French Drains And Sump Pumps

• Recall what a French drain is?
• Why it is worthwhile to put French drainage: the main reasons
• Prices for the installation of French indoor drainage
• Arrangement of French drainage around the perimeter of the house: how much money will have to be paid to specialists
• We equip the French drain on the site
• What cost items should definitely be taken into account in the project
• DIY vs Professional Installation of a French Drain

Before you carry out any construction work on the site or in the house, it is certainly worth making a budget. The same applies to the installation of the French drainage system. To protect your budget from unexpected expenses that can go beyond it, it is worth knowing in advance about french drainage installation costs. Our article will help you with this question. We studied the market and calculated the approximate cost of the project.

Recall what a French drain is?

French drainage design is a dug trench, where the mounted perforated pipe is in the centre, and the top is covered with small gravel. The system can be installed in the house’s yard or basement. The system’s main task is the drainage of standing or accumulated water. Under the French, drainage is a general system which can be made in various solutions. It is often referred to as channel drainage, weeping tiles and other terms. The name depends, for the most part, on the method and place of installation:

1. Weeping tile is a drainage system along the perimeter, at the base of the building, equipped at a fairly large depth on the site.
2. Backyard or garden drainage, trench drainage is often a surface-level system installed in a garden, driveway, or yard.
3. Curtain drainage system – mounted at ground level or around a building to divert precipitation (rain, snow).

Why it is worthwhile to put French drainage: the main reasons

French drainage is definitely worth installing in the presence of the following problems:

• The site is always wet with soil. Suppose the yard constantly stands in puddles or appears quickly after a small rainstorm. In that case, it is worth thinking about a drainage system.
• The basement floor of the house is constantly underflooded, water periodically appears at the junctions of the wall and floor.
• Increased climate humidity. Even if the symptoms of flooding do not appear very often, if you live in an area with frequent rains, it is worth thinking about water drainage in advance.
• The retaining wall is damaged. Suppose the building is on an elevated site with a retaining wall. In that case, the water can gradually damage it, which can provoke more significant problems. If the retaining wall is damaged, it will be possible to divert water away with drainage.

At the same time, it is worth noting that the French drainage system is not the only way to combat waterlogging of the site or the house. It is best to contact professionals to advise which system is best suited to your situation.

Prices for the installation of French indoor drainage

If you are interested in cost to install french drain inside a building, it ranges from $2,000 to $18,000. The rates largely depend on the need for a special drainage pump to be installed. If the system is installed in the basement or interior perimeter, french drainage will cost 40-1000 dollars per linear foot. Average rates are $4,000 to $15,000 per project. But in some situations, the cost can go as high as $18,000. More often than not, 100 to 150 feet of the system needs to be installed for optimal drainage.

Suppose you need to install a basement drainage system (drain tile). In that case, this requires more materials, and the work itself is more complicated. Therefore, the cost will be higher.

Also, a separate item of expenditure is the installation of a drainage pump in the system. A complete turnkey job (French drainage system and pump) will cost $4,650-17,000. It also includes a handyman’s fee of $650,000 to $2,000. The drainage system does not always have to be installed along with the pump, but they work much more efficiently in tandem.

Arrangement of French drainage around the perimeter of the house: how much money will have to be paid to specialists

Installing a weeping tile and French gutter system will cost $1,000 to $10,000 or more. The final cost is affected by the trench’s depth and the home’s square footage. The system is usually calculated at $10 to $50 per linear foot.

Also, separately in this situation, the cost of the blind is calculated – it is $10-25 per 1 linear foot. It is often installed at 2 feet from the foundation level.

We equip the French drain on the site

If you plan to install a French drainage system, it will cost an average of $10 to $35 per 1 linear foot. This option is relevant when the homeowner is experiencing severe difficulties due to standing water. A French gutter in the yard can also be connected to a perimeter system, or it can be connected to a clogged gutter treble to drain water away from the base of the building properly. The design of a yard gutter system includes several cost items:

• The average cost of piping: is from $50 to $300;
• Gravel procurement: $100 to $400;
• Paying for the work of specialists: the landscaper will have to pay from $50 to $100 per hour, and the plumber’s rate is 45-200 per hour;
• Rental of unique equipment: $100 to $200 for one day.

What cost items should definitely be taken into account in the project

The average cost to install a french drain depends on what building materials will be used during the implementation of the project, as well as how much the master will have to pay for the work done. This indicator is influenced by the level of complexity in the implementation of the French drainage project. Sometimes several specialists are needed to implement a project at once: not only a plumber, but also a landscape designer, a concrete worker and others. In addition, installing the system may require the purchase of sewer pipes, gravel, additional equipment and auxiliary materials.

As for the payment for the work of specialists, they take 50-200 dollars per hour. It all depends on the particular company. A large part of the budget goes to the work of specialists, and the pipes themselves will be relatively inexpensive. The average rates of plumbers are 45-200 dollars per hour. The more experienced the specialist, the more he charges. Sometimes you may need the work of a landscaper, who charges $50 to $100 an hour. If drainage needs to be arranged in the basement, it takes more time and effort. This process involves removing a layer of concrete around the perimeter of the basement for a complete drainage system. Concrete removal is calculated at a separate rate – $4.75-7.50 per linear foot (this data is relevant if the basement is a 4-inch concrete slab + the price of pouring a new concrete layer).

Materials also deserve separate attention. The installation of gutters requires the purchase of a particular pipe with perforation. Its cost is $ 0.50-3 dollars per 1 foot. In addition, you also need to buy a particular material for the cover. It will ensure the pipe is not clogged with sand and other particles.

DIY vs Professional Installation of a French Drain

Installing a shallow outdoor French drainage system is a doable task for the average homeowner. But in this situation, consider that you also need to rent special equipment to dig a trench or prepare the concrete floor for installation. Also, potential mistakes can offset all the savings and lead to even more costs.

Therefore, it is best to entrust this issue to real professionals. They will promptly, and quality install French gutters on the perimeter of the house or inside the basement. If you have no experience installing these systems, avoiding risks and contacting a professional company is better.