French Drain Cost
Two very different jobs share one name. A trench across a soggy yard and a drain cut into a basement floor are priced on different planets. Here is what each typically runs.
Alex Rivers
Home Improvement Editor
Last Updated
October 17, 2026
In This Guide
A professionally installed exterior French drain in a yard typically costs roughly 15 to 50 dollars per linear foot, so a common 50 to 100 foot run usually lands somewhere around 1,500 to 5,000 dollars. An interior French drain, the perimeter drain cut into a basement floor and tied to a sump pump, typically runs roughly 40 to 100 dollars per linear foot, which puts a whole basement commonly in the 5,000 to 15,000 dollar range. Those are typical US ranges that vary with region, soil and access, and they move over time. The bigger point is that the name covers two different jobs. A yard drain moves surface and shallow groundwater away from a soggy lawn or foundation; an interior drain relieves water already pressing on and under your basement. Knowing which one your problem needs is the first and most important cost decision.
1. How Much Does a French Drain Cost by Type?
A French drain is a trench filled with gravel around a perforated pipe that collects water and carries it, by gravity or a pump, somewhere it can do no harm. In a yard, the trench is usually shallow, often 18 to 24 inches deep, and the work is mostly digging, stone and pipe. In a basement, the drain sits beside the footing under the edge of the concrete floor, which means breaking and replacing concrete and almost always adding a sump pump. The labor involved is why the per-foot prices are so different.
A third option, the exterior footing drain, sits at the bottom of the foundation on the outside and is installed when a house is built or during a full exterior excavation. Replacing one on an existing house is a major job, commonly priced at 100 to 300 dollars or more per linear foot once digging, waterproofing membrane, stone, backfill and landscape repair are included. Most homeowners asking about French drain cost are deciding between a yard drain and an interior basement drain.
The table below gives typical installed ranges. Use them to check whether a quote is in a reasonable neighborhood, not as fixed prices. Regional labor costs, rocky soil, tight access and the outlet the water has to reach can push any job well outside these ranges. Contractors also often have minimum charges, so a very short run can cost more per foot than a long one.
| Drain Type | Typical Cost Per Linear Foot | Common Project Total |
|---|---|---|
| Yard French drain, shallow | Roughly 15 to 50 dollars | About 1,500 to 5,000 dollars for 50 to 100 ft |
| Interior basement perimeter drain | Roughly 40 to 100 dollars | About 5,000 to 15,000 dollars, sump often included |
| Exterior footing drain, excavated | Roughly 100 to 300 dollars or more | Often 15,000 dollars and up for a full house |
| DIY yard drain, materials only | Roughly 5 to 15 dollars | A few hundred to about 1,500 dollars |
These figures cover the drain itself. The total project can also include a sump pit and pump, a discharge line, a dry well, permits, restoring lawn or landscaping, and replacing finishes in a basement. Each of those is covered below, because they often decide whether the final bill looks like the low end of the range or the high end.
2. What Does an Exterior Yard French Drain Cost Per Foot?
Most yard French drains cost roughly 15 to 50 dollars per linear foot installed. A straightforward job in soft soil with open access, a short run to a downhill outlet and plain lawn to restore sits at the low end. A deeper trench, clay or rocky ground, a run that weaves around trees, patios and fences, or a long solid pipe to reach a legal outlet pushes it toward the top of the range or past it.
A typical yard drain trench is about 6 to 12 inches wide and 18 to 24 inches deep, lined with landscape filter fabric, partly filled with washed gravel, then a perforated pipe laid with a steady downward slope, more gravel, the fabric folded over and soil or stone on top. The slope matters most: a common minimum is about 1 percent, roughly an eighth of an inch per foot or an inch every 8 feet, so water keeps moving instead of pooling in the pipe.
