How Much Does a French Drain Cost?

Updated on September 6, 2026 | Written by Alec Pow
This article was researched using 10 sources. See our methodology and corrections policy.

A French drain costs about $10 to $35 per linear foot for a shallow exterior yard system, $30 to $90 per foot for a deep exterior footing drain, $20 to $40 per foot in a crawl space, and $40 to $85 per foot for an interior basement perimeter drain. Current 2026 French drain pricing puts many exterior projects between $500 and $8,800 and interior basement systems between $4,000 and $17,000.

The same 100-foot length can have a very different bill depending on where it is installed. A shallow yard drain can cost about $1,000 to $3,500, while a 100-foot basement perimeter system can cost about $4,000 to $8,500. Concrete demolition, basement access, sump-pump work, deeper excavation, yard repair, and the discharge route are what turn a simple gravel trench into a much larger drainage project.

A French drain is a sloped trench containing perforated pipe and drainage aggregate that collects groundwater or surface water and moves it toward a suitable outlet or infiltration point. Price the water problem first, then the trench length. A cheap drain in the wrong location can leave the original water problem untouched.

Article Highlights

• Shallow exterior French drains currently cost about $10 to $35 (at $30 per hour, earning that amount would take about 0.3 to 1.2 hours of work, before taxes) per linear foot.
• Deep exterior footing drains can cost $30 to $90 per linear foot because excavation reaches the foundation level.
• Interior crawl-space drains run about $20 to $40 per linear foot, while basement perimeter drains run about $40 to $85 per linear foot.
• A new sump pump can add roughly $800 to $3,000 when the system cannot drain by gravity.
• Yard regrading can add another $500 to $5,000 when the site slope sends water toward the house.
• French-drain cleaning can cost about $200 to $600 when sediment, roots, or debris clog the system.

How Much Does a French Drain Cost?

The most useful pricing split is location, not simply length. Current 2026 French drain estimates show exterior systems beginning around $10 (about 20 minutes at $30 per hour) per foot while interior work can reach $100 per foot on difficult projects. The cost jump comes from access, concrete removal, deeper excavation, restoration, and pumping requirements.

French drain type	Current installed range	100-foot planning total
Shallow yard / curtain drain	$10 to $35 per ft.	$1,000 to $3,500
Deep exterior footing drain	$30 to $90 per ft.	$3,000 to $9,000
Crawl-space perimeter drain	$20 to $40 per ft.	$2,000 to $4,000
Basement perimeter drain	$40 to $85 per ft.	$4,000 to $8,500

Using the midpoint of the shallow-yard range gives $22.50 per foot, or $2,250 for 100 feet. The midpoint of the basement range is $62.50 per foot, or $6,250 for the same 100 feet. The basement version is about 2.8 times as expensive even though the pipe run is identical.

What you’re buying

A French drain is not just a perforated pipe buried in dirt. The typical system combines a graded trench, perforated or slotted pipe, drainage rock, filter fabric or another soil-separation method, fittings, and a route for the collected water. NDS installation guidance identifies corrugated and PVC as common pipe choices and notes that gravity and slope are central to the design.

The drain type should match the water source. A shallow yard or curtain drain intercepts soggy soil and shallow groundwater. A deep exterior footing drain manages groundwater near the foundation. An interior basement perimeter drain collects water at the slab or footing area and commonly routes it to a sump basin. A trench or channel drain is a different product used to catch surface runoff from paved areas.

A French drain can manage water moving through soil, but it does not repair a leaking foundation crack, broken sewer pipe, failed gutter, or bad roof drainage. Those problems can exist at the same time and can change which repair deserves the budget first.

Pipe is the cheap part

Current retail pipe prices show why labor and excavation dominate professional bids. Home Depot currently lists 4-inch perforated drainage pipe around $1.20 to $2.35 per foot, while prefabricated EZ-Drain is about $7.60 per foot in its current 10-foot drainage listings.

For 100 feet, basic perforated pipe alone is about $120 to $235 (about 4 to 7.8 hours of work at $30 per hour). The same length of prefabricated EZ-Drain is about $760. Neither total includes fittings, outlet hardware, excavation, disposal, gravel where required, fabric, restoration, tax, or delivery.

This is the cheap-because explanation behind many DIY estimates. The pipe is inexpensive because the homeowner is not paying a contractor to locate utilities, trench through roots or clay, move excavated soil, establish grade, haul stone, create the discharge point, repair turf, or warranty the finished drainage path.

The sump-pump jump

Gravity is the least expensive way to move collected water because it does not require a pump. When the drain cannot reach a suitable lower outlet, an interior or exterior system may need a sump basin and pump. Current 2026 sump-pump installation pricing is about $800 to $3,000 for many professional installations, with more complex dual-pump or excavation-heavy work running higher.

That changes the real invoice quickly. A 100-foot basement drain at the midpoint price of $6,250 plus a midpoint sump-pump allowance of $1,900 creates a modeled $8,150 system before flooring repair, battery backup, electrical work, or unusual discharge piping.

A pump also changes future ownership cost. The buried trench may remain in place for decades, while the mechanical pump is a replaceable component. A cheap basement-drain quote that excludes the sump basin, pump, discharge line, or electrical connection should not be compared with a turnkey quote that includes those items.

Grading can beat more trench

A French drain is not always the first dollar that should be spent. If the yard is sending surface water toward the foundation, changing the grade may fix part of the problem before adding more pipe. Current 2026 yard-grading prices run about $500 to $1,000 for a small area and $1,000 to $5,000 for an average backyard or larger regrading job.

