Veteran-built.
French drains and yard drainage
If water stands in your yard or runs toward the house, a French drain collects it underground and moves it away. It only works with enough slope and a legal place to go.
What to look for
Warning signs
- Soggy lawn days after rain
- Water against the foundation
- Erosion along walls
- Efflorescence (white salts) on block walls
Do it yourself
- Call 811 (DigAlert) before digging.
- Plan a route with at least 1 in of fall every 8 to 10 ft.
- Line the trench with filter fabric, add gravel and perforated pipe.
- End at a pop-up emitter or curb outlet, never on a neighbor's property.
Supplies for the DIY fix
Perforated drain pipe
Filter fabric
Pop-up emitter
Catch basin
Channel drain
Tools
Trenching shovel
Hand tamper
String line level
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What this looks like on a real job
Drain trench
Channel drain
Excavation
Trench with new pipeGood, better, best contractor options
Surface fixes
$
Regrading, downspout extensions and a rock swale.
French drain
$$
A gravel trench with perforated pipe and fabric, sized to the yard. Use our calculator for materials.
Engineered drainage
$$$
Drains plus catch basins, a pump or a retaining wall drain, designed by an engineer for slopes and walls.
$ under about $500 · $$ about $500 to $5,000 · $$$ over about $5,000. Rough guide only; every house is different. Get three written bids from licensed contractors.
Partner: Applied Consultants
Get a licensed pro referral
Tell us what you are seeing. We will walk the property, tell you honestly if it is a DIY job, and refer licensed partners for the rest.
Jobs that require a contractor's license under California law are referred to CSLB-licensed contractors.
Broker, not a contractor. David Thomas Mejia is a California real estate broker (CA DRE #01448424), not a licensed contractor. Work that needs a California contractor's license should be done by a CSLB-licensed contractor; check any license at cslb.ca.gov. Cost ranges on this page are general estimates, not bids.