Perimeter interception
A drain installed uphill of the structure intercepts water before it reaches the foundation wall.
Exterior water control · Greater Burlington
French drain installation: send water somewhere it can go
A French drain is a perforated pipe in washed stone that intercepts water and carries it away. It works when it has a genuine outlet and fails when it does not, which is why the outlet, not the trench, is the part worth scrutinising in an estimate.
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What this service includes
A French drain intercepts surface or shallow groundwater and moves it to a lower outlet. It is used for saturated lawns, water running toward a foundation, wet areas below a slope, and to relieve water reaching a basement wall. It requires continuous fall to a legitimate discharge point, filter fabric and clean stone to resist silting, and an outlet that will not freeze shut in a Vermont winter. Without somewhere for the water to go, a French drain simply relocates the puddle.
Common reasons homeowners call
Problems this service can fix
Water standing in the yard days after rain
Runoff from a slope arriving at the foundation
A soggy strip along one side of the house
Water entering a basement wall on the uphill side
Erosion channels across a lawn or bed
An older drain that no longer seems to carry water
Downspouts discharging into ground that cannot absorb it
Repairs and systems
Repairs and systems
Yard and low-area drainage
Wet lawn areas are drained to a lower outlet so the surface can dry and be used.
Footing drain replacement
A failed or missing footing drain is replaced during exterior excavation and connected to a working outlet.
Downspout integration
Roof water is carried in solid pipe to the outlet rather than dumped into the stone, which would overwhelm the drain.
Dry well or daylight outlet
Where no gravity outlet exists, a dry well or pumped discharge is designed for the volume the drain will collect.
Filter fabric and clean stone
Proper fabric and washed stone keep fines out of the pipe so the drain does not silt shut in a few seasons.
Matching the option to the condition
French drain types by purpose
The outlet is the whole design. A drain with nowhere to send water only relocates the problem.
| Purpose | Type | What to confirm first |
|---|---|---|
| Intercept water before the foundation | Perimeter interception | Outlet location and grade |
| Fix a wet low area | Yard and low-area drainage | Where the water will go |
| Replace a failed footing drain | Footing drain replacement | Location and condition of the old drain |
| Avoid mixing roof water into stone | Downspout integration | Separate solid pipe for roof water |
| Give water a place to leave | Dry well or daylight outlet | Soil and slope |
- 01
Where water comes from and where it collects
- 02
Available fall from the wet area to a possible outlet
- 03
Soil type and how quickly it drains
- 04
Property lines, utilities, septic and wells in the path
- 05
Existing drains, downspouts and sump discharge
- 06
Whether the foundation is receiving the same water
Your estimate
What is included in the plan
The outlet is the whole design
Ask exactly where the water leaves, and a drain with no fall, or one ending in a low spot, moves the problem a few feet.
Do not mix roof water into the stone
Downspouts carry a large, sudden volume, and that belongs in solid pipe to the outlet, not injected into the drain rock.
Silting
Fabric, stone size and installation determine whether a drain still works in ten years. Cheap installations clog.
Winter
A daylight outlet that freezes or gets buried in snow stops the whole system, and placement matters in this climate.
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Compare the complete french drain installation scope.
Sources and Vermont specifics
Where the water goes is part of the drain
A French drain moves water, and the model residential code says surface water must be diverted to a storm sewer or other approved point of collection that does not create a hazard. That last clause is the one that causes disputes: a drain that ends at a neighbor's yard, a public way or a wall that freezes over has moved the problem, not solved it. Ask the contractor where the outlet is, what elevation it drains to and how it is protected from freezing.
The same code asks for grade that falls at least 6 inches in the first 10 feet away from a foundation. If regrading can move the water before it gets to the drain, a shorter or shallower drain may be enough. Ask what alternatives were considered and why the recommended length was chosen.
Sources: InterNACHI, Foundation Fundamentals: IRC R401.3 drainage. Checked September 26, 2026.
Common questions
French Drain Installation FAQs
Where does a French drain discharge?
To a point lower than the drain that can accept the water: daylight on a slope, a dry well sized for the volume, or a pumped outlet where gravity is unavailable. It cannot connect to the sanitary sewer, and in Burlington sump and drainage discharge must remain on your own property.
Why did my French drain stop working?
The common causes are silting from missing or wrong filter fabric, crushed or disconnected pipe, roof water overwhelming the stone, an outlet that settled and lost its fall, or an outlet blocked by ice, roots or debris.
Do I need an exterior French drain or an interior drain?
It depends on where the water is. Exterior drains intercept water before it reaches the wall and address surface and shallow flow. Interior systems collect water that has already arrived at the footing or below the slab. Some properties need both, and the inspection should say which conditions are present.