How yard drainage is done
Diagnosing where water is actually going and building a route for it to leave: French drains, curtain drains, catch basins and regrading. For yards that stay soggy, basements that seep, and water that sits against a foundation.
Scope
What the job includes
Water-path survey
Walking the site to find where water enters, where it collects and where it could plausibly discharge. Roof area, driveway runoff and uphill neighboring ground all feed the total volume.
Grading correction
Ground should fall away from the foundation over the first several feet. Where it does not, regrading is often cheaper and more effective than any buried pipe.
Trench and pipe
Perforated pipe bedded in washed stone, wrapped in filter fabric, laid to a consistent fall. Consistent slope matters more than depth; a pipe with a belly holds water and silts up.
Collection points
Catch basins at low spots, channel drains across driveways, and downspout connections tie surface water into the buried system rather than letting it find its own way.
Discharge point
Gravity daylight to a lower point is best. Where the ground does not fall enough, a sump and pumped discharge is the alternative and brings ongoing power and maintenance.
Reinstatement
Backfill, topsoil and turf or planting over the trench line. Settlement along a new trench is normal and usually needs topping up after the first wet season.
Sequence
Step by step
Diagnose the water source
Establish where the water is coming from before designing anything. Roof, hard standing, uphill ground and groundwater are different problems with different solutions.
Confirm a legal outfall
Identify where the water will discharge and confirm it is permissible. Discharging onto a neighbor's land is a dispute waiting to happen and in many places is not lawful.
Excavate to a consistent fall
Trench cut and graded to a steady slope toward the outfall, checked with a level rather than by eye. Consistency matters more than steepness.
Bed, lay and wrap
Washed stone base, perforated pipe with holes oriented per the design, more stone over, and filter fabric enveloping the aggregate to keep fines from migrating in and blinding it.
Backfill, connect and reinstate
Downspouts and catch basins connected, trench backfilled, topsoil and turf restored. Ask to see the finished layout photographed before it disappears underground.
Preparation
What to do before the crew arrives
Doing these first shortens the job and usually the invoice.
- Photograph the yard during and immediately after heavy rain, because that is the only time the problem is visible and it is what a good contractor most wants to see.
- Walk the property boundary and note whether water is arriving from uphill or from a neighbor's land, since that changes both the solution and who should pay for it.
- Check your downspouts and extend them well away from the foundation first; it is free and it resolves a meaningful share of apparent drainage problems.
- Call for utility locates before anyone digs, and locate your own private runs such as irrigation, low-voltage lighting and any septic field.
- Find out where water is permitted to discharge locally, and confirm you are not routing it onto adjoining property.
- Expect the trench line to settle over the first wet season and plan to top it up rather than treating it as a defect.
Questions about the work
How much does a French drain cost?
Published ranges run about $10 to $35 per linear foot for a shallow yard drain, $30 to $90 for a deep exterior footing drain, and $40 to $100 for an interior basement system, which commonly totals $5,000 to $18,000. Depth and access drive the number far more than length. Rock, clay, roots and hand-digging in tight spaces all push toward the top of the range.
What is the difference between a French drain and a curtain drain?
They are built similarly. A curtain drain is positioned to intercept water traveling toward your property from uphill, cutting it off before it arrives. A French drain more generally collects water that has already reached the area you want to dry out. If the water is coming from higher ground, intercepting it upslope is usually cheaper and more effective than collecting it after it has spread out.
Will a French drain fix my wet basement?
It depends on where the water is entering. Surface water running against the foundation is often solved by grading and downspout work at modest cost. Water under hydrostatic pressure through the floor or the wall joint usually needs an interior perimeter system with a sump. Diagnosis first is what separates a $500 fix from a $12,000 one, and both get quoted for the same symptom.
How long does a French drain last?
A properly built system with rigid perforated pipe, washed stone and a full filter-fabric envelope can work for decades. Ones that fail early almost always failed on details: no fabric so fines blinded the aggregate, inconsistent fall so silt collected in low spots, or crushed flexible pipe. The failure is gradual and invisible, which is why the specification matters so much at the outset.
Can I install a French drain myself?
Physically, on a short shallow run, yes. The parts that go wrong for DIY installs are establishing a consistent fall over distance, confirming a lawful discharge point, and getting the fabric and aggregate detail right. It is also worth remembering that utility strikes are a genuine risk; call for locates regardless of who does the digging.
Where is the water allowed to discharge?
That is a local question and worth answering before design, not after. Many jurisdictions prohibit discharging concentrated surface water onto adjoining property, and some restrict connections to storm sewers. A gravity outfall to a lower point on your own land is the simplest lawful answer where the topography allows it.
Do I need a sump pump?
Only if the site does not fall enough for gravity discharge, or if you are collecting below the level of any available outfall, which is typical for interior basement systems. A pump introduces a power dependency exactly when you need it most, during a storm, so if one is specified it is worth discussing battery backup at the same time.
Why did my existing drain stop working?
The common causes are silting from missing or failed filter fabric, crushing of flexible pipe under vehicle load or settlement, root intrusion at joints, and a blocked or buried outfall. A camera survey costs far less than replacement and frequently finds a localised blockage or a single crushed section rather than a system that needs redoing.
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What this site is
Columbia Yard Drainage is a referral site, not a contractor. We do not hold a license, own a truck, or send a crew. We research yard drainage pricing and practice, publish what we find, and hand your request to the local company we work with in Columbia.
That company quotes, schedules, and stands behind its own work, and it contracts with you directly. We do not mark up the price, and you pay us nothing.