French Drain Gravel - Material Guide
Picking the right gravel for a french drain gravel project? This guide covers the materials that fit best, how much you need, and what it costs delivered.
Most french drain gravel projects fail in the prep stage, not the gravel itself. Soft subgrade, missing fabric, or stone with the wrong gradation all show up six months later as ruts, weeds, or settling. The guide below walks the install in the order a pro crew would tackle it, with the numbers we use to spec material on bids in this region.
BEST FIT
Best materials for french drain gravel
What french drain gravel needs in a material
- Size and shape: 3/4 to 1.5 inch clean, washed stone.
- Drainage: maximum void space around perforated pipe.
- Compaction: never compacted, voids carry the water.
The three specs above drive every other choice on a french drain gravel job. Order the wrong size and the surface fails fast. Pick a material that drains the wrong way and you fight standing water or washouts. Get these right and the install steps below take care of the rest.
How to install french drain gravel
-
1
Excavate trench
Dig 18 inches deep and 12 inches wide with a 1 percent slope to daylight.
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2
Line with fabric
Roll non-woven geotextile into the trench with extra fabric on each side.
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3
Bed the pipe
Lay 4 inches of clean stone, set perforated pipe holes-down, cover with stone.
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4
Wrap and finish
Fold fabric over the top, cover with topsoil or decorative stone.
How much french drain gravel material do you need
| Project size | 3 inch depth | 4 inch depth |
|---|---|---|
| 100 sq ft | 0.9 cu yd / 1.3 tons | 1.2 cu yd / 1.7 tons |
| 300 sq ft | 2.8 cu yd / 3.9 tons | 3.7 cu yd / 5.2 tons |
| 600 sq ft | 5.6 cu yd / 7.8 tons | 7.4 cu yd / 10.4 tons |
Quantities above assume crushed stone at roughly 1.4 tons per cubic yard. Pea gravel and river rock run a bit lighter, decomposed granite a bit denser. Add 10 percent waste for irregular shapes and edge losses.
What french drain gravel costs in 2026
| Region | Delivered per ton | Typical 300 sq ft project |
|---|---|---|
| Northeast | $46 to $79 | $161 to $277 |
| Midwest | $35 to $62 | $123 to $217 |
| South | $33 to $59 | $116 to $207 |
| West | $53 to $97 | $186 to $340 |
The bands below are 2026 delivered prices for full truck loads from a local quarry. Pricing climbs in metros with longer haul distance, drops in markets with quarry competition. Color washes, screenings, and specialty grades sit at the top end of the range.
French Drain Gravel mistakes to avoid
- Stone with fines, which clogs the drain inside one rain season.
- Trench laid flat, with no fall to an outlet.
- No fabric wrap, so silt fills the voids fast.
- Outlet covered by sod, so the system has nowhere to push the water.
Cities with active french drain gravel guides
Charlotte, NC
French Drain Gravel guide
New York, NY
French Drain Gravel guide
Los Angeles, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Chicago, IL
French Drain Gravel guide
Houston, TX
French Drain Gravel guide
Phoenix, AZ
French Drain Gravel guide
Philadelphia, PA
French Drain Gravel guide
San Antonio, TX
French Drain Gravel guide
San Diego, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Dallas, TX
French Drain Gravel guide
San Jose, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Austin, TX
French Drain Gravel guide
Jacksonville, FL
French Drain Gravel guide
Fort Worth, TX
French Drain Gravel guide
Columbus, OH
French Drain Gravel guide
Indianapolis, IN
French Drain Gravel guide
San Francisco, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Seattle, WA
French Drain Gravel guide
Denver, CO
French Drain Gravel guide
Washington, DC
French Drain Gravel guide
Nashville, TN
French Drain Gravel guide
Oklahoma City, OK
French Drain Gravel guide
El Paso, TX
French Drain Gravel guide
Las Vegas, NV
French Drain Gravel guide
Boston, MA
French Drain Gravel guide
Newark, NJ
French Drain Gravel guide
Jersey City, NJ
French Drain Gravel guide
Yonkers, NY
French Drain Gravel guide
Paterson, NJ
French Drain Gravel guide
Elizabeth, NJ
French Drain Gravel guide
Santa Ana, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Kent, WA
French Drain Gravel guide
Independence, MO
French Drain Gravel guide
Fremont, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Overland Park, KS
French Drain Gravel guide
Chula Vista, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Huntington Beach, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Garden Grove, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Odessa, TX
French Drain Gravel guide
Bellevue, WA
French Drain Gravel guide
Fullerton, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Torrance, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Richardson, TX
French Drain Gravel guide
Kansas City, KS
French Drain Gravel guide
Downey, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Costa Mesa, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Olathe, KS
French Drain Gravel guide
Renton, WA
French Drain Gravel guide
El Cajon, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Inglewood, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Henderson, NV
