Cost Of French Drain Installation
The cost of a french drain installation varies due to time-consuming obstacles that impact prices. With this in mind, the biggest expense for a french drain installation is labor. In addition, the proposed price for the french drain cost may increase if your property also needs a catch basins drain or a pop-up emitter installation. Indeed, our team trusted landscape drainage specialist will consider these factors when inspecting the property. If your property has a gutter system, connecting it to another landscape drainage system can also increase the cost of a french drain. In some cases, concrete has to be cut or removed to install the french drain system, and it will require machinery. Guess what that is more labor-intensive that will add to the cost.
How To Calculate French Drain Cost
French Drain Cost. The typical expense to set up a 100 foot long, 2 feet deep exterior french drain in your yard will be somewhere around $1,200, or $12 per foot for a Do It Yourself project, without any trencher rental. Expert setup of the very same french drain on the exterior of your structure and the needed repair work for all disturbed …
What Are The Costs Of French Drain Installation
The national average cost to install a French drain is typically between $2,000 and $15,000. Your particular price will depend on the type of drain and the difficulty of excavation.
An interior French drain usually costs around $60 per linear foot. The total cost for a 1,200 square foot basement will average $13,500. You can expect to add about $1,000 to the price for each sump pump that needs to be installed.
Shallow French drains on the outside of your foundation will cost up to $15 per linear foot or a total of about $4,000 for a 1,200 square foot house.
Footing drains are the most labor-intensive and the most expensive. They average around $100 per linear foot and will total about $25,000 for a 1,200 square foot house.
Larger homes, soil content, obstructed excavation sites, and other difficulties with installation will increase each systems cost.
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Cost To Install A French Drain In Crawl Space
On average, a homeowner will pay between $25 and $35 per linear foot for installing a French drain in the crawl space. This step can be an important part of waterproofing basements. Since the trench will be dug in the ground, it can be less expensive than interior options. However, the cost increases when you have to work around the crawl space and remove temporary structures. This can be ideal for areas with heavy rains and a high water table.
Licenses Inspection And Exterior French Drain Setup Expense
Because setting up a french drain will require substantial digging and even connecting to a city sewage drain, you might have to get a license. Consult your regional laws on drain system setup to figure out if this job will ask for authorization or an official inspection.
$50 $200 each Local licenses .$0 $75 Before digging the trench for your french drain you will require to to have your utility lines marked so that you do not hit any underground pipelines or wires. A lot of locations within the United States will offer this service free of charge.
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Are French Drains Worth The Money
French drains help prevent flooding and reduce the risk of long-term water damage to your property. They can last between 30 and 40 years. They’re cost-effective. French drains can be aesthetically pleasing as they are usually covered with small rocks, plants and sometimes even decorative grates. realestate.usnews.com.
Exterior French Drain Cost
The costs to install an exterior French drain runs between $10 and $100 per linear foot. Exterior drains come in two types – shallow and footing. Shallow drains are most common for draining a soggy yard and are less expensive in general. Footings go around the perimeter of your home and are very deep, often several feet, which causes the costs to increase considerably. They will be visible, so it is common to add decorative pebbles and a curb.
A shallow French drain is similar to a deeper one in the way it operates. The only difference between the two is that the shallow kind will be closer to the surface, often having only about two inches of gravel. Shallow systems are ideal for areas without a significant amount of water or are not in areas with an extremely high water table. The average cost for a shallow system is $10 to $50 per linear foot.
Exterior French drain footing drains are created by leaving a gap between the floor and the wall, which will direct the water down to the drain. It helps route water from seepage through windows, cracks in the walls, or even high condensation levels. It helps keep water out of the basement in the event of a flood. It can be a good option for basements that see regular water accumulation but can become clogged the same as the other types. Deeper footing options are more expensive, often running between $80 and $100 per linear foot.
| Exterior Types |
|---|
| $80 – $100 |
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How To Unclog A French Drain
Your French drain doesn’t require much maintenance to operate well. However, it can get clogged when leaves and debris accrue over time. Flushing your drain with a hose and occasionally snaking your drain with an electric sewer snake can keep it running properly.
When you notice a slight clog in your French drain, clear it right away to avoid a larger problem.
If Youre Building A Retaining Wall On A Hillside
If youre building a retaining wall, add a French drain behind the first course of stones or blocks.
Otherwise, water moving down the hill will build up behind the wall and undermine it. The pipe should rest on the same compacted gravel base or concrete footing that supports the wall.
