How much does a French drain cost per foot?

Materials alone usually run a few dollars a foot: stone, perforated pipe and fabric. With the default prices a 60 ft, 12 × 18 in drain costs about $9 a foot DIY including a one-day trencher rental, and about $36 a foot with contractor labor at $30/ft. Deep drains, rocky soil, hand digging and replacing hardscape all push the installed price up.

Is a French drain worth doing yourself?

For a shallow yard drain in diggable soil, often yes: the trencher rental and materials are a fraction of installed labor. Foundation (footing) drains, deep trenches and drains near utilities are better left to a contractor.

What adds the most to French drain cost?

Labor and access. Digging by hand, removing and replacing concrete or pavers, rocky or clay soil, depth beyond about 2 ft and a dry well instead of a daylight outlet all add cost.

How much gravel does a French drain need?

About 0.05 cubic yards per foot for a 12 in wide, 18 in deep trench with a 4 in pipe and no soil cap — roughly 2.6 cubic yards or 3.7 tons for 50 ft. The French drain gravel calculator works out stone, pipe and fabric in detail.

Do I need a permit for a French drain?

Usually not for a yard drain on your own property, but many towns regulate where the water may discharge — not onto a neighbor's lot or the sidewalk. Check with your local building or public works department.

Cost & Delivery

French Drain Cost Calculator

This prices a French drain the way it is built: stone sized around the pipe, the perforated pipe, filter fabric to wrap the trench, and the outlet. It then compares doing it yourself with a rented trencher against paying a contractor per foot, and gives the cost per linear foot for each. Every price is editable — put in your local quotes.

Next calculatorFrench Drain Gravel CalculatorThe full stone, pipe and fabric list.

French drain cost by length

Length	Materials	DIY with trencher	Contractor installed	Installed per ft
25 ft	$173	$373	$923	$37
50 ft	$305	$505	$1,805	$36
100 ft	$571	$771	$3,571	$36
150 ft	$836	$1,036	$5,336	$36
200 ft	$1,102	$1,502	$7,102	$36

Defaults: 12 in wide × 18 in deep trench, 4 in perforated pipe, 3 in of topsoil over the stone, washed #57 stone at $45 a ton, pipe at $1.20 a foot, fabric at $0.25 a square foot, a $40 outlet, a $200-a-day trencher that covers 150 ft a day and $30 a foot for contractor labor. These are assumptions to edit, not quotes — stone prices alone vary from about $30 to $55 a ton by region.

What drives the price

Labor and access. Hand digging in clay or rocky ground, tight side yards and removing then replacing pavers or concrete cost far more than the materials.
Depth. A footing drain beside a foundation can be several feet deep; trenches 5 ft and deeper need shoring or a trench box by law.
The outlet. Daylighting to a lower part of the yard is cheapest; a pop-up emitter, dry well or sump connection adds parts and digging.
Pipe type. Corrugated perforated pipe is cheapest; rigid perforated PVC (SDR 35) costs more but can be snaked and cleaned.

DIY or hire it out?

A shallow yard drain in diggable soil is a reasonable weekend job with a rented trencher: the savings column shows what that is worth at your prices. Foundation drains, drains near utilities, and anything that needs a permit or discharges near a property line are better left to a contractor. Either way, call 811 before digging and keep at least 1% fall (1 in per 8 ft) to the outlet.

Need just the material list? Use the French drain gravel calculator. Planning a deeper trench for pipe? The trench calculator adds excavation, backfill and spoil. Ending in a pit? Size it with the dry well calculator.

Get the Gravel & Stone Calculator app for Android

Estimate gravel, stone, sand, and mulch on the job site, save projects, and share quantities with your supplier.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does a French drain cost per foot?: Materials alone usually run a few dollars a foot: stone, perforated pipe and fabric. With the default prices a 60 ft, 12 × 18 in drain costs about $9 a foot DIY including a one-day trencher rental, and about $36 a foot with contractor labor at $30/ft. Deep drains, rocky soil, hand digging and replacing hardscape all push the installed price up.
Is a French drain worth doing yourself?: For a shallow yard drain in diggable soil, often yes: the trencher rental and materials are a fraction of installed labor. Foundation (footing) drains, deep trenches and drains near utilities are better left to a contractor.
What adds the most to French drain cost?: Labor and access. Digging by hand, removing and replacing concrete or pavers, rocky or clay soil, depth beyond about 2 ft and a dry well instead of a daylight outlet all add cost.
How much gravel does a French drain need?: About 0.05 cubic yards per foot for a 12 in wide, 18 in deep trench with a 4 in pipe and no soil cap — roughly 2.6 cubic yards or 3.7 tons for 50 ft. The French drain gravel calculator works out stone, pipe and fabric in detail.
Do I need a permit for a French drain?: Usually not for a yard drain on your own property, but many towns regulate where the water may discharge — not onto a neighbor's lot or the sidewalk. Check with your local building or public works department.