How Much Does a French Drain Cost? (2026)
A French drain moves standing water away from your yard. It also protects your foundation. As of 2026, a yard French drain typically costs $1,000 to $10,000. That is about $10 to $50 per linear foot. On the clay soil found across the south Chicago suburbs, trench depth and the drain's outlet drive the price up.
Average French drain cost
| Job | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior/yard French drain, full project | $1,000 to $10,000 | Market range, not a StoneLex quote. Price scales with length and depth. |
| Exterior French drain, per linear foot | $10 to $50 | Clay soil and deeper trenches run toward the high end. |
| Interior basement French drain | $5,000 to $18,000+ | A different job. It usually means breaking up the concrete floor. This is NOT the yard drainage StoneLex installs. |
As of 2026, based on HomeAdvisor cost data and Bob Vila's yard French drain summary, both national market guides. Your real price depends on your yard, your soil, and where the water can legally go.
Call StoneLex for a free on-site drainage quote to get an exact number for your property.
What drives the price on clay soil
Most yards across the south suburbs sit on heavy clay soil. This clay belt covers the region. Clay drains slower than sandy dirt. That one fact changes how a French drain has to be built here.
Trench depth. A shallow trench fills up fast in clay soil. Then it overflows. StoneLex digs to a depth that matches your yard's real needs.
Gravel bed size. The pipe needs a big enough bed of gravel around it. This lets water reach the pipe through the clay. A thin gravel layer chokes the system.
Pipe and fabric. StoneLex installs ADS N-12 HDPE pipe. It gets wrapped in Mirafi fabric. This is not the thin corrugated pipe sold at hardware stores. That cheap pipe crushes under soil weight. It clogs within a few years. The pipe and fabric StoneLex uses hold up under clay for decades.
A real discharge outlet. This is the step most DIY fixes skip. The water needs a legal place to go. That could be a storm sewer connection, a daylight outlet, or a dry well. A drain with no real outlet just moves the water a few feet. Then it soaks right back in.
French drain cost per linear foot
The $10 to $50 per foot range is wide. That is because so much depends on your site. A shallow, easy-access run costs less. A deep trench through clay, with tight equipment access, costs more. Regrading a yard so water drains the right way is its own cost factor. It often gets bundled into a drainage job when the yard's slope is part of the problem.
Length matters too. A longer run costs more in total dollars. But the price per foot can drop a little on a longer job. That is because the crew and equipment are already on site.
Not every French drain is the same job
The name "French drain" covers a few different jobs, and they do not cost the same. A curtain drain is a shorter, shallow run that catches surface water before it reaches your house. That runs about $10 to $25 per foot. A standard exterior perimeter drain, the type StoneLex installs for yard drainage, runs $10 to $50 per foot. A deep French drain, dug down near your foundation, runs $30 to $70 per foot because it takes more digging and more care around your home.
Knowing which type you actually need matters. A curtain drain will not stop water that is already seeping toward your foundation. A deep foundation drain is overkill for a yard that just needs surface water moved off to the side. StoneLex will tell you which type fits your problem during the site visit, so you are not paying for more digging than you need.
Why a French drain fails without the right design
A French drain is not just a trench with a pipe in it. StoneLex looks at your whole property. Where does water enter? How does it flow across your yard? Where can it legally exit? A drain placed only where water pools, without that full picture, usually just moves the standing water. It does not solve it.
On clay soil, a French drain works well only when the trench depth, pipe size, gravel bed, and fabric are all sized for clay. The water also needs a confirmed outlet. Skip any one of those steps and the drain fails within a season or two.
Almost 40 inches of rain falls across the south suburbs in a normal year, based on NOAA climate data for the region. A heavy spring snowmelt adds to that. A system built for a light-rain climate will not keep up here. That is why StoneLex designs drainage to handle real storm volume, not just an average afternoon shower.
What is included in a StoneLex French drain install
StoneLex's drainage service covers French drains, catch basins and grates, culvert connections, downspout drainage extensions, drainage regrading, and erosion control. Most residential drainage installs take 1 to 3 days from start to finish. StoneLex gives you a clear timeline before work begins.
Illinois law requires calling 811 first. This gets underground utility lines marked before any digging starts. That locate happens on every StoneLex drainage job before a shovel touches the ground. Owner Alex Smolka is on site for StoneLex projects. You get direct answers instead of getting passed between a sales rep and a crew you never meet.
Many south-suburb homes were built in the 1980s and 1990s. Yards back then were graded for a lighter storm standard than what falls today. That aging grading is a common reason a yard that used to drain fine now holds standing water after a normal rain.
How to get an accurate quote
No contractor can give you a real number over the phone. Your soil, your yard's slope, and where the water can legally go are all different from the next property over. StoneLex starts every drainage job with a free on-site visit. That visit checks the real conditions before quoting a price.
Is your yard holding water near a retaining wall or paver patio project? That drainage often has to be solved as part of the same job. A wall or patio built without drainage behind it is one of the fastest ways for either to fail. StoneLex serves Orland Park and the south suburbs, including Homer Glen, Frankfort, New Lenox, and the surrounding towns.
Request a free drainage estimate and StoneLex will walk your property. We will explain what is causing the standing water and give you a straight price before any work starts.
Talk to StoneLex
Questions about your excavation & site work job? We serve Orland Park and the surrounding area with honest, upfront advice.
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FAQ
Related questions
How much does a 200 ft French drain cost?
At the national exterior rate of about $10 to $50 per linear foot, a 200 ft run comes to roughly $2,000 to $10,000, and clay soil tends to push that toward the higher end because the trench, gravel bed, and fabric all have to be sized bigger.
Can I install a French drain myself to save money?
You can dig a shallow trench yourself, but a French drain that actually works on clay soil needs the right slope, pipe size, and a real place for the water to legally discharge. A drain with the wrong slope or no true outlet just moves standing water somewhere else on your property.
Are French drains worth the money?
Yes, when the site is designed correctly. A properly sized French drain stops standing water, protects your foundation, and can prevent far more expensive repairs to a cracked foundation, a flooded basement, or a collapsed retaining wall.