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Yard French drain and channel drain calculator

A residential yard French drain commonly costs $10 to $50 per linear foot installed, and a driveway channel drain often $40 to $100 per foot. An 80-foot curtain drain in open lawn is often $1,500 to $4,000 before you cut a patio. The interior perimeter drain along a basement footing is a different system and stays on the foundation calculator. Gutters and the sewer lateral are different again.

Reviewed 25 October 2026 · Written by Mantu Kumar

See the photo · See the cost diagram · Open the calculator

Written and maintained byMantu Kumar

Evidence review17 October 2026

Calculation rulesRead the methodology Quality standardEditorial policy

Key facts at a glance

• Yard curtain drain: about $10–$50 per ft in open soil, including pipe, fabric, stone and backfill.
• Channel drain: about $40–$100 per ft where a grate crosses a driveway or patio.
• Catch basin: often $350–$900 each, plus the pipe that leaves it.
• Surface restoration — a walk, a drive, or work tight against the foundation — can add $400 to $2,500.
• Daylight or a legal connection is part of the job. A trench that ends in a hole is not a drain.

2026 residential drainage planning bands. Soil, depth and pavement change the foot price more than the pipe brand does.

2026 planning ranges

1. 1Yard French drain · $10–$50 per ft
2. 2Fabric, stone & perforated pipe
3. 3Catch basin · $350–$900
4. 4Channel drain · $40–$100 per ft
5. 5Solid outlet pipe to daylight
6. 6Pop-up emitter or dry well
7. 7Cut + restore pavement
8. 8Depth + slope
9. 9Downspouts kept separate

• Curtain drain intercepts water in the yard.
• Channel drain is a surface grate.
• Interior French drain is the basement system. Do not mix the prices.

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Diagram, part by part

Yard French drain and channel drain: every numbered part explained

The yard french drain and channel drain drawing above has 9 numbered parts, from Yard French drain to Downspouts kept separate. Each card below frames one of them, and after you run the calculator it shows what that part adds to your estimate.

1. 1 Yard French drain

   $10–$50 per ft

   A trench lined with fabric is filled with washed stone around a perforated pipe that collects groundwater moving across the yard and carries it to a safe outlet.

   What moves it: Length, depth and soil type.

   On the quote: Ask for trench depth and width and the pipe diameter.

2. 2 Fabric, stone & perforated pipe

   Part of the per-foot price

   Filter fabric wraps the stone so fine soil cannot clog it, and the perforated pipe sits in the stone with holes facing down. This layering is what keeps a French drain working for years.

   What moves it: Fabric quality and the amount of stone.

   On the quote: Ask whether fabric wraps the whole trench and what size stone is used.

3. 3 Catch basin

   $350–$900

   A catch basin collects surface water from low spots and downspouts and feeds it into the drain. It has a grate and a sump that traps debris.

   What moves it: Number of basins and depth.

   On the quote: Ask whether the basin has a removable grate for cleaning.

4. 4 Channel drain

   $40–$100 per ft

   A channel drain is a slotted grate set into concrete or pavers to catch water running across a driveway or patio before it reaches the garage or house.

   What moves it: Length, grate rating and pavement work.

   On the quote: Ask for the grate load rating if cars drive over it.

5. 5 Solid outlet pipe to daylight

   A solid pipe carries the collected water from the drain to its outlet without leaking it back into the soil.

   What moves it: Distance to the outlet and slope available.

   On the quote: Ask where the water will go and confirm it does not drain onto a neighbor.

6. 6 Pop-up emitter or dry well

   Part of the outlet line

   The water exits through a pop-up emitter in the lawn or into a dry well that lets it soak in slowly. Dry wells suit sandy soil; emitters need a downhill spot.

   What moves it: Soil drainage and the slope of the yard.

   On the quote: Ask which outlet suits your soil and how it will be kept clear.

7. 7 Cut and restore pavement

   $800–$2,500

   When the drain crosses a walk or driveway, the pavement is saw-cut, removed and patched after the pipe goes in. Patches rarely match old concrete perfectly, so plan the route to avoid pavement where possible.

   What moves it: Length of pavement crossed and its type.

   On the quote: Ask how the cut will be patched and whether it will match the surrounding surface.

8. 8 Drain depth and slope

   At least 1% fall to the outlet

   A drain must fall steadily toward the outlet, at least about an inch every 8 feet, or water sits in the pipe. Depth depends on where the water travels in your soil.

   What moves it: Yard slope and the depth of the wet layer.

   On the quote: Ask how slope will be checked during installation.

9. 9 Downspouts kept separate

   Not tied into the drain

   Roof water arrives in large bursts and carries grit that clogs a French drain. Downspouts should run in their own solid pipe to the outlet rather than into the perforated drain.

   What moves it: Number of downspouts and their location.

   On the quote: Ask whether downspouts will be piped separately.

Exterior drainage

A French drain is a pipe with somewhere to go

Gravel without a pipe, or a pipe without daylight, is how these jobs get redone. The trench in the photo is only finished when the water leaves the property at a lower point and the surface is put back.

