French Drain Cost Per Foot: What Tulsa Homeowners Can Expect
Most French drain quotes in Tulsa start from a per-foot number. That makes the price easy to scale, but it also hides a lot: what depth the trench goes to, what the pipe sits in, where the water ends up and who puts your lawn back. This guide lays out the published per-foot ranges for Tulsa and the U.S., shows what those numbers usually include, and walks through the extras that push a quote above the per-foot math. For a quick planning estimate, the Tulsa French drain cost page has a calculator.
Tulsa French Drain Pros is a free matching service, not a drainage contractor. We don't dig, price or install anything. The figures below are published estimates, not quotes, and the independent local companies who reply to a request set their own prices.
How much does a French drain cost per foot?
The one Tulsa-specific published figure puts a French drain at $23 to $36 per linear foot (HomeBlue, May 2024). National guides land in a similar place for a basic exterior drain, then climb fast for deeper or interior work.
| Item | Typical range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| French drain, Tulsa | $23–$36 per linear foot (20 ft $460–$710 · 60 ft $1,370–$2,140 · 100 ft $2,290–$3,570) | HomeBlue, May 2024 |
| French drain project, national | $2,800–$6,500 (avg ≈ $5,000) | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| Exterior French drain | $10–$100 per foot (avg ≈ $25); curtain drain $10–$25/ft; footing drain $80–$100/ft | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| Interior French drain | $40–$100 per foot (avg ≈ $50) | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| By location (per foot) | yard $20–$30 · around the house $50–$80 · crawl space $25–$35 · driveway $45–$55 · patio $25–$40 | Bob Vila, Jun 2024 |
| Dry well | $1,500–$5,000 installed | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| Channel / trench drain | $30–$150 per foot ($3,000–$15,000 project) | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| Sump pump | $800–$2,000 (avg ≈ $1,400); battery backup +$150–$250 | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| Regrading | $1,500–$2,600 per 1,000 sq ft (avg ≈ $1,800) | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| Sod after trenching | $1–$2 per sq ft | Bob Vila, Jun 2024 |
Two things stand out. First, the Tulsa range sits near the national "yard drain" figure, which makes sense: most Tulsa jobs are shallow exterior drains across a lawn or along a side yard. Second, the spread between a yard drain and a drain "around the house" is large. A trench that runs close to a slab, through flower beds and past downspouts takes more care, more hand digging and more cleanup than a straight run across open grass.
What a per-foot price usually includes
When a contractor quotes by the foot, the number normally bundles these items. Ask for them in writing so you can compare quotes line by line.
- Trenching. Digging to the agreed depth and width, by machine or by hand. Depth is the biggest single driver; the companion post on how deep a French drain should be covers the typical ranges.
- Fabric. Filter fabric lining the trench or wrapping the pipe, to slow silt from Tulsa's silty clay soils.
- Gravel. Washed stone around and over the pipe. The amount scales with trench size.
- Perforated pipe. Usually 4-inch corrugated or rigid pipe. Rigid pipe costs more but is easier to clean later.
- Spoil handling. Hauling off or spreading the excavated clay. Red clay doesn't go back in the trench well, so ask what happens to it.
What usually costs extra
These are the items that turn a $1,500 estimate into a $3,500 one. None of them are unusual, so expect to see some on any Tulsa quote.
| Add-on | Why it comes up in Tulsa | How it's priced |
|---|---|---|
| Outlet or pop-up emitter | The water needs somewhere legal to go, often a long run to the street side of the lot | Priced per foot like a shallow drain plus the emitter or outlet; get it itemized |
| Dry well | Used when there is no outlet; drains slowly in clay | $1,500–$5,000 installed (Fixr, Jan 2025) |
| Sod repair | The trench leaves a strip of bare clay | $1–$2 per sq ft (Bob Vila, Jun 2024) |
| Sump pump | Crawl spaces or low spots with no gravity outlet | $800–$2,000 (Fixr, Jan 2025) |
| Concrete or driveway cutting | Crossing a walk or drive to reach the street | Itemized by the contractor |
| Tree roots | Older Tulsa lots have mature trees near drain routes | Itemized by the contractor |
| Permit or right-of-way work | Grading rules and curb outlets inside city limits | Ask whether it's included |
Worked examples using the Tulsa range
These are planning numbers built from the $23 to $36 per foot Tulsa figure, not quotes. HomeBlue's own totals are a little lower than straight per-foot math, so treat them as a rough band.