Material choices change both price and longevity. Rigid perforated PVC costs more than flexible corrugated pipe but is easier to keep straight on grade and to clean, and many installers prefer it for anything long or important. A fabric sock or wrap helps keep silt out in fine soils. Cleanouts at the start and at turns cost a little more up front and make it possible to flush the line later instead of digging it up.
A yard drain is the right tool when water sits on the surface or soaks the soil near the house after rain, especially where a slope sends runoff toward the foundation. It is often installed along with simpler fixes such as regrading and downspout extensions. If your basement wall leaks only after storms and the soil outside stays wet, an exterior drain plus good gutters can sometimes solve the problem without touching the basement at all.
3. What Does an Interior French Drain Cost in a Basement?
An interior French drain, also called an interior perimeter drain or drain tile, typically runs roughly 40 to 100 dollars per linear foot. For a common basement with 120 to 200 feet of wall, that puts the job somewhere around 5,000 to 15,000 dollars, often including one sump pit and pump. It is usually the most cost-effective way to manage water that comes in where the wall meets the floor or up through the slab.
The process explains the price. Installers cut and remove a strip of concrete floor, usually about a foot wide, along the walls, dig down beside the footing, lay perforated pipe in washed stone, and slope it to a sump pit. Many add a dimpled plastic membrane against the wall to direct wall seepage into the drain, and drill weep holes in the bottom course of block walls. Then they pour new concrete over the trench. It is loud, dusty work, but it does not require digging up the yard.
An interior drain manages water rather than stopping it at the wall. Water that reaches the footing is collected and pumped out before it can build pressure under the slab or spill onto the floor. That makes it a strong fit for seepage at the floor joint and for basements with a high water table. Our comparison of interior vs exterior basement waterproofing covers where it falls short, mainly wet walls and soil gas.
Prices rise in finished basements, where drywall, framing, flooring and built-ins along the walls must be removed and later replaced. They also rise for thick or reinforced slabs, obstructions such as furnaces and water heaters along a wall, and very wet conditions. Ask whether a quote covers only problem walls or the full perimeter. A partial system costs less, but water often finds the walls you skipped. Our best basement waterproofing systems guide compares complete approaches.
4. How Much Do the Sump Pump and Outlet Add?
Every French drain needs somewhere for the water to go. In a yard, the cheapest outlet is daylight: the pipe simply ends at a lower point on your property where water can spread out safely. If there is no lower ground, the options are a dry well, which is a buried pit or chamber that lets water soak into the soil slowly, or a connection to a storm drain where local rules allow it. A dry well typically adds several hundred to a couple of thousand dollars depending on size.
An interior drain almost always ends in a sump pit. Many contractors include one pit and a standard pump in their per-foot price, but not all do, so check. If it is separate, adding a new pit and pump to an existing slab commonly runs roughly 1,000 to 2,500 dollars depending on pump quality and the discharge run. Our sump pump installation cost guide breaks that down.
Budget for the extras that make a sump reliable. A battery backup pump or a water-powered backup typically adds a few hundred to about a thousand dollars installed. A high-water alarm is inexpensive. The discharge line should carry water well away from the foundation, and burying part of it adds cost. A pump is the one moving part of an interior system and will need replacing every several years, which belongs in your long-term budget.
Check local rules before choosing an outlet. Many towns do not allow sump or yard drains to discharge into the sanitary sewer, some regulate storm drain connections, and directing water onto a neighbor's property can lead to disputes or liability. A permit may be required for some outlets. A good contractor will know local requirements; a quote that does not mention where the water ends up is incomplete.
5. What Makes a French Drain Cost More or Less?
Length is the biggest single factor, since almost everything is priced per foot. Depth comes next: a deeper trench means more digging, more stone and more spoil to haul away. Soil matters more than people expect. Sandy loam digs quickly, while heavy clay is slow and wet and rocky ground or tree roots may require hand work or a larger machine, all of which shows up in labor hours.
