For a French drain in Lafayette, LA, Lafayette Master Landscaping trenches, pipes and tests yard drainage for soggy clay lots, with surface drains, downspout lines and erosion control for homes and businesses.
How Much Does a French Drain Cost in Lafayette, LA?
Contractor-installed French drains usually run $30 to $75 per linear foot in Louisiana, so a 50-foot drain costs about $1,500 to $3,800. Heavy clay, long runs, tie-ins to a street storm drain and drains that cross a driveway push the price up. We walk your yard and give you a written price before any digging starts.
A French drain is a gutter for the ground: a gravel trench with a perforated pipe that carries water to a spot where it can leave. It works when the pipe has somewhere to go, which is why the outlet matters as much as the trench. We've found that about half the soggy yards we visit only need the roof water moved, and we'd rather say so than dig a trench you don't need. Our crews usually finish a typical yard drain in 2 days.
How We Fix a Wet Yard
The fix depends on where the water comes from.
Find the Source
Roof runoff, a low corner, a neighbor's slope or a high water table each need a different drain. We find which.
Size the Drain
The pipe, the gravel and the length get matched to the area it drains and the slope it has.
Dig, Pipe and Test
We trench, lay pipe in gravel and run a hose through it to make sure water leaves where we planned.
Restore the Yard
The trench gets covered with soil and sod, or with river rock where you want a stone edge.
Drainage Prices
- French drain: $30 to $75 per linear foot
- Surface drain or catch basin: $350 to $900 each
- Downspout line to the street or yard: $20 to $45 per foot
- Erosion control with stone: $12 to $30 per square foot
Typical Lafayette ranges. Long runs and street tie-ins cost more.
What Every Drainage Job Includes
- A walk-through with a water test if it is not raining
- A written layout and price
- Perforated pipe, filter fabric and washed gravel
- A tested outlet
- Sod or rock to restore the surface
- Haul-away of extra soil
Yard Drainage Solutions for Lafayette Homes
Lafayette gets about 63 inches of rain a year over roughly 117 rainy days, and the city sits on a prairie terrace only about 23 feet above sea level. There is very little slope to carry water away, so it drains slowly through ditches called coulees. A yard with clay soil and a low corner holds that water like a bowl.
French Drains
A French drain is a trench filled with washed gravel, with a perforated pipe along the bottom, wrapped in fabric so soil does not clog it. Water enters the gravel, flows into the pipe and runs downhill to an outlet. In clay yards the drain works best along the low edge of a lot or along a foundation where water stands.
Surface Drains and Catch Basins
A surface drain is a grated inlet set in a low spot, connected to a buried pipe. It takes standing water from the lawn after a heavy rain. We use them at the low corner of a yard, at the bottom of a slope and where two yards meet.
Gutter and Downspout Drainage
Roof water is the biggest single source of yard flooding. We connect downspouts to buried pipe that runs 10 feet or more from the slab and exits at a pop-up, the street or a yard drain. It is a small job that keeps water off the foundation.
| Problem | Likely fix | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Water pools against the foundation | Downspout lines and a perimeter French drain | $1,200 to $3,500 |
| Low corner stays wet for days | Surface drain tied to an outlet | $600 to $1,800 |
| Slope washes mulch and soil into the street | Erosion control with stone or a short wall | $800 to $4,000 |
| Whole back yard stays soggy | Grading plus French drains | $2,500 to $7,000 |
Yard and Lawn Drainage Systems
For a whole yard that stays soggy, we combine grading, French drains and surface drains. Grading changes where water flows, the drains collect what is left. Sod laid over a wet spot rots, so we fix the water first and lay turf afterwards.
Erosion Control
Where a bank, ditch edge or slope loses soil in heavy rain, we slow the water and hold the dirt with stone, plants or a short block wall. Tight roots from the right plants keep soil in place over time.
More About Lafayette Drainage
Clay Soil and Why It Holds Water
Clay particles are tiny and packed tight, so water moves through them slowly. Water tends to travel sideways through the topsoil on top of the dense clay below, which is why a French drain along a low edge works.
Do French Drains Always Work?
Not on their own. A French drain needs an outlet lower than the trench and a pipe that stays free of silt. If a yard has no slope at all, a surface drain tied to a pop-up or the street may do better.
Permits and Neighbors
A yard drain that empties on your own property rarely needs a permit. Tying into a street storm drain or sending water onto a neighbor's lot can. We check before we dig.
Drainage FAQs
How much does a French drain cost in Lafayette?
Contractor-installed French drains usually run $30 to $75 per linear foot, so a 50-foot drain costs about $1,500 to $3,800. Heavy clay, long runs and tying into a storm drain push the price up. We price it in writing after a walk-through.
Where should a French drain empty?
Downhill to a place water can leave: a street inlet, a ditch, a pop-up emitter on your own lot or a dry well. The outlet has to sit lower than the pipe, or the drain just fills with water.
How deep does a French drain need to be?
Most yard drains run 12 to 24 inches deep, deeper along a foundation. Deeper trenches catch more water but cost more to dig, so we size the depth to the problem.
Can drainage damage my foundation or a neighbor's yard?
Poor drainage can. Water standing against a slab is a bigger risk than a well-built drain. We direct water to your own lot or a legal outlet, and we do not push it onto a neighbor's property.
Our Other Landscaping Services
Landscape Design
A drawn plan for your beds, shrubs and walks, then the same crew plants it.Lawn Care Services
Weekly mowing, feeding, weed control and clean-ups on the same day, every week.Paver Patios and Walkways
Patios, walkways and driveway aprons laid on a packed stone base built for clay.Sprinkler Systems and Irrigation
Zoned sprinklers and drip lines that water the lawn and beds, not the street.Retaining Walls
Block walls and raised beds with gravel backfill and a drain behind them.Landscape Lighting
Low-voltage path, accent and patio lights on a timer, so the yard works after dark.Artificial Turf
Synthetic lawns, putting greens and pet turf laid on a compacted rock base.Flower Beds, Mulch and Seasonal Color
New beds, clean-outs, mulch, edging and seasonal color changes.Commercial Landscaping
Weekly grounds maintenance for apartments, HOAs, hotels, churches and businesses.
Contact Lafayette Master Landscaping
Send your name, number and a line about the yard. We call back to set a time for a free walk-through and a written estimate.