| Scenario | Drain | Common add-ons | Planning range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soggy strip along a side yard | 40 ft × $23–$36 = $920–$1,440 | Sod: 40 ft × 3 ft × $1–$2 = $120–$240 | About $1,040–$1,680 plus the outlet |
| Backyard low spot to the front | 80 ft × $23–$36 = $1,840–$2,880 | Sod $240–$480 | About $2,080–$3,360 plus the outlet |
| Run tight along the house | 60 ft × $50–$80 (Bob Vila "around the house") = $3,000–$4,800 | Bed and sod repair | $3,000 and up |
Why Tulsa soil changes the price
About 47% of Tulsa County is high or very-high shrink-swell clay, and Dennis silt loam alone covers about 20.6% of the county. USDA rates Dennis "somewhat poorly drained." That clay is slow to dig when it's dry and sticky when it's wet, and it doesn't soak water back up. A French drain in Tulsa is mostly a collector that carries water to an outlet, so the outlet run is often as long as the drain itself. That's why two quotes for "60 feet of French drain" can differ by hundreds of dollars: one may include 40 more feet of solid pipe to the curb and the other may not. More on that in our guide to clay soil drainage in Tulsa.
Before anyone digs: Oklahoma law requires anyone digging for hire to contact OKIE811 at least 48 hours ahead (excluding weekends and holidays). It's free. Sprinkler lines and other private lines aren't marked, so your contractor should plan for them. Inside Tulsa city limits, the city's Watershed Development Permit rules cover excavating, grading and regrading, and any work in the street right-of-way (like running a pipe through the curb) needs a separate right-of-way permit. Ask your contractor whether your project needs a permit, or call City of Tulsa Development Services (311). Suburbs have their own rules.
Honest ways to keep the cost down
- Fix the downspouts first. A lot of yard water is roof water. Extending or burying a downspout line can shrink the drain you need. See downspout and gutter drainage.
- Consider regrading or a swale. If the lot slopes the wrong way, reshaping it may do more than a pipe. Compare the two in French drain vs swale.
- Phase the work. Do the area that hurts most now, with an outlet sized for a later extension.
- Compare like with like. Line up depth, pipe type, gravel, fabric, outlet, cleanout and sod restoration on every quote. The guide to comparing drainage quotes has a checklist.
Oklahoma doesn't issue a state license for general, landscape or drainage contractors. Plumbing, electrical and mechanical work does require a Construction Industries Board license. Ask any contractor for proof of liability insurance, and use a licensed plumber for anything tied into your home's plumbing. If you sign at home, the FTC Cooling-Off Rule generally gives you three business days to cancel, and Oklahoma law gives a similar right for financed home-solicitation sales.
To get prices for your own yard, describe the problem once through the free quote form or call (877) 265-2390. Independent local drainage companies can reply with quotes, and there's no obligation. You can also read how a typical French drain installation runs from site visit to final test.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a French drain cost per foot in Tulsa?
The one published Tulsa figure is $23 to $36 per linear foot (HomeBlue, May 2024). Drains that run tight along the house, through concrete or into a crawl space cost more per foot. These are published estimates, not quotes.
How much is a 100-foot French drain?
HomeBlue's May 2024 Tulsa estimate for 100 feet is $2,290 to $3,570. Outlet work, sod repair, roots and concrete cutting are usually extra, so ask for those items in writing.
Why is a French drain around the house more expensive than one in the yard?
Bob Vila's June 2024 figures put a yard drain at $20 to $30 per foot and a drain around the house at $50 to $80 per foot. Work near the foundation takes more hand digging, more care around downspouts and beds, and more cleanup.
Does the per-foot price include getting rid of the water?
Not always. The outlet, whether a pop-up emitter, a run to the street side of the lot or a dry well, is often listed separately. Ask each contractor where the water will exit and what that part costs.