$23,000 | $1,230–$2,310 |
Long runs tend to price toward the low end per foot because mobilization and the stone delivery are spread over more length. The DIY column assumes one bulk stone delivery and full rolls of fabric; it leaves out equipment rental, which varies by rental yard.
Where the money goes in a yard French drain
Materials are the smallest part of the bill. A 12-inch-wide trench dug 18 to 24 inches deep holds about 1.1 to 1.6 cubic feet of stone per foot once you subtract the pipe and a 4-inch topsoil cap. Even with fabric and pipe, that is $6 to $12 of material per foot. The rest is crew time and the contractor’s costs of being in business.
| Line item (per linear foot) | Quantity per ft | Low | High | Price source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washed stone, 3/4 in | 1.08–1.58 cu ft | $2.52 | $4.90 | $63 per cu yd (Adams, N.Y.); $62 per ton at 100 lb per cu ft (Bedrock, Colo.) |
| Stone delivery, one load per 100 ft | 1/100 of a load | $0.50 | $1.40 | $50–$140 delivery zones (Adams) |
| Nonwoven filter fabric, full wrap | 4.8–5.8 sq ft | $0.98 | $1.66 | $364.46 per 6 x 300 ft roll (Adams); $513.27 for 4-oz 6 x 300 ft (Landscape Discount) |
| 4-in perforated pipe plus 10% fittings | 1 ft | $1.54 | $2.86 | $139.99 per 100-ft corrugated roll with sock (Farm & Fleet); $25.99 per 10-ft SDR 35 PVC (Hemlock Hardware) |
| Topsoil cap, 4 in | 0.33 cu ft | $0.59 | $0.73 | $48 per cu yd (Bedrock); $59 (Adams) |
| Materials subtotal | $6.13 | $11.55 | ||
| Crew labor with benefits | 0.25–0.45 labor-hours | $6.93 | $12.47 | $27.71 per labor-hour (BLS OEWS medians plus Census benefit ratio) |
| Equipment, insurance, overhead and profit | Materials and labor divided by 0.516 | $12.24 | $22.52 | 2022 Economic Census, site preparation contractors |
| Installed price | $25.30 | $46.54 |
The last line surprises people. Site preparation contractors, the Census industry that includes trenching, drainage system installation and dry well construction, spent 24.5 percent of their 2022 revenue on materials, 21.5 percent on payroll and 5.7 percent on fringe benefits (Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census, NAICS 238910; classification per the 2022 NAICS index). The other 48 percent paid for machines, fuel, trucks, insurance, subcontractors, office costs and profit. A mini excavator or trencher, the trailer to move it and the truck to pull it all sit in that share, which is why a quote that itemizes “equipment” separately should come with a lower markup on everything else.
Pipe choice moves the total less than people expect. Going from corrugated pipe with a factory sock ($1.40 per foot) to rigid perforated SDR 35 PVC ($2.60 per foot) adds about $1.30 per foot in materials with fittings, or about $2.60 once the contractor’s markup applies: roughly 7 percent of a mid-range installed price. Rigid pipe holds its slope and can be cleaned with a sewer snake; corrugated pipe is faster to lay around curves. Skipping filter fabric saves about $1 to $1.70 a foot and is a poor trade in silty or clay soil, where fines migrate into the stone. Lake Zurich, Ill., writes the fabric into its permit rules: pipe surrounded by washed stone, the trench wrapped in geotextile (Village of Lake Zurich drainage handout).
Why footing drains and basement drains cost two to three times more
Exterior footing drain: $57 to $115 per foot
A footing drain sits beside the foundation footing, so the trench goes as deep as the basement floor. The model residential code describes what goes in it: gravel or crushed stone extending at least 1 foot beyond the outside edge of the footing and 6 inches above its top, pipe bedded on at least 2 inches of washed stone and covered with at least 6 inches more, and a filter membrane over the stone (International Code Council, 2021 IRC Section R405.1). That envelope is 2.2 to 3.9 cubic feet of stone per foot, two to three times a yard drain’s.
The bigger cost is the hole. Digging and backfilling 6 to 8 feet of soil along a wall, without undermining the footing or cracking the wall, takes an operator and two laborers. We model 0.6 to 1.2 labor-hours per foot at $31.23 an hour with benefits. Federal safety rules also apply to the crew: any excavation 5 feet or deeper needs a protective system such as sloping, benching or a trench box unless it is entirely in stable rock (OSHA, 29 CFR 1926.652(a)(1)). Sloped sides mean moving more soil.