Access and what sits on top of the drain line drive the rest. A trench through open lawn with room for a compact trencher is the cheapest case. Running a drain under a patio, driveway or walkway means cutting and replacing hardscape. Mature trees, fences, irrigation lines and buried utilities all slow the work. Before any digging, utilities must be marked, which is a free call to 811 in the US.
Materials are a smaller share of the bill but still worth understanding. Rigid perforated PVC, generous amounts of clean washed stone, a good filter fabric and cleanouts cost more than corrugated pipe in a thin gravel bed, but they are the difference between a drain that works for decades and one that silts up in a few years. A quote that is far below others may be saving money exactly here.
Region and season round out the list. Labor rates in high-cost metros can be double those in rural areas, and contractors are busiest right after wet seasons, when everyone discovers their drainage problems at once. Scheduling yard work for a dry stretch can also help, since crews work faster and do less damage to a lawn when the ground is firm.
THE RULE
Fix the cheap causes first
Clean gutters, extend downspouts several feet from the house and make sure soil slopes away from the foundation. These steps cost little and sometimes solve the problem a French drain was meant to fix.
6. How Much Does a DIY French Drain Cost?
A yard French drain is one of the more realistic do-it-yourself drainage projects. Materials typically run roughly 5 to 15 dollars per linear foot for perforated pipe, washed gravel, filter fabric and fittings, depending on pipe type and how far the stone has to be delivered. Renting a walk-behind trencher for a day typically costs a modest amount and saves an enormous amount of shovel work on a long run.
The skill that matters is grade. The trench bottom must slope steadily toward the outlet with no low spots, or water will sit in the pipe and silt will settle there. A string line and line level, or a simple laser level, makes this manageable. Dig a little deeper than you think you need, lay fabric, add a bed of stone, set the pipe holes facing the direction the manufacturer recommends, and backfill with stone before folding the fabric over.
Interior perimeter drains are a different story. Jackhammering a basement slab, managing dust and debris, hauling out tons of broken concrete, digging beside the footing without undermining it, setting a sump and pouring new concrete is heavy work. Some experienced homeowners do it and save several thousand dollars, but mistakes in slope or stone depth are expensive to fix once the concrete is back. Most people are better served hiring it out.
Before starting any DIY drain, call 811 to have utilities marked, check whether your town needs a permit for the outlet, and confirm where the water will go. A drain that empties beside your neighbor's foundation solves your problem by creating theirs. If you are unsure whether surface water or groundwater is your real issue, a consultation with a drainage contractor can be worth paying for even if you do the work yourself.
7. Is a French Drain Worth the Cost, and How Do You Get a Fair Quote?
A French drain is worth it when water is the root problem and simpler fixes have not solved it. A soggy yard that stays wet for days, runoff from a slope that pools against the foundation, or a basement that seeps at the floor joint after every heavy rain are good candidates. It is not worth it as a first step if your gutters overflow, your downspouts dump water at the corners of the house or the soil slopes toward the walls. Fix those first.
Get at least three written quotes and compare the same things: total linear feet, trench depth, pipe type and diameter, stone type and depth, fabric, number of cleanouts, the outlet and whether a sump pit and pump are included. For interior drains, ask whether a wall membrane and weep holes are included, how the concrete will be finished and what happens if water comes in through the walls above the drain.
Ask about hidden costs directly. Who restores the lawn or replaces the patio? Is hauling away soil or concrete included? Are permits in the price? For basements, who removes and replaces finished walls? A low quote that leaves these out can end up the most expensive. Warranties on interior drains are common; read what they cover and whether they transfer if you sell.
Finally, think about what else the water is causing. A basement that has been wet for years may have mold on framing or drywall that should be dealt with once the water is stopped, and our guide to mold remediation cost covers that. Cracks that let water in may also need sealing. Solving the water first protects every dollar you spend afterward.
8. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Getting the slope wrong
A French drain works by gravity, so the pipe must fall steadily toward the outlet, commonly at least about 1 percent. A low spot holds water and collects silt, and a run that is level or uphill simply fills up. Check grade with a string line or laser before laying pipe, and again before backfilling.
