French drains and yard drainage
French drain installation in Louisville, KY
Interior and exterior drains that intercept water and move it away from the foundation before it becomes a wet basement or crawl space. Trenched, graveled, piped and finished by our own crew.
Signs you need it
Water that needs somewhere to go
A yard that stays soggy
Louisville clay does not drain. Water sits on the surface and works its way to the foundation.
Water against the foundation wall
If the ground slopes toward the house, or a neighbor's lot drains onto yours, the wall takes the load.
A basement or crawl space that leaks on one side
Usually the uphill side. An intercept drain catches the water before the wall does.
Downspouts and a driveway sending water at the house
Hard surfaces concentrate water. A drain at the edge takes it away.
What we do
Exterior intercept drains and interior perimeter drains
An exterior French drain is a trench on the uphill side or along the foundation, lined with fabric, filled with washed gravel around a perforated pipe, sloped to daylight, a dry well or a pop-up emitter. It catches groundwater and surface water before it reaches the wall. An interior French drain is the perimeter channel inside a basement or crawl space that feeds a sump, which is the backbone of our basement systems.
We install both, including the interior drains of crawl space waterproofing, and we tie them into downspout extensions and grading so the whole property drains the right way.
- Fabric-lined trench, washed gravel, perforated pipe with proper fall
- Exits to daylight, a dry well or a pop-up emitter
- Tied into downspout lines and regraded where needed
- Interior perimeter drains as part of basement and crawl space systems
See the work
An interior drain, trench still open
Footage from a Watertight job. Short and silent, so it plays anywhere.
How the job goes
One to two days for a typical exterior run
Read the water
Where it comes from, where it collects, where it can go. Slope measured.
Trench
Dug by hand or machine depending on access, with fabric and gravel bedding.
Pipe and backfill
Perforated pipe, gravel, fabric wrap, then soil and turf put back.
Finish
Emitter or outlet set, everything tested with water.
On the job
From the crew's own photos
Real Watertight jobs. Nothing staged, nothing stock.
What it costs
Price your french drains and yard drainage in a minute
A few questions give a planning range from the same calculator as the cost guide. See every line, or book a free inspection with your numbers attached.
Why Watertight
Drainage that works with the rest of the house
A French drain is only useful if it goes to the right place and connects to everything else moving water around the house. We design it as part of the whole picture, and our work on it carries the lifetime transferable warranty, with the written terms spelling out what is covered.
- Interior and exterior drains from one crew
- Yard put back properly
- Honest about when a drain will and will not solve the problem
3 months agoWatertight are the best. I searched around and had a few companies come give me quotes but Zach the owner made the decision easy. They are a great group of guys that just want to do a good job and make their customers happy. The delivered on both. They…
a month agoBig fan of WaterTight Waterproofing. I've had them work on a couple waterproofing jobs and I've been happy with the price and work I've received. Particular shoutout to Devin and Sean. I've been impressed with their professionalism and attention to…
4 weeks agoI would highly recommend Watertight Waterproofing. From the time the owner (Zack) gave me an estimate and explained all they were going to do to my crawl space, to completion, everything went flawless. The crews were great, very professional. Thanks again…
Questions
French drains and yard drainage: what people ask
Still have a question? Call the office, Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
How much does a French drain cost in Louisville?
It depends on the length, the depth, the access and where the water can exit. Every job is priced in writing after a free inspection, and the cost guide has typical Louisville ranges and a calculator for planning.
Will a French drain stop my basement from leaking?
If the water is coming from the surface or the uphill side, an exterior intercept drain often does. If it is groundwater pressure under the floor, you need an interior perimeter drain and a sump. We diagnose which at the inspection.
Where does the water go?
To daylight if the lot slopes, to a dry well if it does not, or to a pop-up emitter that releases it on the lawn well away from the house.
Do you fix the grading too?
Yes, where it is the cause. Sometimes regrading and buried downspouts solve the problem without a drain.
Projects
Real jobs, before and after
Each pair is one Watertight job, photographed before and after. Nothing staged, nothing stock.
A bare block basement, lined and finished
Stained block walls and a patched floor, finished with white-lined walls and the sump tucked in the corner.
Read the story
A basement corner, mid-job and finished
A corner caught mid-job with a saw and a hammer on the floor, finished in white liner over a dark floor.
Read the story
Crawl space encapsulation, start to finish
Bare dirt and rubble under the joists, now covered by a white liner from the floor up the block wall.
Read the storyWhere we do this work
French drains and yard drainage across Louisville and Kentuckiana
Every area has its own page on the houses and ground in that part of town.
Free estimate
French drains: get a written price
Tell us what you are seeing. A technician calls back during business hours and books a time to look. No cost, no obligation.
- Photos and a plain explanation of the cause
- Written scope and price
- Our own crew, not a subcontractor
- We beat any reputable company's price on the same scope