Not included: waterproofing or dampproofing the wall while it is exposed, removing and replacing a patio, walk or deck, shrub replacement and sod. Those can equal the drain itself. If a footing drain is on the table, ask for the wall coating as a separate line so you can compare like with like.
Interior basement drain: $55 to $93 per foot, plus the pump
An interior perimeter drain catches water at the joint between wall and floor and carries it to a sump pit. The crew saw-cuts a strip of slab about 12 inches wide along each wall, breaks it out, digs 8 to 12 inches below, lays pipe in stone and re-pours the strip. Materials are cheap (about $9 to $14 per foot including roughly three-quarters of a 60-lb bag of concrete mix per foot at $7.69 to $7.99 a bag, Hemlock Hardware). Labor is not: 0.8 to 1.4 labor-hours per foot for a cement mason and two laborers, at $29.96 an hour with benefits, with every bucket of broken concrete carried out by hand.
We grossed interior work up using the waterproofing contractors’ own cost structure: NAICS 238390, which the Census index lists as including waterproofing contractors, spent 60.1 percent of revenue on materials, payroll and benefits in 2022 (2022 Economic Census). The pump is extra: a 1/3 to 1/2 horsepower submersible pump retails for $159.99 to $389.99 (Hemlock Hardware, Zoeller and ECO-FLO models), and installed with a check valve, 20 feet of discharge pipe and 6 to 10 labor-hours we estimate $665 to $1,290, not counting the basin or any electrical work.
Outlet options: daylight, pop-up emitter, dry well or storm sewer
A French drain is only as good as the place it empties. The outlet is also where most of the rules live, because it decides whose land or pipe the water ends up in.
| Outlet | Installed cost | What it needs | Rules to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (pipe exits at a lower spot on your lot) | Little beyond the pipe run; price the solid tail-out at the per-foot rate | A spot on your property lower than the trench, with about 1 percent fall or more | Can’t create a drainage problem for a neighbor; some towns set setbacks from lot lines |
| Pop-up emitter | $85–$200 each | Solid pipe to a low spot in the lawn; lid lifts when water arrives | Same as daylight; emitter must sit lower than the inlet |
| Catch basin at a low spot (inlet, not outlet) | $240–$340 each | 9 to 12 in plastic basin and grate tied into the line | Some towns bar roof downspouts from the drain |
| Dry well, one 50-gal plastic unit | $780–$1,100 | Soil that absorbs water; room away from the house | May count as an EPA Class V well; state inventory rules |
| Connection to a city storm structure | $850–$2,540 in 2023 public bids, plus permit | A catch basin or inlet near your property line | Permit, inspection, often a licensed contractor; many towns prohibit it outright |
The dry well math most quotes skip
One inch of rain on 1,000 square feet of roof or paved surface is 83.3 cubic feet of water, or 623 gallons at 7.48 gallons per cubic foot. The common residential plastic dry well, the NDS Flo-Well kit, assembles into a 24-inch-wide, 24-inch-tall cylinder holding 50 gallons (NDS product specifications). That is the runoff from about 80 square feet of roof in a 1-inch storm. Everything beyond that has to soak into the surrounding stone and soil while it rains.
So a dry well works when it takes groundwater seepage from a yard drain in sandy or loamy soil. It struggles as the only outlet for a downspout or a large paved area in clay, where water soaks in slowly. If a contractor proposes a single small unit for a whole roof, ask how they sized it.
There is also a federal angle. EPA treats stormwater drainage wells, including dry wells, as Class V injection wells when they meet the regulatory definition of a well, which includes a dug hole deeper than it is wide. They are “authorized by rule” without an individual permit as long as they do not endanger drinking water and the owner submits basic inventory information to the permitting authority, and EPA says owners of a new stormwater drainage well must contact that authority before construction (EPA, Stormwater Drainage Wells). Whether your state actually collects inventory forms for a backyard unit varies, so ask your state environmental agency.
Tying into the storm sewer or curb
Cities split on this, and the differences are concrete:
- Homer Glen, Ill. allows sump pump lines to connect to a village inlet with a permit, solid 4-inch PVC at a minimum 1 percent slope and inspection before backfill, but states plainly that “the connection of downspouts or french drains are prohibited,” and homeowners cannot do the right-of-way work themselves (Village of Homer Glen specifications).
