Let’s Build a French Drain That Actually Drains

Most failed French drains fail for one reason: they had nowhere to send the water. Here’s how to build one that keeps a yard dry for years.

What you’ll need

• Perforated pipe and a sock (filter) sleeve
• Clean drain rock — not pit-run
• Non-woven landscape fabric
• A daylight outlet or a dry well to empty into

Step 1 — Set your slope

Dig the trench with a steady fall of at least 1% (about an inch every 8 feet) toward the outlet. No fall, no flow — this is where DIY drains die.

Step 2 — Wrap, don’t just bury

Line the trench with fabric, add a few inches of rock, lay the pipe holes-down, surround it in rock, then fold the fabric over the top. The fabric keeps silt out so the rock voids don’t clog.

Step 3 — Give it an exit

Run the pipe to a spot lower than the trench — a ditch, a pop-up emitter, or a dry well. If there’s no lower spot, you need a different system. That’s the honest part most videos skip.