Yard drainage quote planner
Estimate a yard, foundation perimeter, curtain, downspout extension, driveway-edge, or retaining-wall French drain budget by linear feet, trench depth and width, perforated pipe, washed gravel, filter fabric, catch basins, outlet, soil, access, restoration, permits, local market, timing, and contingency.
Enter the run length, trench size, drain type, pipe diameter, gravel depth, fabric, catch basins, cleanouts, outlet, soil, slope, access, surface restoration, hauling, permits, labor market, and contingency. The calculator separates materials, excavation, installation labor, discharge work, restoration, and quote allowances so you can compare drainage bids with a clearer checklist.
Start with the drainage goal, run length, and trench dimensions.
Pipe, washed stone, filter fabric, cleanouts, catch basins, and discharge work shape both material cost and labor.
Clay soil, roots, tight access, sod repair, hauling, permits, and rush timing can move the final number quickly.
It estimates French drain cost from linear feet, trench depth, trench width, pipe diameter, pipe type, gravel fill, filter fabric, catch basins, cleanouts, outlet, soil condition, grading difficulty, access, surface restoration, hauling, permit allowance, local labor, timing, contingency, and minimum mobilization.
Two 100-foot drains can price very differently when one is a shallow yard run and the other needs deep excavation, clay soil work, a dry well, stormwater coordination, sod replacement, or hand digging near utilities.
This is a budget planner only. It is not drainage engineering, flood protection, foundation advice, permit determination, code guidance, or a guarantee that a drain will solve a water problem. Confirm slope, outlet legality, utility marking, soil, discharge location, and local requirements with qualified drainage or landscape contractors.
A 60 to 120 foot shallow yard drain with standard pipe, washed stone, fabric, easy machine access, and seed restoration is usually a simpler project than foundation perimeter drainage.
Foundation perimeter drainage can require deeper trenching, utility coordination, careful discharge planning, and more restoration. If basement flooding is involved, compare this page with waterproofing and sump pump estimates before choosing a scope.
Ask each contractor to separate trench length, depth, pipe type, stone quantity, fabric, outlet, cleanouts, catch basins, grading, utility marking, permit assumptions, restoration, and warranty. A low bid may omit the discharge destination or lawn repair.
French drain cost depends on length, trench depth, soil, pipe, gravel, outlet, access, restoration, permits, and labor market. Shallow yard runs usually cost less per foot than deep foundation or hardscape-adjacent drainage work.
The biggest cost drivers are excavation labor, drain length, depth, soil condition, access, gravel volume, discharge destination, and restoration. Pipe and fabric matter, but labor and site conditions often move the quote more.
Many systems need a legal and practical discharge point such as daylight on a slope, a dry well, a swale, a rain garden, or approved stormwater connection. The right outlet depends on local rules, grade, soil, and neighboring properties.
No. A French drain collects and redirects water through a gravel and pipe trench. A sump pump moves collected water from a basin when gravity drainage is not enough. Some basement or low-area systems use both.
Yes. Utility marking is a normal pre-excavation step in the United States. Contractors may handle the request, but the estimate should still account for utility locations, access limits, and possible rerouting.
One estimate may include a proper outlet, cleanouts, geotextile fabric, washed stone, sod repair, haul-off, permits, and warranty, while another may only cover trenching and pipe. Compare line items before choosing a bid.