- Centerville, Ohio bars sump pump discharge through the curb by ordinance, suggests discharging 10 to 12 feet back from the curb, allows a direct connection to a city catch basin with a permit and inspections, and forbids any yard drain from connecting to the sanitary sewer. Its right-of-way permit costs $50 plus a bond (City of Centerville Public Works FAQs).
- High Point, N.C. has “no requirements” for a French drain unless it ties into the right-of-way or curb line; then you need an approved right-of-way encroachment application and sketch plan before building (City of High Point FAQs).
Two threads run through these rules: keep yard water out of the sanitary sewer, and get the city’s sign-off for anything that crosses into the street right-of-way. Budget for the permit and a bond, and expect the connection itself to cost about what the public bidders charged in West St. Paul, where six bids to connect to an existing storm sewer ranged from $850 to $2,541.
French drain vs. dry well
They are not really alternatives: a French drain collects and moves water, and a dry well is one place to put it. The useful comparison is a French drain that daylights versus one that ends in a dry well.
| Criterion | French drain to daylight or pop-up | French drain ending in a dry well |
|---|---|---|
| Added cost for the outlet | $0 to $200 | $780 to $1,100 per 50-gal unit |
| Needs a lower point on your lot | Yes | No |
| Works in tight clay | Yes, if the outlet is lower | Poorly; storage fills and drains slowly |
| Handles a 1-inch storm off 1,000 sq ft of roof | Yes, if the pipe has fall | Only if surrounding soil absorbs most of 623 gallons during the storm |
| Regulatory angle | Neighbor drainage and setbacks | Possible EPA Class V inventory; setbacks |
| Maintenance | Keep the outlet or emitter clear | Sediment collects in the chamber; access to clean it matters |
If there is any lower ground you control, daylighting wins on cost and reliability. A dry well earns its price on flat lots with sandy soil, or where the only low spot belongs to a neighbor.
Does a French drain need a permit?
Usually not for a drain that stays on your lot and empties on your lot. Usually yes once it touches public property, a utility easement or a storm structure, or changes how water leaves your land. Local examples show the range:
| Jurisdiction | Yard French drain on your own lot | Connection to street, curb or storm system | Other rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Point, N.C. | No requirements | Right-of-way encroachment application and sketch plan | Must follow city standard drawings for curb drains |
| Lake Zurich, Ill. | Drainage permit: plat of survey, trench detail, pre-backfill inspection | Sump lines only, to a storm structure via a French drain; no direct pipe taps; no downspouts | Drains at least 3 ft from any property line; outside utility easements; discharge at least 10 ft from lot lines if no storm structure |
| Homer Glen, Ill. | Not addressed in the sump handout | French drains and downspouts prohibited; sump lines by permit | Contractor required in the right-of-way; sod restoration required |
| Centerville, Ohio | Not addressed | No sump discharge through the curb; catch basin connection by permit; $50 right-of-way permit plus bond | No yard drain into the sanitary sewer; don’t create a problem for a neighbor |
One code section matters even where no permit is needed. The model residential code requires lots to be graded so surface water drains away from foundation walls, with the ground falling at least 6 inches within the first 10 feet; where that is not possible, the ground must slope at least 5 percent and water must be directed to drains or swales (IRC R401.3 as quoted by Maricopa County, Ariz.). If your yard drain is fighting water that runs toward the house, fixing that grade may do more than the drain. Before you file anything, check whether your lot sits in an HOA with its own drainage rules.
Call 811 before the first shovel goes in
Locating buried utilities is free, and state one-call laws set how much notice the person digging must give. Florida’s law, for example, says an excavator must notify the state one-call system at least 2 full business days before digging (Florida Statutes, Section 556.105). The national 811 site lists drain tile installation among the projects that need a locate request, and puts damage to buried utilities at about $30 billion a year in repairs and societal costs, with not contacting 811 the top cause (811beforeyoudig.com). Lake Zurich’s drainage permit includes the reminder to call Illinois’ JULIE center before digging.
A French drain is a long, continuous trench, which is exactly the kind of dig most likely to cross a gas service line, a buried cable or an irrigation main. A contractor’s quote should say who files the locate ticket. Private lines (irrigation, low-voltage lighting, a detached garage feed) are usually not marked by the one-call system, so find those yourself.
