Drainage installation cost

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With all that going on, at first glance it seems in line. I paid a buddy of mine around $1,500 a few years ago to install about 50-60 feet of French drain. He had left his old employer and started his own landscaping and lawn care business and was trying to get off the ground. Took a couple of days and a good bit of material between gravel and pipe and wrap. Between all the stuff you mentioned that can add up fast. I had a leaky basement and got sticker shock at the sump pump and all that was required to waterproof. The French drain seemed like a bargain and after a few years I’ve been very pleased that the basement doesn’t leak all that often and when it does it is only when we get several inches of rain within an hour or so. The drains work great if done properly.

I think almost all estimates are based on how many feet is installed so would need to know that to help you out.

I’ve requested detail on length and materials but I can guesstimate

60 feet of French drain.
50 feet sub surface 6” drain
3’ x 3’ sump water reservoir where the French drain and subsurface drain will connect . No sump pump.
Some gravel around the sump reservoir .

Access is very easy. Not much interference from trees but probably some roots to contend with on large live oak and a hickory tree.

what company did you use in metairie?

I do job costing for yard drainage, just estimating your material cost it is less than $1000. So somehow they need $8000 to do the labor to install it. Yes, digging ditches for pipe is labor intensive, but my company does 150 ft runs of 4" or 6" SDR (obviously more for 6") for half of this price.

You would have to get an electrician to run a gfi receptacle within a few feet of the sump pump reservoir but as long as you have power you are pumping. Those sump pits only work as long as the soil is porous. They don’t work as well with clay or backfilled properties. You are limited by the capacity of hole that is dug basically. A 1hp pump will remove approx. 5,000 gallons per hour. A sump pump with basin can definitely be installed within the budget you mentioned including the electrical work and probably a lot less.

If he's using using a non-woven fabric, why is he buying a perforated pipe with a sock? And pea gravel for a french drain is not good. A ton of #57 stone, which is the correct stone to use for a french drain, is only about $40-50 if you pick it up yourself from a rock yard.

I just did about 85ft of french drain in my backyard,,,a straight 65ft run with two 10ft wye's. I rented a trencher for about $175 from HD. It took less than 30min to dig the trench. 100ft of perforated 4" pipe was about $120, non-woven fabric was over $100 because I got 6'x300ft that I'm going to also use in some rock beds, 300 landscape pins were around $25, 2 wye's and my pop up ran me around $40, and my rock was around $42. Me and my 10yr old son spent about 3hrs on it over 2 days.

Lots on info on Youtube for this stuff. Look at Gates City Foundation's channel, French Drain Man, or Apple Drains, although I don't always agree with ole Chuck, but he has a lot of info on sump pumps.

$1300 in materials w/ tax, we buy from Ewing.