Skipping the filter fabric
Without fabric around the stone, fine soil migrates into the gravel and pipe and slowly clogs the drain. In silty or clay soils that can happen within a few years. Wrap the stone in landscape filter fabric or use a socked pipe. It adds little to the material cost and greatly extends the drain's useful life.
Ignoring where the water goes
A drain needs a legal, effective outlet: daylight on lower ground, a dry well or an approved storm connection. Sending water toward a neighbor or into the sanitary sewer can break local rules and create disputes. Decide on the outlet before digging, because it can change the route, depth and cost of the whole project.
Installing a drain before fixing gutters
Many wet yards and basements are caused by downspouts dumping roof water at the foundation and soil that slopes the wrong way. Those fixes cost a fraction of a French drain. Extend downspouts, clean gutters and regrade first, then watch through a few storms before deciding whether you still need a drain.
Comparing quotes on price alone
Quotes can differ by thousands because they include different things: pipe type, stone depth, fabric, cleanouts, sump pumps, wall membranes, landscaping and concrete finishing. Line them up item by item. The cheapest bid often saves money on the materials that keep a drain working, which means paying again when it clogs.
9. Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a French drain last?
A well-built French drain with rigid pipe, clean stone and filter fabric commonly lasts several decades. Drains that skip fabric or use thin gravel beds in fine soil can clog far sooner. Cleanouts let you flush the line if flow slows. Interior basement drains under the slab are protected from roots and surface silt and tend to last a long time.
Does a French drain need a sump pump?
A yard drain usually does not if there is lower ground or a dry well to drain to by gravity. An interior basement drain almost always does, because the footing sits below the level where water could flow out on its own. The sump pit collects water from the drain and the pump lifts it up and away from the house.
Can a French drain fix a wet basement?
Often, yes. An interior perimeter drain is one of the most common and effective fixes for water coming in at the floor and wall joint or through the slab. An exterior drain can help when surface water is the cause. Neither fixes water seeping through the walls themselves, which may need sealing, a membrane or exterior waterproofing.
Is a French drain covered by homeowners insurance?
Installing a drain is usually treated as maintenance or an improvement, so standard policies typically do not pay for it. Water damage from groundwater seepage is often excluded too, while some sump pump backup coverage is available as an add-on. Check your policy and talk to your agent rather than assuming either way.
How deep should a yard French drain be?
Most yard drains are dug about 18 to 24 inches deep and 6 to 12 inches wide, deep enough to intercept water soaking the topsoil. Drains meant to lower groundwater or protect a foundation may go deeper. Whatever the depth, the bottom must slope toward the outlet, and all utilities must be marked before digging.
Do I need a permit for a French drain?
It depends on where you live and the outlet. Many towns do not require a permit for a simple yard drain that daylights on your own property, while connections to storm sewers, work in easements and some interior systems may need one. Call your local building department before you start; it is a short call.
What is the difference between a French drain and drain tile?
In everyday use they overlap. Drain tile usually means the perforated pipe beside a foundation footing, inside or outside, while French drain is broader and also covers yard trenches. In basement waterproofing quotes, an interior French drain and interior drain tile generally mean the same perimeter system feeding a sump pit.
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The Bottom Line
A yard French drain typically costs roughly 15 to 50 dollars per linear foot installed, while an interior basement perimeter drain typically runs roughly 40 to 100 dollars per foot, usually with a sump pump. Length, depth, soil, access, the outlet and finished surfaces decide where your job lands.
Fix gutters, downspouts and grading first, decide where the water will go, and compare quotes line by line. If the basement is the problem, our best basement waterproofing systems guide shows how a drain fits into a complete solution.
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About the Author
Alex Rivers, Home Improvement Editor
Alex has spent over a decade working on residential and light commercial property maintenance, and now tests every tool, coating and machine that appears in these guides personally.