Brentwood Dirt Works · Brentwood, TN
French drains and sump pumps
Standing water, wet crawlspaces and clogged drains, fixed with pipe, stone, boxes and grade. We also clean out drains that have stopped working.
What does a French drain job involve?
Finding the fall, cutting a trench to it, and laying pipe in stone so water has an easier path than your foundation. One of ours gives you the scale: a 100-foot French drain with 2 added boxes, the existing boxes raised to the new grade, and the sod taken up first and reinstalled after.
You’ll see the disturbance before you see the fix, and we talk about that beforehand. On one job we replied to a customer about exactly that: “we discussed beforehand that landscaping would be disturbed.” Better to agree on it at the estimate than to argue over it later.
Do I need a sump pump or just a drain?
It comes down to whether the water can run downhill to somewhere. If it can, a French drain is enough. If your low point is the lowest thing around, a pit and a pump lift the water out. Our line on this has always been simple: “We do drainage. Need your French drains cleaned out or a sump pump put in? We do that too!”
“Trevor came out and promptly solved my problem. I had a broken drain pipe and he quickly dug down to the break and explained what it would take to get it fixed. The price was half the price of another quote.”
Could the problem be the grade instead?
Sometimes the yard itself is sending water at the house, and no pipe will solve that alone. That’s why Christine L.’s project on Google was grading, a French drain and rock for drainage together, “completed the project within the agreed timeline.” We also handle waterproofing work along foundations, which is what you’re seeing in the photo at the top: soil dug down along a brick wall under the siding.
Take a picture while it’s still wet, and include the downspouts. That and the rough length of the run are enough for a free estimate. If the water’s against a failing wall, read about retaining walls, because the wall and the drain are often one job.
Answers
French Drains and Sump Pumps: common questions
Does a French drain need a sump pump?
Only when gravity can’t carry the water away. A French drain works alone if the pipe can fall to daylight or a storm outlet. When the low point has nowhere lower to go, a sump pump lifts the water out. We look at the fall across the yard before recommending either.
How much does it cost to install a French drain and sump pump?
We price it after seeing the run, because length, boxes, depth and what has to be restored all change the number. One of our jobs was a 100-foot drain with 2 added boxes, existing boxes raised, and the sod removed and reinstalled. Send a picture for a free estimate.
What is the difference between a French drain and a sump pump?
A French drain collects water in the ground and carries it away through pipe and stone, using the slope. A sump pump sits in a pit and pushes collected water up and out with power. Many wet crawlspaces and low yards use the two together, with the drain feeding the pit.
Can you clean out a French drain instead of replacing it?
Yes, cleaning out French drains is part of the work, along with installing new ones and putting in sump pumps. If a clean-out doesn’t bring the flow back, we dig down to find out why. On one call we hand dug to give full access to a broken pipe.
Will a French drain tear up my yard?
Some, and we say so before starting. A trench has to go somewhere, so the landscaping along that line gets disturbed. We talk through what will move beforehand, and sod can go back afterward. We did exactly that on a 100-foot run with 2 new boxes.
Do you follow up after a drainage job?
Yes. Stephanie J. wrote about getting a call afterward to check how the drains were working, something no contractor had done for her before. If you see standing water after the first real rain, call (615) 569-1679 so we can look at it.