That creates a useful comparison. A 100-foot yard drain at the $2,250 midpoint plus $1,500 of targeted grading produces a $3,750 drainage budget. Spending the same $3,750 on extra trench length without fixing a yard that slopes toward the house can leave the drainage path fighting the site geometry.

Drainage and erosion work can overlap with a retaining wall installation when soil needs structural support. Gravel selection also changes the material line, so compare the specified drainage aggregate with current gravel costs rather than assuming any inexpensive fill stone will perform the same job.

Three French-drain budgets

Case 1: 50-foot shallow yard drain. Using the current $10 to $35 per foot exterior range gives $500 to $1,750. At the midpoint, the modeled installation is $1,125. This is the closest match to the small yard project many homeowners picture when they hear “French drain.”

Case 2: 100-foot yard drain with grading. The drain itself models at $2,250 using the $22.50 per foot midpoint. Add a $1,500 grading allowance and the worked total becomes $3,750. If the project also needs a dry well or extensive yard restoration, that total rises again.

Case 3: 150-foot basement perimeter system. At $40 to $85 per foot, the drain is $6,000 to $12,750. Using the midpoint produces $9,375. Add the modeled $1,900 sump-pump allowance and the working total reaches $11,275 before finished-floor restoration or battery backup. The same 150 feet as a shallow yard drain would be about $1,500 to $5,250, showing how location can add thousands without adding one foot of pipe.

The hidden restoration bill

French-drain quotes often look different because one includes restoration and another stops when the pipe is buried. Exterior work can disturb sod, planting beds, irrigation, walkways, patios, driveways, or retaining-wall areas. Interior basement work can require concrete cutting, debris removal, repouring the slab edge, baseboard removal, and repair of finished flooring.

Deep exterior footing work is especially sensitive because contractors may need to excavate beside the foundation rather than cut a shallow yard trench. Current 2026 basement-drain pricing puts interior French-drain projects around $4,000 to $7,000 in many cases and exterior foundation systems around $6,000 to $12,000, with concrete removal, disposal, and flooring repair called out as possible extras.

The discharge point is another hidden line. Water may daylight downhill, enter a dry well, reach a sump basin, or connect to another approved drainage system. The cheapest trench can become useless if there is nowhere suitable for the collected water to go.

Outdoor excavation should begin with buried-utility locating. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s 2026 811 safety guidance tells property owners and excavators to contact 811 before excavation so underground utilities can be marked. State notice periods and digging rules differ, so the ticket should be opened before trench work begins.

Local drainage rules also matter. A drain that sends water toward a neighbor, wetland, public right-of-way, or municipal system can trigger restrictions or approval requirements. NDS likewise advises checking city codes and the effect of the drainage path on neighboring property before installation. Ask the local building, public works, or stormwater office where the proposed outlet may legally discharge.

Professional design matters most where the property has a high water table, steep slopes, retaining walls, foundation seepage, dense clay, extensive roots, or no gravity outlet. A shallow soggy-yard project carries a different failure risk from excavating down beside a foundation.

Who this cost makes sense for

Makes sense if:

• The water source has been identified and a subsurface collection trench matches that problem.
• The planned outlet sits lower than the collection area or a properly sized pump is included.
• The quote states the drain length, depth, pipe type, aggregate, excavation, outlet, and restoration scope.
• You compare basement work with basement work and yard work with yard work rather than comparing one blended price per foot.

Does not make sense if:

• A broken downspout, plumbing leak, or foundation crack is the real source of the water.
• The cheapest quote does not identify where the collected water will discharge.
• The system depends on digging through an unmarked utility corridor.
• You are comparing a DIY materials bill with a professional installed price that includes excavation, hauling, grading, and restoration.

What we verified

• Checked the difference between French drains and other surface-drainage systems against current drainage-system pricing, which separates French drains from channel drains, dry wells, and catch basins.
• Confirmed current maintenance exposure through 2026 drain-cleaning prices, which put French-drain or drain-tile cleaning around $200 to $600.
• Cross-referenced pipe and layout basics with the NDS installation guide, which identifies perforated plastic pipe, aggregate, slope, and a suitable discharge route as core parts of a traditional system.
• Verified that professional trenching has its own cost separate from pipe by comparing the project with current trenching cost per foot.

Answers to Common Questions

How much does a 100-foot French drain cost?

A 100-foot shallow yard drain costs about $1,000 to $3,500. A 100-foot basement perimeter drain costs about $4,000 to $8,500. Deep exterior footing work can also reach several thousand dollars.

Why is an interior French drain more expensive?

Basement systems commonly require concrete cutting, excavation at the slab perimeter, debris removal, a sump basin, a pump, discharge piping, and concrete or flooring restoration. Those items are not part of a simple yard trench.

Can I install a French drain myself?

A shallow exterior drain can be a DIY project for someone able to plan the grade, outlet, excavation, pipe, gravel, and restoration. Utility locating and local discharge rules still apply. Deep foundation and interior basement systems carry much higher consequences if the design is wrong.

How much does French-drain maintenance cost?

French-drain or drain-tile cleaning currently costs about $200 to $600 when professional cleaning is needed. Good soil separation and a properly designed outlet reduce clogging risk but do not make the system maintenance-free.

How long does a French drain last?

A well-built buried drain can remain useful for decades, but lifespan depends on soil, roots, sediment, pipe, fabric, outlet condition, and whether a sump pump is part of the system. The pump normally has a much shorter service life than the buried trench.