Match the quote to the water you actually have. These close-ups are crops of the same AI-generated illustration.

01Wet side of the yard

Where the water comes from

A downspout dumping at the foundation is a gutter problem first. A wet yard uphill of the house is a curtain drain. A basement wall leaking under hydrostatic pressure is the foundation page.

02Pipe end

The discharge

Daylight on your property, a dry well, or a legal storm connection. Not the sanitary sewer, unless the city specifically allows it.

03Trench and stone

What gets cut

Lawn is the base price. A walk, a drive or a porch footer is the adder. Ask for restoration as its own line.

Before you sign a quote or file a claim, verify these three details

Length

Of pipe, not of the wet spot.

Discharge

An elevation that is actually lower.

Restore

Seed, sod, concrete or pavers, in writing.

Water is already inside the basement? Open the foundation calculator →

Yard drain cost (2026)

Three drains people call a French drain

A yard curtain drain is a perforated pipe in stone, set to catch water before it reaches the house, and graded to daylight. A channel drain is a surface trough with a grate, usually across a driveway. An interior French drain is a footing-level system inside a basement, tied to a sump. They share a nickname and not a price.

Gutters move roof water. If a downspout discharges at the wall, extend it or connect it before you trench the yard. The sewer lateral is the waste pipe to the street. A storm drain on a city street is the city’s. None of those are priced here.

Hydrostatic pressure against a basement wall is a structural and waterproofing problem. A yard drain can reduce the water that arrives. It does not replace a failed footing drain. Use both tools when both systems are actually in the scope, and do not add the numbers twice.

Worked example: 80 feet of curtain drain in open lawn

Insurance almost never buys a new yard drain

• Groundwater and seepage are common exclusions. Installing a drain so the yard dries out is maintenance.
• A covered sudden event that destroys an existing drain — a collapse you can document, a vehicle through a channel grate — can be a claim for that item, depreciated on an ACV policy.
• Interior water after a storm is not automatically proof that the carrier owes a new yard system. Price the interior loss on the water-damage page and the drain as the work you may be paying for yourself.
• The foundation page remains the place for interior tile, sump basins and wall waterproofing claims.

French drain cost by region

The calculator's default french drain job, repriced for each of its six regions. At the national average it runs $1,450 – $4,000; South / Lower Midwest is the lowest at $1,262 – $3,480, and West Coast metro is the highest at $1,885 – $5,200, a gap of about $1,172 at the midpoint.

What “Drain type” does to the price

Every other input stays at its default and only “Drain type” changes. The cheapest choice, Yard curtain / French drain, comes to $1,450 – $4,000; the most expensive, Driveway channel grate, comes to $3,450 – $8,800.

What “Pavement cut” does to the price

Every other input stays at its default and only “Pavement cut” changes. The cheapest choice, Lawn only, comes to $1,450 – $4,000; the most expensive, Cut and restore a walk or drive, comes to $2,250 – $6,500.

How age changes the french drain claim payout

Using the default job, a $1,000 deductible and a 40-year expected life. At 10 years old, about $681 is held back as depreciation; a replacement cost policy releases it after the work is finished, while an actual cash value policy keeps it.

Quote checklist: 6 items to verify

Drainage quotes should explain where water comes from and where it goes.

1. Route and length. A sketch of the trench route and the total linear feet.
2. Depth and slope. Trench depth and the fall to the outlet.
3. Materials. Pipe diameter, fabric and washed stone size.
4. Outlet. Pop-up emitter, dry well or daylight, and that it does not drain onto a neighbor.
5. Utilities and permits. 811 locate and any local drainage permit.
6. Restoration. Lawn, beds and paving restored, and spoil hauled away.

How long the job takes

Mark sprinkler heads and invisible dog fences before digging; they are not part of the utility locate.

Common mistakes that raise the cost

• Draining onto a neighbor. Redirecting water onto another property can create liability.
• No fabric. Soil clogs bare stone within a few years.
• Too little slope. Water sits in a flat pipe instead of flowing out.
• Tying in downspouts. Roof water and grit overload a French drain.
• Skipping the cleanout. Without access, a clog means digging up the drain.

Ways to keep the cost down

Drainage costs depend on route, depth and what the trench crosses.

• Fix gutters and grading first. Many wet yards improve without a drain.
• Avoid paving on the route. Cutting and patching concrete adds a lot.
• Choose a nearby outlet. Short solid runs cost less.
• Use a pop-up emitter where it drains. Cheaper than a dry well in the right yard.
• Combine with landscaping work. One excavation for both.
• Keep the outlet clear. Clogs lead to costly re-digs.

Signs you need a French drain

Water moving through soil, not just running across it, points to a drain.

• Soggy lawn days after rain. Groundwater is not draining.
• Water against the foundation. Soil slopes or seepage toward the house.
• Erosion channels. Runoff cutting through the yard.
• Damp crawl space or basement. Water arriving through the soil.
• Standing water at a low spot. Surface water needs a path out.

Sources and further reading

• NAIC — Actual cash value vs replacement cost coverage
• ReplaceCost foundation calculator
• HomeGuide — French drain cost

Frequently asked questions