Service
French Drain Installation
A sub-surface drain that collects water out of saturated ground and carries it somewhere it can safely go.
Quoted per property. Quotes by phone, photos or video call are free, and an on-site visit is free inside Loop 610.
Priced by the foot. A French drain is the trench at $10 per foot, the perforated pipe in it from $6 per foot, and $20 per foot for building it properly as a French drain with washed aggregate and separation fabric, so $36 per foot is the usual starting point. Perforated pipe is charged at the same rate as solid, and if a perforated version cannot be sourced we bore it ourselves at no extra cost. Upgrading the pipe adds $10 per foot for SDR 4 inch or $14 for PVC schedule 40, heavy roots add $5, and six inch pipe raises everything by 50 percent. Quotes by phone, video or online are free, and on-site estimates are free inside Loop 610, $50 inside Beltway 8 and $100 beyond. One-off jobs carry a mobilization fee on those same zones. Compare every published price.
Overview
A French drain is a trench with a perforated pipe bedded in washed aggregate and wrapped so soil cannot migrate in and clog it. Water in the surrounding ground moves into the aggregate, into the pipe, and away along the fall of the run. It is the right answer when water has genuinely nowhere to go, which in a flat clay yard is often.
Almost every French drain that fails does so for one of a small number of reasons: not enough fall, the wrong stone, no separation between soil and aggregate, or an outfall that does not actually discharge. Those are decisions made before anything is buried, which is why the assessment matters more than the digging.
What’s included
- Assessment of where water collects and where it can legitimately discharge
- Trenching to a consistent fall across the run
- Perforated pipe bedded in washed aggregate
- Separation fabric so surrounding soil cannot silt the stone up
- A real outfall: daylight, a basin or an approved discharge point
- Turf, beds or hardscape reinstated across the trench line
Our work
French Drains in Houston
Side Yard Garden 
Flagstone & Gravel Side Path 
New Build Front Landscape 
Ranch Home Lawn Care
FAQ
French Drains questions.
How does a French drain work?
Water in saturated ground moves into a bed of washed stone, into a perforated pipe running through it, and then along the fall of the pipe to a discharge point. The stone gives the water an easy path, the pipe carries it away, and fabric stops soil from filling the stone.
Is perforated pipe more expensive?
No. Perforated pipe is charged at the same rate as solid, whichever type you choose, and if a perforated version of the pipe your run needs cannot be sourced we bore the holes ourselves and still charge the same. The perforation is what lets water into the pipe, so it is not the place to be saving money, and we would rather not have you choosing against it on cost.
Do French drains work in Houston clay?
Yes, but the design has to account for the clay. Clay does not feed water sideways quickly, so the drain has to be positioned where water actually collects and sized for the volume arriving, rather than relying on the soil to deliver it.
Where does a French drain drain to?
It has to discharge somewhere real: a lower point on the property where water can daylight, a basin, or an approved discharge point. Finding that is part of the assessment. A drain without a working outfall does not drain.
How much does a French drain cost in Houston?
It is priced per foot and the parts are visible. Trenching is $10 per foot, corrugated pipe is $6 per foot and building it as a proper French drain with washed aggregate and separation fabric is $20 per foot, so a straightforward run is around $36 per foot. Sixty feet of that is roughly $2,160, plus a catch basin if the run needs one, which is $210 for a 9 by 9. Upgrades and difficult ground are priced separately and itemised. A quote by phone, video or through the site is free, and an on-site visit is free inside Loop 610, $50 inside Beltway 8 and $100 beyond. One-off jobs carry a mobilization fee on those same zones.
How long does a French drain last?
A correctly built drain, with proper fall, washed aggregate, separation fabric and a working outfall, should keep working for many years. The ones that fail early almost always fail on one of those four things rather than on wear.
Do I need a French drain or should the yard be regraded?
If the ground tips the wrong way, regrading is the real fix and a drain is treating a symptom. If the fall is acceptable but there is no outlet, a drain is the answer. Plenty of Houston yards need some of both, and that is what the site visit establishes.
Free quote
Start with french drain installation.
Tell us about the property and we’ll come back to you. You can add other services at the same time. Bundling saves a trip and saves you money.
Where french drains is available
French Drain Installation is available across Houston, TX and 36 surrounding neighbourhoods and cities, at the same published price everywhere. One-off jobs outside Loop 610 carry a mobilization fee ($50 inside Beltway 8, $100 beyond); recurring work never does.
Related
Often booked together.
Landscape Design
A custom design built around your style, your property and how you actually want to use the space.
$100 · 1 hr
Landscaping Installation
Building the plan: beds, planting, turf, gravel, edging, pavers and the hardscape that holds it together.
Quoted per property
Sprinkler System Repairs
Diagnosis of a sprinkler system that is not working properly, and the repair itself if it can be done within the visit.
$150 minimum · 1 hr 30 min
Free quote
Ready to talk about french drains?
Call us, or send a request and we'll come back to you about the property.