French Drain Installation in Calgary & Chestermere

A French drain is a simple idea done carefully: a trench, filter fabric, drainage rock, and a perforated pipe that carries water to an outlet where it can safely leave. Done right it disappears into the lawn and works for decades. Done wrong it silts up in two years. Installation workmanship — grading, seams, edging, drainage and hardscape — is warranted for one year from completion; sod and plant survival aren’t, because they depend on watering after we leave.

Updated September 30, 2026

When you need one

• A low area with nowhere to drain — surrounded by higher ground or fence lines
• Water shared between neighbours along a property line
• A back yard that stays wet for days even after regrading
• Downspouts and sump discharge that need to be carried away from the house

How we build it

1. Find a real outlet — somewhere lower than the trench where the water can leave on its own, which is what “draining to daylight” means: a lower point on your lot, a rock pit, or a City-approved connection. No outlet, no drain.
2. Trench to a consistent fall (about 1%) with the Bobcat.
3. Line the trench with non-woven filter fabric — this is what stops it silting up.
4. Bed and surround perforated pipe in clean drainage rock (not sand).
5. Wrap the fabric over the top, backfill, and restore the sod or gravel above it.

We also install catch basins — a grated box set at the low point that collects surface water and pipes it away — for spot collection and run rigid pipe for downspout and sump-pump discharge so the water actually leaves your yard.

What's in the trench

Materials that make it last

Component	Why it matters
4″ perforated pipe	Sized for typical residential flow; slotted to collect water along its length
Clear drainage rock (¾″–1″)	Washed, angular rock so water moves freely around the pipe — no fines to clog it
Non-woven filter fabric	Keeps soil out of the rock jacket without blocking water — the single biggest factor in whether a drain silts up
Solid pipe at the outlet	The last run to daylight or a catch basin is solid, not perforated, so it doesn't re-release water before the outlet

How much does a French drain cost in Calgary?

A residential French drain installed by Local Lawns in Calgary or Chestermere typically runs $2,500–$7,000 depending on length, depth, how far the outlet is, and what's above the trench (lawn is easy, a patio is not). We quote it as its own line so you can see exactly what it costs.

Drainage fixes — typical totals, fixed-quoted in writing after an on-site measure, and our ~$2,000 standalone minimum applies, so smaller fixes are usually bundled. All prices and ranges are before GST.

Fix	Typical total
Downspout extensions (the cheapest fix, when that's the cause)	$300–$1,200
Regrade a problem area (a corner, a strip)	~$2,000 minimum — usually bundled with re-sodding
French drain to an outlet	$2,500–$7,000
Regrade + French drain together	$4,000–$10,000

We price the cheapest fix that actually works, not the biggest one — if a downspout is doing the damage, that's what we'll tell you. How to tell which fix you need →

French drains: common questions

Will a French drain fix a wet basement?

It helps by keeping surface water away from the foundation, but a wet basement is a foundation/weeping-tile issue. We do the yard side; a foundation specialist does the wall side.

How deep is a French drain?

In Calgary and Chestermere, usually 45–60 cm, deeper if it has to reach a lower outlet. It has to stay below the frost-heave zone for the sod above it and maintain fall the whole way.

How much maintenance does a French drain need?

Essentially none, if it's built with filter fabric and clean rock. The fabric is the difference between a 20-year drain and a 2-year one.

Why do some French drains freeze up in a Calgary winter?

A drain that's deep enough and has real fall to a working outlet keeps moving water past the point where it would sit and freeze. Most winter backups we see in Calgary trace back to a shallow trench or an outlet that was never really below the drain — both are things we check before we dig.

Do you call before you dig a drainage trench?

Yes. We call Utility Safety Partners (formerly Alberta One-Call) for public utilities before any digging. You're responsible for marking private lines — irrigation, lighting, invisible fence — because no locate service has them. Show us where they run and we trench around them. See contract terms.