A French drain is one of the most common fixes for wet yards in the Fraser Valley. It's also one of the jobs where quotes vary the most, so it helps to know what you're paying for.
What a French drain is
A trench, usually lined with filter fabric, filled with washed drain rock around a perforated pipe. Water in the surrounding soil seeps into the gravel, enters the pipe and flows downhill to an outlet. The lawn or bed goes back on top.
Typical prices
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| French drain, side yard | $2,500 – $7,000 |
| French drain, 50–80 ft | $3,000 – $8,000 |
| Rock pit / dry well at the outlet | $1,500 – $4,000 |
| Full perimeter drainage around a house | $12,000 – $30,000+ |
These are budgeting ranges. Your price depends on a site visit. See the full cost guide.
What moves the price
Length and depth. Longer and deeper trenches mean more digging, more rock and more pipe.
Where the water can go. This is often the biggest factor. If there's an easy, approved outlet, the job is simpler. If the water needs a rock pit, a long run to the street or a pump, the cost rises.
Access. If a small excavator can reach the yard, digging is quick. If everything is hand-dug and wheelbarrowed through a narrow side yard, labour goes up.
Restoration. Replacing sod, rebuilding beds or relaying pavers after the trench is dug adds cost but is easy to forget when comparing quotes.
Soil and rock. Heavy clay is slow to dig, and buried rock or old concrete slows things further.
What a good quote includes
- The route, length and depth of the trench
- Pipe type and size, and whether filter fabric is used
- Where the water ends up, and any approvals needed
- Cleanouts so the pipe can be flushed later
- Utility locates through BC 1 Call before digging
- Lawn and bed restoration
- A written warranty
Red flags
Be cautious with any quote that doesn't say where the water goes. A drain that moves water from one corner of your yard to another, or toward a neighbour, isn't a fix. Also ask whether the trench is wrapped in filter fabric. Without it, fine valley silt can clog the gravel within a few years.
Is a French drain what you need?
Not always. If the wet spot is right beside the house, downspout extensions may solve it for far less. If the whole lawn is soggy because of thin soil over fill, regrading and new soil may work better. A good landscaper will tell you which, and why.
Want local prices for your yard? Send one request and compare up to three quotes from drainage landscapers in Chilliwack, Abbotsford and across the valley.