2026 cost guide
French drain & yard drainage cost in East Texas
Real price ranges for French drains, surface drainage and regrading in Longview and across East Texas: what they cost, what drives the number, and why the cheapest drain is rarely the cheapest in the long run.
How much does a French drain cost in East Texas?
Most French drain systems in the Longview and East Texas area run $2,000 to $4,500 installed. Small, single-problem fixes like rerouting a downspout or draining one low spot start around $450 to $1,000, while larger whole-property systems, or drainage bundled with regrading and landscape work, run $4,500 and up. The price depends on how many feet of pipe the yard needs, how deep the crew has to dig, where the water can be sent, and how much sod or stone goes back on top. Request a free assessment online.
What drainage costs in East Texas
| Project | Typical installed cost | What it usually includes |
|---|---|---|
| Small drainage fix or downspout reroute | $450 to $1,000 | A short run, redirecting one or two downspouts, or draining a single low spot away from the house. |
| Standard French drain (single run) | $1,900 to $3,000 | Roughly 40 to 80 feet of sock-wrapped perforated pipe over #57 stone, tied to a daylighted outlet or pop-up emitter, with sod restored on top. |
| Full drainage system | $3,000 to $4,500 | Multiple drain runs, catch basins, surface regrading, and a river rock or dry-creek finish across a larger area of the yard. |
| Large or combined project | $4,500 and up | Extensive footage, whole-property regrading, or drainage bundled with a bed rebuild, retaining wall, or full landscape install. |
Ranges reflect real Yard Dog drainage jobs across Gregg, Harrison, Smith and Upshur counties. Your yard drains its own way, so the only accurate number is a free on-site quote.
What moves the price
Linear footage of pipe
The biggest single factor. A 40-foot run costs far less than a 120-foot perimeter drain around the whole foundation.
Digging depth and access
Deeper trenches and tight backyards a skid steer can't reach mean more hand labor, and our clay subsoil is slow to dig.
Where the water goes
A drain that daylights to a ditch is cheaper than one needing a long outlet run, a pop-up emitter, or a pump.
Surface restoration
Putting the yard back with fresh sod, river rock or a dry-creek finish adds material and labor on top of the drain itself.
Catch basins and grading
Surface catch basins, channel drains and regrading low spots often get bundled in when one drain alone won't solve it.
Combined work
Drainage behind a new retaining wall or under a bed rebuild shares labor, but adds scope to the overall number.
Is there a per-foot price for a French drain?
Roughly, most East Texas French drains land between $40 and $70 per linear foot installed, once you include sock-wrapped pipe, #57 drainage stone, a real outlet and sod restoration. But a per-foot number is misleading on its own. Short runs cost more per foot because the crew still has to mobilize, haul stone and set an outlet for a small job, while long straight runs come down per foot. Depth, soil and what goes back on top move the number more than length alone, which is why we price the whole system, not a flat rate per foot.
The drainage we install, and when each makes sense
French drains are the workhorse for subsurface water and soggy ground: a gravel and perforated-pipe trench that collects water underground and carries it off. Best when water pools and lingers, or a foundation is weeping moisture.
Surface and channel drains catch water on top, at the base of a slope, across a driveway, or where a patio sheds runoff. They are usually the cheaper fix when the water is visible on the surface.
Catch basins and pop-up emitters collect water at a low point and discharge it somewhere safe. Often paired with a French drain rather than used alone.
Downspout extensions and rerouting are the cheapest, highest-value fix on a lot of properties: get the gutter water away from the foundation before it ever pools.
Swales and dry creek beds move surface water along a graded, rock-lined path, a fix that looks like a landscape feature instead of a construction scar.
Regrading re-slopes the ground so water runs away from the house on its own, sometimes removing the need for pipe entirely.
The cheapest French drain is the one you pay for twice
When we install a French drain, we use sock-wrapped 4-inch perforated pipe over 4 inches of #57 stone, backfilled with the same stone to within a few inches of grade, then capped with soil and sod. That spec costs more than the corrugated-pipe-in-a-rock-bag version a lot of outfits install, but it doesn't silt up and clog in the third year. We also tie every drain to a daylighted outlet or a pop-up emitter, never a buried catch-all that backs up the first time the soil saturates.
Why East Texas yards hold water
Most standing-water problems here come down to the soil profile: sandy topsoil over dense red-clay subsoil that water can't soak through. Once the upper foot saturates, water has nowhere to go but sideways, pooling in low spots and running toward the foundation. Add heavy rains that come in stretches and new-construction pads that settle over time, and you get the soggy backyards we fix every spring. Because the clay traps the water, redirecting it is usually the only real fix, not just adding topsoil or planting over the wet spot.
See our full drainage and grading service, or drainage in Longview, Kilgore, Hallsville, Marshall and Tyler.
French drain cost questions
How much does a French drain cost in East Texas?
Most French drain systems in the Longview and East Texas area run $2,000 to $4,500 installed. Small single-problem fixes like rerouting a downspout or draining one low spot start around $450 to $1,000, while larger whole-property systems or drainage combined with regrading and landscape work run $4,500 and up. The price depends on the linear footage of pipe, how deep the crew has to dig, where the water can be sent, and how much sod or stone goes back on top.
What is the cost per linear foot for a French drain?
Most East Texas French drains land between $40 and $70 per linear foot installed, once you include sock-wrapped perforated pipe, #57 drainage stone, a proper outlet, and sod restoration. Short runs cost more per foot because the crew still has to mobilize and set an outlet for a small job, while long straight runs come down per foot. Yard Dog prices the whole system rather than a flat per-foot rate.
Why is a cheap French drain more expensive over time?
The corrugated-pipe-in-a-sock-bag version many outfits install silts up and clogs within a few years, and then it has to be dug up and redone. Yard Dog installs sock-wrapped 4-inch perforated pipe over #57 stone and ties every drain to a daylighted outlet or pop-up emitter, so it keeps draining for the long haul.
Do you offer free drainage estimates in Longview, TX?
Yes. Every drainage job starts with a free on-site assessment where we find where the water is actually going, followed by a written, itemized estimate before any digging starts. Call (903) 844-6877 to book one.
Does fixing yard drainage protect my foundation and add value?
Yes. Redirecting water away from the foundation is one of the most important things you can do to protect the home, and turning a soggy, unusable yard into dry, usable space adds real value. It is one of the most common and highest-impact jobs we do in Gregg County.
Want a real number for your yard?
We'll walk the property, find where the water is actually going, and hand you a written, itemized price. Free.