French Drain Installation in Houston, TX
Strong Landscaping designs and installs french drains that pull standing water out of Houston yards and away from your foundation. We build each drain for our heavy clay soil and Gulf-Coast rain: perforated pipe set in gravel and filter fabric, pitched to a safe outlet. With 20+ years and 500+ projects across the Houston area, we dig it right the first time.
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When a yard stays soggy for days after rain, the water is trapped in the soil, not just sitting on top. A french drain is the subsurface fix: a perforated pipe buried in a gravel-filled trench that intercepts that groundwater and carries it away. It is the method we reach for when Houston clay holds water and simple grading is not enough on its own.
- 500+ Projects Completed
- 20+ Years Experience
- 4.6/5 Average Rating
Irrigation & Drainage Services
Yard Drainage Solutions
Not sure which fix you need? Start here for a free assessment of the standing water in your yard.
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Catch Basins & Channel Drains
Surface inlets and grated channels that grab pooling, downspout, and driveway water. Often paired with a french drain.
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Yard Grading & Leveling
Re-sloping the soil so water sheds away from the house. The root-cause fix that a french drain builds on.
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Irrigation & Drainage
See our full range of irrigation and drainage services for Houston-area homes and yards.
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How We Install a French Drain in Houston
01 Free Drainage Assessment
We start on your property with a free assessment. We find where water stands, check the fall across your yard, and look at how close the wet ground is to your foundation, since flat Houston lots and clay soil shape where the drain has to run.
02 Layout & Discharge Plan
We map the drain line and, just as important, decide where the water goes. We plan the run, the depth, and the pitch so gravity keeps water moving, and we route it to a safe outlet, never toward your slab or onto a neighbor’s lot.
03 Trenching on Clay Soil
We dig the trench to the depth and slope the plan calls for, working carefully around roots, sprinkler lines, and utilities. On our stiff clay that means clean, consistent walls and a steady fall, so the finished drain carries water the way it should.
04 Fabric, Gravel & Perforated Pipe
We line the trench with filter fabric, set a bed of gravel, lay the perforated pipe, then wrap it in more gravel and fold the fabric over the top. The fabric keeps silt out so the drain does not clog, which is the difference between a drain that lasts and one that fails in a year.
05 Backfill, Restore & Test
We backfill, restore the surface with sod or gravel to match your yard, and run water through the system to confirm it flows to the outlet. You see the drain working before we leave, and we clean up so the yard looks whole again, not torn up.
Trusted By Local Homeowners
Strong Landscaping, led by the creative genius, Thomas, has been doing my landscaping for 10 years. I used to pass by his work and just drool over it, never thinking I could afford it, but one day I asked him for a quote and was so shocked… Read more
Strong Landscaping has completely transformed the way I think about landscaping! They do amazing work, are professional, kind, and helpful. Before starting work at my house, they met with me several times to understand my priorities and were flexible when I wanted to do work in phases.… Read more
We used Strong to do a full front yard overhaul, new walkways, bed shaping etc. They listened to what we wanted and what was important to us, provided options and designs to meet our needs and when they went to execute it was remarkably organized, efficient, and we love the finished product.… Read more
Strong Landscaping installed my front and back patios from dirt to a beautiful, long-lasting hardscape (many) years ago. I enjoyed working with Thomas who helped design and oversee the work. It is difficult to keep pavers on solid footing in Houston with our clay soil issues.… Read more
We had an awesome experience with Strong Landscaping to refresh the backyard. The team was very enthusiastic, hardworking and responsive, plus they came with a great vision and ideas for my yard. Everything they planted looks healthy and I finally feel like I can enjoy my backyard.… Read more
The Strong team was great from start to finish on our yard overhaul and since then we have started weekly maintenance with them as well as seasonal refreshes with flowers and greenery that are seasonally appropriate and able to thrive in the wild Houston seasons. Would not hesitate to recommend to others.
For the last few years, Strong Landscaping has made our storefront look better than ever! The plants are healthy and eye catching. When our Peggy Martin roses are in bloom, clients comment almost daily about how lovely it all looks.… Read more
Thomas is brilliant! His team executes his vision flawlessly! Very professional. Superb workmanship and incredible attention to detail! Strong takes great pride in their work and creates beautiful spaces.… Read more
I am absolutely thrilled with Strong Landscaping's transformation of my yard into an oasis. Their expertise in design, creativity, and dedication to quality were critical to the project's success. I greatly appreciated their attention to detail and commitment to doing things the right way!… Read more
I recently worked with Strong Landscaping—specifically Thomas, Leah and their fantastic team—on a project to rejuvenate my front porch, and I couldn't be happier with the results. They cleared out debris from past storms, repaired and enhanced the stonework and pathways.… Read more
Cannot recommend highly enough. The team is responsive and went above and beyond in coordinating my landscaping to my interior design style and suggesting options that will have long term benefits like privacy, curb appeal, and (hopefully!) property value.… Read more
Strong landscaping is THE BEST!! Even though I live in San Antonio they have been helpful by offering advice on drought tolerant plants and helping plan out the flower beds around the front of the house. They also provided design suggestions regarding a playground in the backyard. 10/10 would recommend to anyone.
Strong landscaping is awesome. Thomas and Leah are the A Team! We are working with them for synthetic grass in the backyard and they helped us design the front. Repeat customer for life.
