Service
French Drain Installation in Jacksonville
Perforated pipe, filter fabric and washed gravel in a trench that collects the wet strip and carries it to a legal outlet — the standard fix for sand over hardpan.
A French drain is a trench lined with filter fabric, a perforated pipe on washed gravel, gravel to near the surface and sod or rock on top. On Northeast Florida's sand over hardpan it does one job very well: it collects water moving sideways along the hardpan and carries it to an outlet. The outlet is the part most installers get wrong — a drain is only as good as the place it empties.
Signs you need it
- standing water two days after rain
- a wet strip along the fence or between houses
- lawn squishes underfoot but looks dry
- neighbor's runoff crossing your lot
- water against the foundation on one side
- a gravel pit someone dug that filled up and stopped working
What we find — and what we do about it
Hardpan at 12–36 inches
Water soaks in and stops, then runs sideways to the lowest point. The drain intercepts it.
A wet strip between houses
The side yard where two lots meet — the most common French drain we install.
Neighbor runoff
A drain along the property line catches water before it reaches your house.
Builder grading settled
Where regrading alone cannot fix it, a drain under the new grade does.
No outlet planned
We fix drains other people built into nowhere by adding a dry well or a street connection.
What it costs
Plus a free inspection ($0). Your price is written before work starts.
French drain cost in Jacksonville
Every drainage price range in one place, what moves it, and a calculator for your own yard.
See typical costsStanding water in your yard?
Five causes on Northeast Florida lots, the 24/48-hour test and what you can try before calling.
Read the guideFrench Drain Installation across Jacksonville, St. Johns & Clay
Related services
French Drain Installation FAQ
Where does a French drain empty?
At the lowest legal point: a pop-up emitter at the curb, a swale on your own lot or a dry well. Never at the property line, because Florida's reasonable-use rule does not allow you to redirect water onto a neighbor. The outlet is marked on the plan you sign.
Are French drains legal in Florida?
Yes. A private French drain that stays on your lot and does not change runoff onto a neighbor usually needs no permit. Tying into city storm sewer, a public easement, a pond or wetland does, and then the permit is part of the written scope.
Can I install a French drain myself?
The trench is the easy part. The hard parts are finding the hardpan, giving the pipe enough fall and ending it at a legal outlet; a gravel pit with no outlet fills to the hardpan and stops working. The inspection is free if you want a second opinion before you dig.
French drain vs swale: which one?
A swale moves surface water with gravity and has nothing to clog; it suits a lot that has settled flat. A French drain collects water moving along the hardpan below the surface. Many yards get a short drain feeding a regraded swale.
How deep is the trench?
Usually 12 to 24 inches, set to the hardpan and to the fall needed to reach the outlet.
Will roots clog it?
Filter fabric and a sock keep sand out; cleanouts at the ends let us flush it. Near big oaks we route around the root zone.
How it works
How a french drain installation job works
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.
Raining right now? Take a photo.
Water standing where it shouldn't?
The best time to see a drainage problem is during the storm. Snap the puddle, note where the downspouts end, and send it — we schedule a free inspection within 48 hours.
(904) 561-1816Free inspection
Book your free yard inspection
Tell us where the water stands and attach a photo if you have one. We call back to set a time within 48 hours — no pressure, no sales script.
(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