To protect the drain from clogging with silt, drape landscape cloth across the base or footing and up the slope before adding the pipe and drain gravel. Near the top of the wall, fold the cloth over the top of the gravel, and top with several inches of soil.
Cost: The added cost to do this while building is very little just the price of drain gravel and pipe .
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Exterior French Drain Cost Elements
An exterior French drain will need just a couple of materials . The aspects listed below must be considered when getting a price for your french drain:
Linear Distance The expense of a french drain corresponds directly to how long the drain will need to be. The length of the perimeter around your house and the distance to a drain spot will determine the number of linear feet you will have to purchase materials for.Landscaping When setting up an exterior french drain, you will be digging a drench a number of feet deep depending upon the depth of your structure and 1.5-2.5 feet large around the perimeter of your house. This means that you might need to consider the expense of replacing any blockages like fences, gardens, walkways, and driveways, landscaping features or shrubs, and add brand-new grass seed to cover the location once it is filled back in.
French Drain Costs By Type
French drainage systems are typically installed near house foundations with only gravel covering the drain. French drains are placed in the basement, crawl space, or exterior of the home and are either deep or shallow, which drastically affects the cost.
Backyard French drains more than 10 feet away from the house may have sod or soil above the gravel, with a proper soil separator around the trench to keep dirt out of the drain. Professionals recommend installing a sump pump with most French drain systems to pump water out more efficiently.
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How To Use Our French Drain Calculator
Using our French drain calculator is very easy. Here are the steps that you can follow to use our tool properly:
Select whether you want to build a French drain with a drain pipe or without a drain pipe. Choosing Yes will display the Drain pipe details section, and No will hide it.
Select your filter fabric preference. The French drain diagram will change accordingly to help you visualize your selected French drain system.
Enter your French drain depth, width, and length in our French drain calculator. The tool will then give you the volume of excavation you need for your French drain system.
If you choose to make a French drain with pipe, the next step is to select the pipe schedule and choose the size of pipe you wish to use. You can enter a custom value for the pipe’s outside diameter in the Advanced mode if you have a special pipe size. With the outside diameter entered, our tool calculates the cylindrical volume of the pipe to subtract from the excavation volume to get the gravel volume.
Read more about how to calculate the volume of cylinders in our cylinder volume calculator.
How Long Does A French Drain Last
A professionally installed French drain lasts 15 to 40 years with proper maintenance. To ensure a long-lasting French drain:
- Make the French drain wider, so it doesnt clog up as fast.
- Use filter cloth to wrap the pipe and line the trench.
- Schedule yearly maintenance, especially when water starts to drain slower than usual.
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Why French Drains Are Actually A Waste Of Money
Are you wondering whether or not you should have french drains installed on your property?
Youve come to the right place!
In this Regional Foundation Repair guide, we cover common foundation repair questions, including:
- Why Are French Drains Used?
- Which Types Of Soil Is Ideal For French Drains?
- When Should You Avoid French Drains?
And much more!
The truth is:
There is no definite answer as it depends on the nature of the land youre working on. HoweverFrench drains are pushed as an end-all-be-all solution in far too many instances.
Solets talk about why French drains suck .
It doesnt take much researching on Google to find out that most sites put French drains on a pedestal when it comes to their basement waterproofing capabilities:
So, it would seem that nearly everyone thinks french drains are amazing but are they? Or are they actually an over-hyped cash sinkhole? It couldnt be that companies on the internet recommend them because theyre expensive. Right?
The truth is, French drains are sometimes a decent way to protect your home, but most of the time, theyre a waste of thousands of your hard-earned dollars. Let me explain!
Sump Pump Advantages Vs French Drains
Sump pumps offer a few key advantages over french drains. The biggest and most obvious advantage is the amount of water they can pump and drain.
Pumps like the Zoeller M53 Mighty Mate can drain up to 43 gallons of water per hour at a 5 head height something that french drains cant compete with! Read our full M53 review.
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Cost Of French Drains By Location
The cost of a new French drain is affected by your geographic location:
- Permits: When installing a French drain, you may need to apply for a permit. Permits can range between $58 $225 and are used to make sure your drainage project doesnt become your neighbors problem.
- State of residence: Each state comes with its own local and federal rules on what you can add to your property, and some may regulate the use of French drains to keep unwanted impurities out of the water supply.
