How much does a French drain cost in Middle Tennessee?
Published 2026 guides put a yard French drain at $10 to $65 per linear foot. HomeGuide lists $500 to $8,800 installed for a yard or curtain drain. LawnStarter puts the national average at $5,000. Your real number depends on the length of the run and the outlet distance, so it takes an on-site look.
What does a French drain cost per foot in 2026?
Four published guides cluster in a tight band. A shallow yard drain runs $10 to $50 per linear foot at Fixr, and $10 to $35 at HomeGuide. Angi, Fixr and Bob Vila all put a straight yard install at $20 to $30 per foot. Deeper work at the foundation costs far more.
| What it is | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Shallow yard drain, per linear foot | $10 to $50 | Fixr |
| Yard drain, per linear foot | $10 to $35 | HomeGuide |
| Exterior drain at any depth, per linear foot | $10 to $100 | Fixr |
| Footing drain at the foundation, per linear foot | $80 to $100 | Fixr |
| Interior basement drain, per linear foot | $40 to $100 | LawnStarter |
| Dry well, installed | $500 to $3,000 | LawnStarter |
| Storm drain, installed | $500 to $3,500 | LawnStarter |
The interior row is a different trade. A basement system means breaking the concrete floor and setting a sump pump. That is waterproofing work, and our French drain installation in Franklin stops at the outside of the house.
What does a whole project cost by length?
Length is the biggest lever, and LawnStarter prices an exterior yard drain at $10 to $65 per linear foot. A 100 foot run pencils out at $1,000 to $6,500. HomeGuide runs tighter and publishes $1,000 to $3,500 for the same 100 feet. Neither number is a quote for your yard.
| Length | LawnStarter at $10 to $65 per foot | HomeGuide published yard totals |
|---|---|---|
| 50 feet | $500 to $3,250 | $500 to $1,800 |
| 100 feet | $1,000 to $6,500 | $1,000 to $3,500 |
| 150 feet | $1,500 to $9,750 | $1,500 to $5,300 |
Trenching is the line item that moves. HomeGuide puts digging at $5 to $12 per linear foot, or $500 to $1,200 for a 100 foot trench. Angi puts the labor share of the budget at 60 to 70 percent. We dig with our own excavator and dump trucks, so the trench and the spoil stay inside one quote.
What moves the price up or down?
A few things move a French drain quote. Length and depth set the base price, then outlet distance and machine access. Then the ground itself, and what happens to the dirt you dig out. Putting the lawn back is the last line.
- Depth. HomeGuide prices a shallow yard drain at $10 to $35 per foot. A deep perimeter drain runs $30 to $90. Depth changes the machine, the stone and the hours.
- Access. LawnStarter notes that when a trencher or mini excavator cannot reach the area, the digging goes by hand. Hand work takes more time and more people.
- Rock and clay. LawnStarter says shale and clay soils are difficult to dig through. Angi agrees that clay pushes labor higher.
- Spoil. Angi warns that some companies haul your dirt off, and then you buy dirt back. HomeGuide suggests reusing trench spoil elsewhere in the yard to cut disposal fees.
- Surface repair. Angi lists landscaping repair at $100 to $200. We close our trenches with screened topsoil off our own trucks and put the grass back.
What does Middle Tennessee add to the bill?
Local ground is the wild card. Williamson County soil sits shallow over rock, with outcrops county wide. The county flags any horizon with 35 percent clay or more as a blocking layer. Clay and shale are slow to dig, and slow digging is billed time.
Rain volume matters as much as the dirt. The nearest National Weather Service station carries an annual normal of 50.51 inches. That water has to leave the yard somewhere. Our guide to why yards here hold water covers the soil side in detail.
We take yard drainage calls across Williamson and Rutherford counties. That includes Franklin, Spring Hill, Nolensville, Thompson’s Station and drainage work in Brentwood. Access decides a lot of the price here. Tight side yards and mature trees can keep a machine off the trench line.
Are downspout drain lines and dry wells cheaper?
Usually, yes, and the gap is wide. HomeGuide prices an underground downspout system at $150 to $350 per downspout. Per linear foot, HomeGuide lists underground downspout lines at $15 to $35.
Dry wells are the other option. LawnStarter puts them at $500 to $3,000 installed, and Fixr at $1,500 to $5,000.
Roof water is the load people underestimate. One inch of rain on 100 square feet of roof makes 62 gallons. A 2,000 square foot roof sheds about 1,240 gallons in that same inch. Getting that volume underground and away from the wall is often the cheapest fix on the list.
When does regrading beat a pipe?
When the ground can carry the water on the surface. Tennessee’s residential code wants the grade to fall at least 6 inches in the first 10 feet from the foundation. Where that fall is impossible, the code itself calls for drains or swales. Grade first, then pipe what the grade cannot reach.
Surface work moves water for less money. Drainage manufacturers call natural surface swales the least expensive way to remove unwanted runoff. The same manufacturers say why pipe costs more. A French drain needs labor, a large trench, stone and filter fabric.
Our regrading and swale work handles the surface side. The dollar ranges for that side of the job live in our yard grading and drainage cost guide.
Should you DIY a French drain or hire a pro?
A short shallow run into a low spot is a real do-it-yourself job. HomeGuide puts trencher rental at $100 to $200 per day. Fall is what breaks homemade drains. The trench base has to drop 1 to 2 percent for the whole length.
Tennessee law applies to a homeowner with a shovel too. Anyone excavating has to pull a locate ticket from TN811 first. The notice window is at least three and no more than ten working days.
In unincorporated Williamson County, a Land Disturbance Permit applies to work disturbing more than one acre. We confirm what your address needs before we dig.
Hired out, the labor rate is published. HomeGuide and Angi both put landscaper trenching at $50 to $100 per hour.
What happens on the free on-site quote?
We come look before we price anything. We find where the water starts, where it stands, and where it can legally go. Drainage manufacturers are firm that runoff must never be routed onto adjoining property. Then we measure the run and give you a written number.
Mid South Mulch has been working Middle Tennessee ground since 1996, out of our yard on Lewisburg Pike in Franklin. Quotes are free and done on site. Call (615) 599-7550 and we will come look at your yard drainage options across Williamson County.