What a yard French drain costs by state
Labor is roughly half of materials-plus-labor in a yard drain, so state wages move the price, but less than soil and access do. Swapping in each state’s median pay for landscaping workers and their supervisors, with materials held at our national inputs, gives this spread:
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| State | Landscaping worker median, per hour | Supervisor median, per hour | Shallow yard drain, installed per ft | 100 ft with pop-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | $15.21 | $22.66 | $23–$42 | $2,390–$4,400 |
| Texas | $17.66 | $22.90 | $24–$44 | $2,490–$4,600 |
| Florida | $17.84 | $24.66 | $24–$45 | $2,490–$4,700 |
| Georgia | $18.25 | $26.36 | $25–$45 | $2,590–$4,700 |
| Ohio | $18.38 | $26.77 | $25–$46 | $2,590–$4,800 |
| Pennsylvania | $18.99 | $26.66 | $25–$46 | $2,590–$4,800 |
| U.S. | $18.82 | $28.09 | $25–$47 | $2,580–$4,900 |
| Illinois | $21.05 | $25.65 | $26–$47 | $2,690–$4,900 |
| Colorado | $22.00 | $29.25 | $27–$49 | $2,790–$5,100 |
| California | $21.90 | $30.42 | $27–$50 | $2,790–$5,200 |
| New York | $21.56 | $34.02 | $28–$51 | $2,890–$5,300 |
| Massachusetts | $23.40 | $30.65 | $28–$51 | $2,890–$5,300 |
| Washington | $22.57 | $34.58 | $28–$52 | $2,890–$5,400 |
The lowest-wage and highest-wage states differ by about 20 to 25 percent per foot. A yard of heavy clay or a side yard too narrow for a machine moves the price by 25 to 50 percent, which is why the calculator above puts site conditions first. Local stone prices also vary: the same washed 3/4-inch stone costs $63 a cubic yard in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and $62 a ton in Denver, before delivery. For more on what crews earn where you live, see our landscaper salary data.
Why quotes are higher than a few years ago
Both main materials in a French drain have climbed faster than general inflation. The producer price index for construction sand, gravel and crushed stone averaged 59 percent higher in January to August 2026 than in 2019, and has risen every year in between. Plastic pipe and fittings spiked 90 percent by 2022 and have since eased to about 65 percent above 2019 (BLS PPI, series WPU1321; BLS PPI, series PCU326122326122; 2026 figures preliminary).
- Construction sand, gravel and crushed stone (WPU1321)
- Plastics pipe and pipe fittings (PCU326122326122)
Source: BLS Producer Price Index, annual averages of monthly data, rebased by Green Industry Report 2026 is the January to August average; 2026 values are preliminary.
Show the numbers
| Construction sand, gravel and crushed stone (WPU1321) | Plastics pipe and pipe fittings (PCU326122326122) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 100 | 100 |
| 2020 | 104.50 | 102.20 |
| 2021 | 108.60 | 144.30 |
| 2022 | 119.60 | 190 |
| 2023 | 131.40 | 180.80 |
| 2024 | 141.20 | 171.50 |
| 2025 | 151.10 | 163.70 |
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 159.30 | 165.50 |
Cheaper fixes that sometimes beat a French drain
A French drain handles water moving through the soil. Plenty of wet yards are really a surface problem: a downspout dumping beside the foundation, grade that tilts toward the house, or a low strip with no path out. Those have cheaper fixes.
| Fix | Estimated installed cost | Best for | What you give up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buried downspout line (solid 4-in pipe to a pop-up) | $11–$15 per ft, plus $85–$200 per emitter | Roof water pooling at the foundation | Does nothing for groundwater; clogs if gutters aren’t kept clean |
| Regrade along the foundation to the code slope | $670–$1,070 for 40 ft of wall | Ground that slopes toward the house | Needs room for 6 in of fall in 10 ft; finished grade must stay at least 6 in below the top of the foundation wall (4 in with masonry veneer) |
| Grass swale with sod | $8–$14 per ft | Moving sheet flow across a yard | A visible shallow channel; needs fall and somewhere to send water |
| Dry creek bed, 3 ft wide | $21–$35 per ft | Surface channel that doubles as landscaping | Weeds and leaves to clear; still needs an outlet |
| Shallow French drain | $25–$47 per ft | Saturated soil and seepage | Most expensive per foot; buried, so failures are hidden |
A sensible order: fix gutters and downspouts first, then grade, then add a drain if the soil stays wet. A French drain also pairs naturally with hardscape. A drain behind a retaining wall or along the low edge of a paver patio is cheapest while that project is already dug.
