French Drain Installation Cost Per Linear Foot (2026)

French drains are priced per linear foot, with the price set by trench depth, what you are digging through, and how much surface restoration is needed afterward. The pipe and gravel are minor; excavation and haul-off are the job.

What does a French drain cost per linear foot?

Exterior surface French drains run $25 to $60 per linear foot. Deeper drains along a foundation run $50 to $100 per linear foot. Interior basement perimeter drains run $60 to $120 per linear foot because of concrete cutting and removal. A typical yard project lands between $2,500 and $8,000.

What conditions change the price?

• Digging through clay, roots, or rock vs. loose soil
• Trench depth — every extra foot of depth adds spoil volume and shoring concerns
• Hand-digging where a trencher or mini-excavator cannot reach
• Spoil disposal vs. spreading on site
• Restoration: sod, hardscape removal and replacement, concrete patching
• A daylight outlet vs. tying into a dry well or sump pit

How do you quote the discharge point?

Where the water goes is half the design. Quote the outlet explicitly — daylight on a slope, a pop-up emitter, a dry well sized to soil percolation, or a sump. If the lot is flat with nowhere to drain, the sump and pit are a significant separate cost, not an afterthought.

What should the estimate protect against?

Note that the quote assumes no unmarked utilities in the trench path and that a utility locate will be done. Call out that heavy clay or a high water table may require a wider stone envelope or a deeper system, and price that as a contingency rather than eating it.

Example: 60 ft yard French drain to daylight

Line item	How it's priced	Example
Utility locate and layout	Flat	$75
Trench 60 ft, about 18 in deep (mini trencher)	Per linear ft	$900
Filter fabric, perforated pipe and washed stone	Materials + markup	$720
Daylight outlet with grate	Flat	$150
Spoil haul-off	Per load	$250
Sod restoration over trench	Per sq ft	$240
Total		$2,335 (about $39 per linear ft)

Illustrative numbers only. Use your own rates, production times and local costs.

Make sure it's the right fix

A French drain moves groundwater and soaked soil. It isn't always the answer. Before quoting, check whether the problem is actually downspouts dumping next to the foundation, poor grading toward the house, or surface water that a swale or channel drain would handle more cheaply. Explaining this on the quote builds trust and often wins the job.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a French drain cost?

Exterior yard drains commonly run about $25 to $60 per linear foot. Deeper foundation drains and interior basement systems cost more.

How deep should a French drain be?

Yard drains are often 18 to 24 inches deep, while foundation drains go to footing depth. Depth depends on the problem being solved.

Where should a French drain empty?

To a lower point where water can daylight safely, a dry well, or a sump. It should never discharge onto a neighbor's property.