$25,000–$40,000 · 3 weeks
Prairie front yard, New Braunfels
East of I-35, off Walnut Avenue, New Braunfels · finished 2025 · led by Jen Alvarez
Irrigation and Drainage · from $40–$110 per linear ft
French drains and dry creek beds in New Braunfels and San Marcos
Central Texas rain comes hard. A storm can drop 2 or 3 inches in an hour, and on clay soil almost none of it soaks in. If your yard is flat or slopes toward the house, that water ends up against the foundation, across the patio or sitting in the lawn for days. Clay foundations don't like being wet and dry by turns.
Texas licensed irrigator LI 0024817
We solve it with the simplest system that works. A French drain is a gravel trench with a perforated pipe that collects water from saturated soil and carries it away underground. A dry creek bed is a shaped channel lined with river rock and boulders that carries surface water above ground, and looks like a natural part of the landscape when it's dry.
Who it's for
Who needs drainage work
Homes with water standing against the slab after rain, soggy lawns that never dry out, downspouts that dump onto beds and wash out mulch, or water running across the patio from a neighbor's yard. It's especially common on flat clay lots in Seguin, San Marcos and east New Braunfels.
Materials and options
Drainage options, compared
| Option | Handles | Visible? | Installed cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain, 4 in perforated pipe in gravel | Subsurface water, saturated soil | No, or a gravel strip | $45–$85 per linear ft |
| Dry creek bed with river rock | Surface runoff, downspouts | Yes, a landscape feature | $40–$110 per linear ft |
| Solid downspout extensions | Roof water | Buried | $25–$45 per linear ft |
| Grass or rock swale | Broad sheet flow | Gentle dip | $15–$35 per linear ft |
| Catch basin with pop-up emitter | Low spots | Grate only | $450–$900 each |
What it costs
What french drains and dry creek beds costs
$40–$110 per linear ft
for most French drains and dry creek beds, installed
French drains run $45 to $85 per linear foot. Dry creek beds run $40 to $110 per linear foot depending on width, rock size and how many boulders it has. Most residential drainage projects land between $3,500 and $14,000, including regrading near the problem and connecting downspouts.
Timeline
How long it takes
Most drainage projects take two to five days.
- Site walk and water path1 visit
- Design and quoteWithin a week
- Locate utilities (811)3 business days
- Trench, pipe and gravel1–3 days
- Flood test and finish1 day
Where the water goes matters
A drain is only as good as its outlet. Water has to go somewhere lower: the street, a drainage easement, a rain garden or a pop-up emitter in the yard. Texas law doesn't let you redirect your water onto a neighbor in a way that damages their property, so we design outlets that follow the natural flow and city rules. Every drain gets a flood test with a hose before we backfill.
Case study
Prairie front yard, New Braunfels
A dead St. Augustine front yard on blackland clay replaced with native prairie beds, a dry creek bed for the downspouts and three drip zones.
Read the case study“The water bill last August was about a third lower than the year before, and the creek bed handled the May storms without a drop on the walk. Neighbors stop to ask what the pink grass is.”
Questions
French drains and dry creek beds questions
Will a French drain fix my foundation?
It can stop water from collecting against it, which is the most common cause of seasonal movement on clay. It won't fix existing structural damage; for that you need a foundation engineer.
Do dry creek beds attract mosquitoes?
No. A properly sloped dry creek bed drains within hours after rain. Standing water means it wasn't sloped right.
Can drainage be combined with a patio or bed project?
Yes, and it should be. Drainage goes in first, then the patio or planting goes over it. It's cheaper to do together than to dig up finished work later.
Related irrigation and drainage services
All irrigation and drainage servicesWhere we build this most
Free · 45 minutes · no obligation
Start with a free site walk
Forty-five minutes on your property with a designer. You'll leave with honest numbers and a clear next step. A fixed-price proposal with a 3D render follows within two weeks.