Alan and Thomas did a great job on my yard. Unfortunately, they had to fix a mess of the yard that another landscaper had done. They went beyond what they had promised just to get the yard going in the right direction. Super creative and finish the work in a timely manner.
Great service by a great team. This company stands out to me as a quality customer oriented company. I wouldn't look anywhere else. These guys are awesome.
Thomas is a genius when it comes to design! I love working with him and his team! Love my family over at Strong Landscaping.
What Sets Our French Drain Installs Apart
Plenty of crews will drop a pipe in a shallow ditch and call it a french drain. We build them to last: surveyed grade, filter fabric that keeps silt out, and a real discharge plan. With 20+ years in Houston and 500+ projects done, we know how our clay soil holds water and how to get it moving away from your home.
Houston Drainage
Built for Houston Clay Soil
Our clay barely soaks up water, so surface fixes alone often fail. We set the trench deep and pitched, and use gravel and perforated pipe sized to move the water our soil traps.
Filter Fabric That Stops Clogs
Gulf-Coast silt and leaf litter clog a bare gravel drain fast. We wrap the pipe and gravel in filter fabric so the drain keeps flowing for years, not months.
Foundation-First Routing
We pull water away from your slab and send it to a safe outlet, so the soil around your foundation stays more stable through Houston’s wet-and-dry clay cycle.
French Drains Built for Houston Clay and Gulf Rain
Houston is a hard place to keep a yard dry. The terrain is flat with little natural fall, the soil is heavy clay that soaks up water slowly, and Gulf storms can drop inches of rain in an hour. All of that leaves water sitting on the surface and saturating the ground. A french drain is the method that reaches the trapped water and carries it away, which simple grading alone cannot always do.
We build every drain to last. We survey the grade so the pipe has real fall, we wrap the gravel and perforated pipe in filter fabric so silt cannot clog it, and we plan a safe discharge point up front. Standing water is not just a nuisance here. It keeps the clay around your foundation saturated, and it breeds mosquitoes in our warm, humid climate. Moving that water off is a health and home-value issue, not only a curb-appeal one.
A french drain is often one piece of a larger plan. We frequently tie in catch basins to grab surface water and regrade low spots so the yard sheds water on its own. If you are not sure what your yard needs, start with our yard drainage solutions page or book a free assessment, and we will tell you honestly whether a french drain, grading, catch basins, or a combination is the right fix.
Proudly Serving Homeowners Across Local Communities
Strong Landscaping provides premium landscaping and outdoor living services throughout surrounding neighborhoods and service areas, delivering tailored outdoor solutions designed for each property and environment.
- Downtown Houston
- East Downtown (EaDo)
- West University Place
- Montrose
- Rice Military
- The Heights
- Near Northside
- Garden Oaks & Oak Forest
- River Oaks
- Memorial
- Braeswood Place
- Texas Medical Center
- Greenway Plaza
- Spring Branch
- Galleria
- Westchase
- Energy Corridor
- Upper Kirby
- Bellaire
Outdoor Transformations Designed To Last
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a french drain cost in Houston?
French drain cost depends on the length, how deep we dig, the pipe and gravel we use, and where the water has to go. A short run along one wet corner costs far less than a long drain that wraps a whole yard and ties into catch basins. That is why we walk your property first and give you a free, itemized quote before any digging starts. After 20+ years and 500+ projects in Houston, we can look at your standing water and give you an honest range the same visit.
Does a french drain work in Houston clay soil?
Yes, and clay is exactly why so many Houston yards need one. Our heavy clay soil soaks up water very slowly, so rain sits on top and stays wet for days. A french drain gives that trapped water a fast path out. We set a perforated pipe in a gravel-filled trench wrapped in filter fabric, so water drops into the gravel, enters the pipe, and flows to a safe discharge point instead of pooling on the clay.
What is the difference between a french drain and a catch basin?
A french drain is a subsurface system that collects water soaking through the soil along its whole length, so it is best for saturated ground and seepage. A catch basin is a surface inlet with a grate that grabs water pooling in one low spot or coming off a downspout or driveway. Many Houston yards need both, so we often tie catch basins into a french drain to handle surface water and groundwater together. You can read more on our catch basin and channel drain page.
Can a french drain protect my foundation?
It can help a lot. Houston clay swells when it is wet and shrinks when it dries, and that constant movement is hard on slab foundations. When water pools against the house, the soil stays saturated and the pressure builds. A french drain pulls that water away from the foundation and keeps the soil more stable. We route the drain so water moves off to a safe outlet, not back toward your slab.
How deep should a french drain be?
There is no single number. Depth depends on where the water sits, how far it has to travel, and the fall we can get across your yard. In flat Houston terrain we often have little natural slope to work with, so we survey the grade and set the trench deep and pitched enough for gravity to keep water moving. A drain that is too shallow or too flat will not carry water away, which is why the survey and layout matter more than a rule of thumb.
Do I need a french drain or regrading?
Sometimes regrading the yard to slope water away from the house solves the problem on its own, and it is often the cheaper first fix. Other times the ground stays saturated no matter the slope, and a french drain is the answer. Many yards need both, grading to shed surface water and a french drain to relieve the soil. During the free assessment we tell you which one fits your yard, and you can also see our yard grading and leveling page for the earthwork side.
