Des Moines, Iowa
French Drains in Des Moines
Water pooling in the yard? A wet basement wall after every big rain? Tell us where the water is and a local drainage contractor will contact you to quote.
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A French drain might be the fix, but three very different jobs get sold under that name, at very different prices.
Here’s how to tell which one you need, what it costs, and what Des Moines says about where the water can go.
What a French drain actually is
A French drain is a gravel-filled trench, usually with a perforated pipe near the bottom. Filter fabric helps keep the surrounding soil from clogging the gravel and drain.
Water follows the easiest path. Loose gravel is easier than packed clay, so groundwater moves sideways into the trench, drops into the pipe through the holes, and flows downhill to wherever the drain lets out. No pump unless the outlet is uphill.
The pipe is the cheap part, about $0.50 to $3 a foot. You’re mostly paying for digging, gravel, fabric, hauling dirt away, and putting the lawn or patio back.
Two details make or break it
- Continuous slope. The pipe has to fall the whole way to the outlet. A dip in the line holds water and silt.
- Filter fabric. Without it, soil washes into the gravel over a few seasons and the drain slowly clogs.
The three jobs called a “French drain”
This is where most quote confusion comes from. Two contractors can price two different jobs, and both call it a French drain.
| Job | Where it goes | What it fixes |
|---|---|---|
| Yard drain | Shallow trench in the lawn | Soggy low spots, water pooling in the yard |
| Exterior footing drain | Dug down along the foundation to the footing | Water building up against the outside of the basement wall |
| Interior drain tile | Under the basement floor, around the edge | Water already coming in where the floor meets the wall |
Always ask: which one are you quoting, and where will the water come out?
If your problem is a wet basement, the interior and exterior options are really a basement waterproofing decision. Our basement waterproofing page walks through what to try first.
Costs
What does a French drain cost in Des Moines?
Most jobs land between $1,650 and $12,250, with a national average around $5,000, according to LawnStarter’s French drain cost guide.
| Type | Typical published cost per foot | 100 feet |
|---|---|---|
| Shallow exterior or yard French drain | $10 to $65 | $1,000 to $6,500 |
| Interior drain tile | $40 to $120 | $4,000 to $12,000 |
Interior figures combine LawnStarter ($40 to $100 per foot) and This Old House ($60 to $120 per foot). A deep exterior footing drain with excavation and a membrane can cost far more than a shallow yard drain. That’s a full waterproofing job, often $20,000 or more.
What moves your price:
- Depth. A shallow yard trench is a fraction of the cost of digging down to a footing.
- What’s in the way. Patios, driveways, decks, fences, trees and landscaping all have to come out and go back.
- Access. Can a machine reach it, or is it all hand digging?
- Where the water goes. Daylighting to a slope is simplest. Tying into a storm sewer, adding a dry well, or adding a sump pump all add cost.
- Interior work. Cutting and re-pouring the basement floor, plus any finished walls that have to come out.
Other published add-ons: storm drain connection $500 to $3,500, dry well $500 to $3,000, permits $58 to $225 where needed.
Solid or perforated pipe?
Perforated where you want water to get in. Solid where you just want to carry it away.
Most drains use both: perforated pipe along the collection run in the gravel, then solid pipe for the stretch that carries water to the outlet, so it doesn’t leak back into the ground on the way.
Holes up or holes down? It’s an old argument. For drains around a foundation, holes down is common practice because it lets water enter at the lowest point. Pipe orientation, the surrounding gravel, and a suitable discharge route all matter. For a gravity-fed drain, keeping the proper slope toward the outlet is especially important.
Does every house have a foundation drain?
No. Many newer homes have footing drains built in. Older homes may have none at all, or old clay tile that’s long since stopped working.
When a foundation drain fails, it’s usually clogged by:
- Silt, especially in drains installed without filter fabric
- Iron ochre, an orange sludge that builds up inside the pipe in some soils
- Tree roots growing into the pipe
A basement that stayed dry for years and has started taking on water may have a drainage problem. A contractor can check the gutters, grading, foundation and existing drains to narrow down the cause.
How deep should it be?
Yard drain: often around 18 inches, to deal with surface water and a soggy lawn.
Footing drain: at the level of the footing, the base of the foundation, so it catches water before it reaches the bottom of the wall. For a full basement, that’s usually several feet down.
Freezing matters here. Des Moines designs for a 42 inch frost line. Ask your contractor how the discharge line and outlet will handle winter.
What Des Moines requires
Des Moines is specific about where drainage water can go.
- Where a city storm sewer is available, footing drains must be piped to it.
- Drainage water generally can’t go into the sanitary sewer.
- Sump discharge, drain connections, permits and inspections all have to meet current city requirements.
Before work starts, call the Permit and Development Center at 515-283-4200 to confirm where your water is allowed to go and whether the job needs a permit.
Call 811 before anyone digs
Iowa law requires anyone digging, homeowners included, to contact Iowa One Call at 811 before excavating, even on private property. The required 48-hour notice period starts at 6 a.m. on the next business day after your request is received, and weekends and legal holidays don’t count. Follow the start date Iowa One Call gives you.
Common questions
What are the downsides of a French drain?
It isn’t maintenance-free. Gravel can silt up and roots can find the pipe. It also tears up whatever’s above the trench, whether that’s lawn, a walkway or a patio.
And it has to send the water somewhere, which on a flat lot can be the hardest part of the design. Done badly, a trench with no slope can hold water right against your foundation.
Is drain tile the same as a French drain?
Close. “Drain tile” is the trade term for the perforated pipe system, from the days when it was made of short clay tiles. A foundation drain is drain tile running along the footing. A French drain in the yard uses the same idea for surface water.
What materials go in a French drain?
Perforated pipe, washed, clean gravel (not gravel full of fine dirt), non-woven filter fabric, solid pipe for the outlet run, and a proper outlet.
The two most common mistakes are skipping the fabric and using dirty gravel that packs down.
Can I install a French drain myself?
A shallow yard drain, often yes. It’s digging, keeping a steady slope, and getting the outlet right. Call 811 first.
A deep trench along your foundation is not a DIY job. Deep trenches can collapse, and that work belongs with a crew that has the equipment and safety setup for it.
How long does installation take?
A short yard drain can be done in about a day. Interior drain tile usually takes a few days. A full exterior excavation can take a week or two. Add the 811 notice period before any digging starts.
Get a quote from a Des Moines drainage contractor
Tell us where the water is, when it shows up, and whether it’s in the yard or the basement. We’ll connect you with an independent local contractor who does this work.
A good one will ask early where the water can be taken to, because that decides the whole design.
Sources
- LawnStarter, French drain cost, checked November 2026
- This Old House, basement waterproofing cost, for interior drain tile, updated March 4, 2026
- City of Des Moines, Ordinance No. 16,094 (2022), stormwater management
- City of Des Moines, Ordinance No. 16,224, Sec. 26-300(f), climatic and geographic design criteria
- Iowa One Call, 2024 law update