If you build it yourself, our step-by-step French drain build guide gives the trench depth, fall and tons of stone for your length.
When a French drain is the wrong tool
- There is no lower point to send the water, and the soil is too tight for a dry well.
- The water is roof runoff. A perforated drain lets roof water seep back out along its length; downspouts belong in solid pipe, which is why Lake Zurich keeps them out of French drains entirely.
- The only outlet would be a neighbor’s yard, a sidewalk or the street. Lake Zurich can order a drain removed or relocated if it puts water or ice on a sidewalk or a neighbor’s lot, and Centerville tells owners not to create a drainage problem for a neighbor.
- The trench would run through tree roots you want to keep, or through a septic drain field.
DIY or hire it out
A shallow yard drain is a reasonable DIY job: about $610 to $1,160 in materials for 100 feet, against $2,580 to $4,900 hired. You pay for it in labor, roughly 25 to 45 person-hours for 100 feet at a crew’s pace, and more by hand. The hard parts are holding a steady fall (Homer Glen’s 1 percent minimum works out to about 1.2 inches per 10 feet), getting rid of about 5.5 to 7.5 cubic yards of excavated soil per 100 feet, and choosing an outlet that is legal and actually lower than the trench.
Hire out anything along the foundation deeper than a few feet, any interior drain, and anything that connects to public property. Deep trenches collapse, and OSHA’s 5-foot line exists for a reason. If you hire, check what your state requires: some license landscape or drainage contractors and some do not. Our state licensing table and guide to checking a license cover how.
Red flags in a French drain quote
- No outlet named, or “we’ll find a spot.” The outlet decides whether the drain works and whether it is legal.
- No filter fabric or sock in silty or clay soil.
- Downspouts tied into the perforated pipe.
- An outlet into the sanitary sewer. Centerville, Ohio, says a yard drain may not connect to it under any circumstances.
- No depth, trench width, stone volume or pipe type stated, so you can’t compare bids.
- No mention of who files the 811 locate request or who restores the lawn.
- A single small dry well proposed for a whole roof or driveway.
How we built these numbers
We do not have our own job data. Each estimate is materials plus crew labor, grossed up for equipment, overhead and profit using Census cost shares. Ranges are estimates, not quotes. Our general approach is on the methodology page.
Materials. Low case: washed 5/8 to 3/4-inch stone at $63 per cubic yard (27 cu ft), screened topsoil at $48 per cubic yard, nonwoven filter fabric at $364.46 per 6 x 300 ft roll ($0.20 per sq ft), and delivery at $50 per load (Adams, April 9, 2026; topsoil from Bedrock). High case: 3/4-inch rock at $62 per ton, at 100 lb per cubic foot (derived from Bedrock’s coverage chart: 1 ton covers 120 sq ft at 2 inches, or 20 cu ft), topsoil at $59, 4-oz fabric at $513.27 per 6 x 300 ft roll ($0.29 per sq ft, Landscape Discount) and delivery at $140. Pipe: $1.40 per foot for 4-inch corrugated pipe with sock (Farm & Fleet, $139.99 per 100 ft) or $2.60 for 4-inch perforated SDR 35 PVC (Hemlock Hardware), plus 10 percent for fittings. One delivery is spread over 100 feet.
Geometry. Yard drain: 12-inch trench, 18 inches (low) or 24 inches (high) deep, 4-inch topsoil cap, minus 0.087 sq ft for the pipe; fabric wraps the stone with a 6-inch overlap. Footing drain: stone envelope 1.5 x 1.5 ft (low) or 2 x 2 ft (high), consistent with IRC R405.1, plus a 4-inch topsoil cap over a 4-ft strip. Interior drain: 12-inch strip of 4-inch slab, 8 to 12 inches of stone below, concrete at $7.69 to $7.99 per 60-lb bag; we assume about 0.45 cu ft of placed concrete per bag.