- Basements: In some locations, such as Toledo, Ohio, a basement comes standard with most homes. In other locations, such as Miami, homes are built at sea level and do not have basements. Since basement waterproofing and drainage is expensive, the existence of a basement increases costs.
- Labor costs: French drain installation is labor intensive, so the local cost of labor has a huge impact on pricing.
Cost To Install A Drain Line
These estimates are for BASIC work performed in serviceable conditions by qualified trade professionals using MID GRADE materials. Work not mentioned on this page and/or work using master craftsman, premium materials and project supervision will result in HIGHER COSTS!
These estimates are NOT substitutes for written quotes from trade professionals. Homewyse strongly recommends that you contact reputable professionals for accurate assessments of work required and costs for your project – before making any decisions or commitments.
The cost estimate includes:
- Costs for local material / equipment delivery to and service provider transportation to and from the job site.
- Costs to prepare the worksite for Drain Line Installation, including costs to protect existing structure, finishes, materials and components.
- Labor setup time, mobilization time and minimum hourly charges that are commonly included for small Drain Line Installation jobs.
The cost estimate does NOT include:
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Where Does Exterior Drain Tile Drain To
An exterior drainage system directs outside water to a street’s sewer, draining the soil around your home and relieving pressure from the home’s foundation. The same mechanics are in play for this system. Water gathers in a basin around your foundation, and a gravity pipe system directs the water into a sump pump. www.therealsealllc.com.
Do Landscapers Put In French Drains
The landscaping construction company who installs your French drain needs to make sure the proper slope is determined so water flows continuously and consistently to the pop-up valve or exit. Another common failure is the pipe perforations become clogged with dirt and debris. www.mainstreetlawncare.com.
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How To Install A French Drain
Installing a French drain consists of four main steps: mapping out the drainage path, digging the trench, laying the piping and refilling the trench.
First, a drainage pro will assess your issues to see how far your exit point needs to be from your home and determine your French drain design.
Next, a pro will dig a trench. For an interior French drain system, this means cutting into your basement floor. Once the trench is dug, your pro will line the trench with landscaping fabric and lay the perforated piping. Then, they’ll test the system from your home to confirm the water is deposited at the exit site.
Lastly, the pro will cover the piping with gravel and refill the trench with soil to hide it underground. Sometimes, a pro will cover the drain with a grate or leave it uncovered.
Pro tip: Find out what utility lines are underground. A contractor may need to design a more nuanced drainage system to avoid your utilities.
The Cleanup & Finishing Touches
Our sump pump installation crew takes extra care to leave your basement clean, neat, and clear of debris for you at the end of the installation.
Dust is cleaned from the basement floor and the discharge line outside is inspected to be sure that the water is being discharged to an appropriate location.
We remove all debris we create, and most times customers comment their basement is cleaner than before we started!
To allow for future testing or inspection, Woods Basement Systems, Inc. will install several ports in the perimeter drain, where a hose or dehumidifier drainage line can be inserted. During annual checkups and sump pump maintenance, this helps us with testing and inspection.
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Average Cost To Install A French Drain By Location
French drains can be installed in several spaces but are most effective when used properly, in the appropriate location, and at the correct depth. When used outdoors, they work best on slopes or downhill areas of your yard, as this assists with drainage. When used primarily to keep water out of the basement, they are best located around the perimeter of the foundation. While the average cost of a French drain is around $5,000, the total cost depends on the length and location. Your professional installer can get you an accurate quote for your specific home needs. To give you a better idea of what to expect for your installation project, the below table highlights the average cost of building a French drain by location.
| Location |
|---|
| $60 – $70 |
What Is A Sump Pump How Does A Sump Pump Work
A sump pump keeps your basement dry by pumping out any water that seeps insometimes through minute cracks in the concrete foundation, sometimes through bigger ones, causing inches of standing water in a basement. A sump pump basin is installed in the ground to collect this water, and the sump pump kicks into action once it reaches a certain level in the basin. It sends the water away from the house to a higher ground level or a municipal storm drain, thus avoiding humidity in the home and mold and mildew problems.
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Crawl Space French Drainage System Cost
Installing a French drain in a crawl space costs about half as much as the total basement French drain, or roughly $2,000 to $7,500. Unfinished crawl spaces might be slightly less expensive.
If you have a damp crawl space, you might want to budget for crawl space encapsulation costs. Encapsulation helps reduce moisture accumulation, which can be detrimental not just to the French drain but also to your home.