French Drain Cost in St. Louis

French-drain pricing cannot be reduced to one reliable per-foot number. Two trenches of the same length may require very different excavation, aggregate, fabric, pipe, outlet work, utility precautions, and lawn restoration.

What determines the price?

The largest variables are trench length and depth, machine access, soil and rock, buried utilities, disposal, aggregate volume, pipe specification, catch basins, cleanouts, the outlet, and surface restoration. A system beside a foundation may involve a different scope from a shallow yard interceptor.

What should a proposal include?

Ask for the approximate route and length, pipe type and diameter, whether the pipe is perforated or solid, aggregate and fabric details, cleanouts, outlet location, utility-marking responsibility, permit responsibility, and how disturbed lawn or hardscape will be restored.

Why the outlet matters

A drain only moves collected water. The proposal should state where that water ends up and why the outlet is allowed, stable, and unlikely to create erosion or transfer water onto another property.

Use a range, not a promise

Our calculator supplies a broad planning range based on problem type, affected area, severity, and access. It is not a contractor bid. Compare the diagnosis and scope behind estimates, not only the bottom-line number.

Before work begins

• Call 811 before excavation and follow the utility-marking instructions.
• Confirm property boundaries, easements, and the proposed discharge location.
• Ask who will verify permits and approvals for the exact jurisdiction.
• Get the diagnosis, materials, route, outlet, restoration, and warranty in writing.