Most Dallas drainage projects run $2,000-$25,000, depending on the system and the area it has to cover. A targeted French drain for a single problem spot lands at $2,000-$5,000, a combined yard system with area drains and re-grading runs $6,000-$14,000, and a major correction with extensive grading, dry creeks, and long runs to a discharge point reaches $15,000-$25,000+.
That range holds across the neighborhoods where we do this work most: the Park Cities, Preston Hollow, and Lakewood. What moves the number is not the ZIP code. It is what the water is doing, how much ground the system has to cover, and how far the water has to travel to leave your property.
What each project level includes
| Project level | Typical range | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Targeted fix | $2,000-$5,000 | A French drain or downspout routing for a single problem area. |
| Yard system | $6,000-$14,000 | Combined French drains, area drains, and re-grading across the property. |
| Major correction | $15,000-$25,000+ | Comprehensive drainage with extensive grading, dry creeks, and long runs to daylight. |
Why Dallas yards hold water: Blackland clay
Dallas sits on Blackland Prairie clay, a soil that swells shut when it takes on water and shrinks and cracks when it dries. Rain does not soak in; it sits on the surface and moves sideways, which is how it ends up standing in low spots and pressing against foundations. We cover the mechanics in our guide to how DFW clay soil creates drainage problems and what actually fixes them.
The older Dallas neighborhoods add their own wrinkles:
- Park Cities. Highland Park and University Park lots have been regraded, added onto, and re-landscaped for decades. Additions, pool decks, and neighboring projects change how water moves, and your yard inherits the result.
- Preston Hollow. Large wooded lots where the trenching plan is dictated by mature root systems. Protecting established trees decides where a drain line can and cannot go.
- Lakewood. Real elevation change sloping toward White Rock Lake. Water arrives fast from uphill lots, so it has to be intercepted and routed, not just absorbed.
What affects your price
- Area and runs. Larger areas and longer pipe runs to a discharge point increase cost.
- System type. Simple French drains cost less than full catch-basin and channel systems.
- Grading. Re-grading and swale work adds cost, but it is often the real fix.
- Access. Tight access and existing landscape to protect can add labor, especially on established lots.
How we build drainage that lasts
Drainage fails when it is treated as a trench and a pipe instead of a system. We start with grade: where water enters the property, where it stands, and where it can legally and practically discharge. Then we design the combination of French drains, area drains, swales, and dry creeks that moves it, and we build it as part of our drainage solutions service, with one crew accountable for the whole system. To see what the finished work looks like, browse our river rock drainage builds.
Comparing with the suburbs? See our Plano drainage cost guide and Frisco drainage cost guide for how the same systems price north of the city.
