Prices · 2026
French drain cost in Jacksonville (2026)
Honest ranges for French drains, downspout lines, catch basins, regrading and dry wells on Jacksonville, St. Johns and Clay lots — and a calculator to rough out your own yard.
A French drain in Jacksonville typically costs $20 to $45 per foot installed, and a typical run of 50 to 100 feet comes to $2,000 to $6,000. The spread is real: the same length of trench can be a quick job in open sand with a curb a few steps away, or a slow one through live-oak roots with a long carry line to the only legal outlet on the lot.
We publish our numbers. Below are the ranges we price from, what pushes a job toward the top or the bottom of them, and a calculator that turns your yard into a rough range before anyone visits.
Typical drainage prices in Jacksonville
Materials and labor, 2026 ranges for our service area. The inspection is $0.
French drain cost calculator
Set the length of the wet strip you want drained, add any downspout lines, catch basins or dry wells, and the range updates. It uses the same per-foot and per-point ranges as the table.
Your estimate range
$1,600 – $3,600
- 80 ft French drain$1,600 – $3,600
Our crew cuts the sod, sets it aside and lays it back after backfill and compaction — included in the per-foot price.
Estimate range, your written price comes after a free inspection. Ranges for Jacksonville, St. Johns and Clay, materials and labor.
Book my free inspectionWhat moves the price
Length of the run
The price is per foot, so length is the biggest number on the estimate. A drain along one side yard and a drain across the whole back of the lot to the street are different jobs.
Depth to the hardpan
On most lots here the hardpan sits 12 to 36 inches down. The trench is usually 12 to 24 inches deep, set to the hardpan and to the fall the pipe needs to reach the outlet. A deeper trench means more digging and more washed gravel.
Live-oak roots
Older streets in Mandarin, Orange Park and the rest of Jacksonville sit under big oaks. Roots slow the trench, and near a large tree we route around the root zone instead of cutting through it, which can add length.
The lawn over the trench
We cut the sod, set it aside where we can, then backfill, compact and lay it back or new sod to match. Our ranges include putting the lawn back. A trench finished under a bed or river rock is a different line on the estimate.
Where the water goes
A drain is only as good as its outlet. A line to a pop-up at the curb is the cheapest exit; a dry well is the answer when there is no legal outlet; a line that has to cross a driveway or a paver walk needs a bore or a cut.
A permit, if it ties in
A private drain that stays on your lot and does not push runoff onto a neighbor usually needs no permit. Tying into city storm sewer, a public easement, a pond or wetland (St. Johns River Water Management District) does, and then the permit is part of the written scope.
What typical jobs add up to
The cheapest fix comes first
Before anyone prices a French drain, we check the downspouts and the grade. Roof water dumped at the wall is the most common cause of a wet strip beside the house, and piping it away costs a fraction of a drain. If that alone solves it, that is the estimate you get. Not sure what is causing your puddle? Our guide to standing water in your yard walks through the five usual causes and the 24/48-hour test.
Services behind these prices
French drain cost FAQ
How much does French drain installation cost?
In Jacksonville a French drain runs $20 to $45 per foot installed, and a typical 50 to 100 foot run is $2,000 to $6,000, with backfill and sod put back. The written price comes after a free inspection, before any digging.
What is the French drain cost per linear foot?
$20 to $45 per linear foot installed in our area. The spread comes from depth to the hardpan, oak roots, the distance to a legal outlet and what goes on top of the trench. Open sand with a curb outlet nearby sits at the low end; a deeper trench through roots with a long carry line sits at the high end.
How much does downspout drainage cost?
$300 to $800 per downspout, depending on the distance to the outlet and whether the line crosses a driveway or a walk. A house with four downspouts typically runs $1,500 to $3,000.
French drain vs dry well: which costs less?
They are not really alternatives. A dry well, $1,000 to $3,000 each, is where water goes when there is no legal outlet; a French drain, $20 to $45 per foot, collects it. On a flat lot with no curb you may need both. A dry well also only works where the ground can take more water — near the river and the coast the water table can sit 2 feet down in summer.
Does a permit add to the cost?
A private drain that stays on your lot usually needs none. If the system ties into city storm sewer, a public easement, a pond or wetland, the permit is part of the written scope. Engineered projects with a permit are rare and typically run $5,000 to $14,000.
What does a backyard drainage system cost?
Most backyard systems here are a combination: downspout lines at $300 to $800 per point, a catch basin at $500 to $1,500, a French drain at $20 to $45 per foot or regrading at $1,000 to $5,000. Engineered projects with a permit run $5,000 to $14,000 and are rare. The calculator above adds up the pieces.
How it works
From a range to a written price
Call or send a photo
Call, or use the form and attach a photo of the puddle. Tell us when it rained.
Inspection in 48 hours
We walk the yard, check downspouts and grades, and sketch a drainage plan with the outlet marked.
Written price
The plan, the materials and the price in writing. Nothing starts until you approve it.
We dig, install, restore
Trench, pipe, gravel, basins — then backfill, compaction and sod put back.
Free inspection
Turn the range into a written price
Send the numbers from the calculator, a photo of the puddle and your ZIP. We walk the yard within 48 hours and write the price down before anything is dug.
(904) 561-1816- Free yard inspection within 48 hours
- Insured · NDS-trained drainage crew
- Written price before we dig
- Mon–Sat: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