Labor. National medians from BLS OEWS, May 2025: landscaping supervisor $28.09 and landscaping worker $18.82 (yard drains, one supervisor and two workers); equipment operator $28.78 and construction laborer $22.66 (footing drains, one operator and two laborers); cement mason $27.41 and construction laborer (interior drains). Benefits added at the Census ratio of fringe benefits to payroll: 26.5 percent for site preparation contractors and 23.6 percent for building finishing contractors, which include waterproofing. Blended rates: $27.71, $31.23 and $29.96 per labor-hour. Productivity is our planning assumption, not a measured rate: 0.25 to 0.45 labor-hours per foot for yard drains, 0.6 to 1.2 for footing drains, 0.8 to 1.4 for interior drains. Outlets: 1 to 2 hours for a pop-up, 1.5 to 3 for a catch basin, 4 to 8 for a dry well with 0.5 to 1 cu yd of stone, 6 to 10 for a sump pump. Alternatives: 0.10 to 0.18 hours per foot for a buried downspout line, 6 to 12 hours plus 3.7 cu yd of topsoil to regrade a 10-ft band along 40 ft of wall, 0.08 to 0.15 hours per foot to shape a swale, 0.2 to 0.35 hours per foot for a dry creek bed.
Overhead and profit. Materials plus labor divided by 0.516 for exterior work: site preparation contractors (NAICS 238910) spent 24.5 percent of revenue on materials, 21.5 percent on payroll and 5.7 percent on benefits in 2022. Interior work divided by 0.601, the same share for NAICS 238390, the Census industry for waterproofing contractors (Census Bureau, EC2223BASIC). Site modifiers in the calculator raise labor by 50 percent (clay, rock or roots) or 100 percent (hand digging), which raises the yard-drain total by about 25 and 50 percent. Excluded throughout: permits and bonds, sod or plant replacement, removal and replacement of hardscape, wall waterproofing, sump basins, electrical work, soil haul-off, sales tax and minimum charges.
This page is general information, not legal, engineering or safety advice. Drainage, right-of-way and one-call rules vary by state and town; confirm with your local public works or building department and your state 811 center before you dig, and have deep or foundation excavation done by a qualified contractor.
French drain questions, answered with numbers
How much is 100 ft of French drain?
An estimated $2,580 to $4,900 for a 100-foot yard drain 18 to 24 inches deep with a pop-up outlet, or $610 to $1,160 in materials if you dig it yourself. A 100-foot interior basement drain with a sump pump is about $6,160 to $10,590, and a 100-foot footing drain dug to the bottom of a basement wall about $5,700 to $11,500.
How much does a 200 ft French drain cost?
For a shallow yard drain, an estimated $5,080 to $9,600 with one pop-up outlet, or $1,230 to $2,310 in DIY materials. Long runs usually price toward the low end per foot because setup and delivery are spread over more length.
How much does it cost to hire someone to install a French drain?
For a yard drain, about $25 to $47 per foot. Roughly $6 to $12 of that is material, $7 to $12 is crew pay and benefits, and the rest covers equipment, insurance, overhead and profit, based on site preparation contractors’ 2022 Census cost shares. Six contractors bidding a 2023 city project in Minnesota priced drain tile at $24.75 to $47.13 per foot.
Are French drains worth the money?
When the problem is saturated soil or seepage and there is a legal, lower outlet, yes: a yard drain costs less than most patio or wall projects and works passively. When the problem is roof water or grade sloping toward the house, a $11 to $15 per foot buried downspout line or a regrade for $670 to $1,070 along a 40-foot wall usually fixes it for less.
How deep should a French drain be in a yard?
Yard drains are commonly dug 18 to 24 inches deep and about 12 inches wide, which is what our estimates assume. A drain meant to protect a basement has to reach the footing; the residential code’s foundation drain section (IRC R405.1) describes a stone envelope extending 6 inches above the top of the footing. The bottom of the trench also has to fall steadily toward the outlet; Homer Glen, Ill., requires at least 1 percent on its drain connections.
Is a dry well better than a French drain?
They do different jobs. A French drain collects and moves water; a dry well stores it and lets it soak in. A 50-gallon plastic dry well holds the runoff from about 80 sq ft of roof in a 1-inch rain, so it works best for modest flows in sandy soil. If you have lower ground to daylight the drain, that is cheaper.
Can you run a French drain to a dry well?
Yes, and it is a common setup on flat lots. Budget an estimated $780 to $1,100 per 50-gallon unit installed, set it well away from the foundation, and check with your state: EPA treats many dry wells as Class V injection wells that must be reported to the permitting authority.
Can I connect a French drain to the storm sewer?
Only with the city’s permission, and some towns forbid it. Homer Glen, Ill., prohibits French drain connections to village storm sewers; Centerville, Ohio, allows a catch-basin connection with a permit and inspection; High Point, N.C., requires a right-of-way encroachment approval. Centerville also says a yard drain may not connect to the sanitary sewer under any circumstances.
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