French drains are the perfect way to improve drainage in your yard. They hide pipes under elegant gravel, providing a landscaped method of moving dangerous standing water off your lawn and away from your foundations.
However, French drains can be surprisingly expensive to install, and if you're new to gardening, it may not be clear how much you should pay.
I spoke to plumbing and landscaping experts about how much you should spend on a French drain, as well as all the hidden costs that many people forget to include.
1. Cost per foot
Different homes have different needs, so it's worth knowing the average cost-per-foot for a French drain. It's a much cheaper option for smaller homes than larger homes.
Plumber and French drain expert Hayden Slack says 'For a typical home, professional installation usually runs between $15-30 per foot, though every property is unique.'
Garden expert Tammy Sons agrees and says 'Per linear foot, it's typically 10 to 30 dollars.'
2. Cost of parts
The cost per foot is based on materials and labor. Hayden Slack explains that 'The basic materials are perforated PVC pipe ($3-5 per foot), gravel ($25-45 per ton), filter fabric (about $1 per square foot) and catch basins ($25-50 each).'
Tammy Sons agrees, and says 'Parts you will need are a perforated pipe, gravel, fabric, and catch basins, which are optional. The material cost should be anywhere from one dollar to five dollars per foot of the pipe, fabric, or gravel.'
All these parts are easy to find at hardware stores. You can buy perforated pipe at Home Depot, gravel at Lowe's, and filter fabric at Tractor Supply Co, for example. It might work out cheaper to let your landscapers buy the materials for you, as they may buy them wholesale from dedicated construction retailers, lowering the price a little. However, there's more to consider than just materials.
3. Labor costs
The biggest cost with installing a French drain is labor. Hypothetically, you can install it yourself, but experts don't recommend it, so you probably need to hire professionals. Labor costs depend on where you are in the country, but the rough guide is a few thousand dollars.
Yard expert Ryan Farley says 'Labor is typically where most of your costs come from with French drain installation. I tend to see these projects running around $3,000 - $5,000, but this can obviously be much more or less expensive depending on the extent of the project, the length of the drain, and overall the amount of time you will be paying for.'
4. Permit costs
On top of parts and labor, you probably need to set aside some money for a permit. It depends on where you are in the country and the size of the project, but most French drain installations need permits.
Ryan Farley explains that 'Whether or not a French drain requires a permit can depend on your circumstances in my experience. For instance, if you’re just planning on a smaller French drain to help with too-wet soil that will divert water to a different part of your yard, you generally don’t need to worry about permits. But if the diverted water will flow onto public property or potentially affect public water systems like sewers, then it’s good to research this first. I’ve seen permits be required in these situations.'
Permit prices vary from place to place, so it's hard to give an estimate for how much it may cost you. Hayden Slack says 'Permits vary depending on where you live. Some cities require permits for any drainage work at all, while others are more relaxed. Permit costs typically range from $100-500.'
5. Hidden costs
Finally, there are some hidden costs to consider, too. Hayden Slack says 'There are also some hidden costs that homeowners might not think about initially, like testing the soil, and the cost of fixing landscape or sprinkler systems.'
He adds that 'Some French drain installations reveal other issues underground that have to be dealt with or the project may have to be delayed due to weather. Some cities even require an inspection afterward.'
On top of installation costs, there are landscaping costs after the fact too. Tammy Sons says that 'disposal of excavated soil or restoring the landscape afterward' can also bring extra costs.
6. Don't DIY it
One way to save a little money on French drain installation is to do it yourself. However, all of the experts I spoke to warned against DIY French drains.
Ryan Farley says 'It is a feasible DIY project but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have some existing knowledge of drainage and similar projects.'
Hayden Slack agrees and warns that 'My best advice is to get a professional assessment for your specific situation. Just like every home is different, every drainage solution needs to be tailored to the property. While DIY might seem like a money-saver upfront, getting it wrong can lead to expensive problems down the road.'
That's because 'Professional installation includes detailed site evaluation and planning with precise grading and slope calculations to prepare the ground correctly. We use heavy-duty equipment that most homeowners don't have to get the job done right.'
Without this equipment or knowledge of how to deal with a slope, your drain may not work properly. It could be an expensive mistake that leads to standing water and other drainage issues.
There are just the costs; there are a whole host of French drain mistakes to beware as you install the pipes. But before you do anything, consider if a French drain is the best method of solving drainage issues. There are lots of other drainage solutions out there, so it could be worth weighing up a French drain vs a dry well to help you deal with water in your yard.
