French Drain Installation Contractor — French Drains & Surface Water Drainage in East Sussex & Kent
A French drain is one of the most effective ways to manage surface water around your property. If water is pooling in your garden, running towards your house, or flooding your driveway, a French drain — a gravel-filled trench with a perforated pipe — collects the water and carries it away. We install French drains for homeowners, builders, and developers across Kent and East Sussex.
As drainage contractors based in Battle, East Sussex, we've been installing French drains across the Weald and South Downs for over 10 years. We understand the local soil conditions and design French drains that work — correctly sized, correctly graded, and connected to a suitable outfall.
What Is a French Drain and When Do You Need One?
A French drain is a trench filled with gravel that contains a perforated pipe. Surface water seeps through the gravel into the pipe, which carries it away to a soakaway, ditch, or watercourse. French drains are used to manage surface water around properties, along driveways, at the bottom of slopes, and around fields where water collects.
You need a French drain if surface water is causing problems — water pooling in your garden after rain, water running towards your property from a slope, a driveway that floods, or damp issues caused by water sitting against the foundations of a building. A French drain intercepts the water and carries it away before it can cause damage.
French drains are also used in agricultural and rural settings — along field boundaries to intercept water running off slopes, at the edge of tracks to prevent waterlogging, and around paddocks and equestrian land to keep the ground firm. In all cases, the principle is the same: collect the water in a gravel-filled trench and carry it away through a perforated pipe.
Our French Drain Installation Service
We install French drains using our own excavators. The process involves excavating a trench (typically 300–600mm wide and 300–900mm deep, depending on the application), lining it with geotextile membrane to prevent silt from clogging the drain, laying a perforated pipe on a bed of clean gravel, backfilling with more gravel, and wrapping the membrane over the top. The drain is then connected to a suitable outfall — a soakaway, ditch, or watercourse.
The gradient is critical — the pipe needs to fall at the right rate (typically 1:80 to 1:100) so water flows through it rather than sitting in it. We set the gradient precisely using our excavators and check it with laser levels. A French drain without the right gradient won't work — water will sit in the pipe and silt up, and the drain will fail within a few years.
We also install land drains (perforated pipe drainage without the gravel and membrane) for field and agricultural drainage, and combined systems that use French drains to collect surface water and land drains to manage groundwater. For every French drain we install, we ensure the outfall is clear and functional — a French drain is only as good as where it discharges to. We handle the full installation from excavation through to connection and reinstatement.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a French drain cost?
The cost depends on the length of drain required, the depth and width of the trench, the ground conditions, and the outfall arrangements. A typical domestic French drain costs from £40–80 per linear metre installed. We provide free, no-obligation quotes — call us on 07376 622637 to arrange a site visit.
How deep should a French drain be?
French drains are typically 300–900mm deep depending on the application. For surface water drainage around properties, 300–450mm is usually sufficient. For deeper drainage or to intercept groundwater, 600–900mm may be needed. The depth also depends on the outfall — the drain needs to fall to the outfall at the right gradient.
How long does a French drain last?
A properly installed French drain with geotextile membrane, clean gravel, and a correctly graded perforated pipe can last 20–30 years or more. Without the membrane, silt will clog the drain within a few years. We install French drains to last, using quality materials and correct installation techniques.
Where does the water from a French drain go?
A French drain needs a suitable outfall — somewhere for the water to go. This is typically a soakaway, a ditch, a watercourse, or (less commonly) a surface water sewer. The outfall must be lower than the drain and able to handle the water volume. We ensure the outfall is clear and functional as part of every French drain installation.
Need Help With This Problem?
Call us for a free quote. Based in Battle, East Sussex — covering Kent and East Sussex. We respond within 24 hours.