French Drain Gravel guide
Broken Arrow, OK
French Drain Gravel guide
Allen, TX
French Drain Gravel guide
Lee's Summit, MO
French Drain Gravel guide
Federal Way, WA
French Drain Gravel guide
Irvine, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Sunnyvale, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Springfield, MA
French Drain Gravel guide
North Las Vegas, NV
French Drain Gravel guide
Providence, RI
French Drain Gravel guide
Santa Clara, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Honolulu, HI
French Drain Gravel guide
Oceanside, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Hayward, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Joliet, IL
French Drain Gravel guide
Brockton, MA
French Drain Gravel guide
Columbus, GA
French Drain Gravel guide
Reno, NV
French Drain Gravel guide
Orange, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Glendale, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Elk Grove, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Cambridge, MA
French Drain Gravel guide
Goodyear, AZ
French Drain Gravel guide
Roseville, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Carlsbad, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Rio Rancho, NM
French Drain Gravel guide
Gresham, OR
French Drain Gravel guide
Baton Rouge, LA
French Drain Gravel guide
Modesto, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Hillsboro, OR
French Drain Gravel guide
Dearborn, MI
French Drain Gravel guide
Worcester, MA
French Drain Gravel guide
Sioux Falls, SD
French Drain Gravel guide
El Monte, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Quincy, MA
French Drain Gravel guide
Oxnard, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Deltona, FL
French Drain Gravel guide
Peoria, AZ
French Drain Gravel guide
West Valley City, UT
French Drain Gravel guide
Warren, MI
French Drain Gravel guide
Pasadena, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Sterling Heights, MI
French Drain Gravel guide
Ontario, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Norman, OK
French Drain Gravel guide
Salem, OR
French Drain Gravel guide
Eugene, OR
French Drain Gravel guide
Santa Rosa, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Shreveport, LA
French Drain Gravel guide
Berkeley, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Lancaster, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
West Jordan, UT
French Drain Gravel guide
Richmond, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Palmdale, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Corona, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Salinas, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
South Fulton, GA
French Drain Gravel guide
Bridgeport, CT
French Drain Gravel guide
West Covina, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Pomona, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Visalia, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Lynn, MA
French Drain Gravel guide
Fayetteville, AR
French Drain Gravel guide
San Mateo, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Columbia, SC
French Drain Gravel guide
Daly City, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Georgetown, TX
French Drain Gravel guide
Jackson, MS
French Drain Gravel guide
Meridian, ID
French Drain Gravel guide
Stamford, CT
French Drain Gravel guide
Cedar Rapids, IA
French Drain Gravel guide
New Haven, CT
French Drain Gravel guide
Fargo, ND
French Drain Gravel guide
Columbia, MO
French Drain Gravel guide
Clovis, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Simi Valley, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Thousand Oaks, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Concord, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Vallejo, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Fairfield, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Hartford, CT
French Drain Gravel guide
Billings, MT
French Drain Gravel guide
Lowell, MA
French Drain Gravel guide
Antioch, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Nampa, ID
French Drain Gravel guide
Las Cruces, NM
French Drain Gravel guide
Manchester, NH
French Drain Gravel guide
Miami Gardens, FL
French Drain Gravel guide
Provo, UT
French Drain Gravel guide
Buckeye, AZ
French Drain Gravel guide
Tuscaloosa, AL
French Drain Gravel guide
Everett, WA
French Drain Gravel guide
Springfield, IL
French Drain Gravel guide
Beaumont, TX
French Drain Gravel guide
Temecula, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Sparks, NV
French Drain Gravel guide
Santa Maria, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Ventura, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Edinburg, TX
French Drain Gravel guide
Spokane Valley, WA
French Drain Gravel guide
Palm Coast, FL
French Drain Gravel guide
St. George, UT
French Drain Gravel guide
Vacaville, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Burbank, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Suffolk, VA
French Drain Gravel guide
Chico, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
Wichita Falls, TX
French Drain Gravel guide
New Bedford, MA
French Drain Gravel guide
Albany, NY
French Drain Gravel guide
Davenport, IA
French Drain Gravel guide
San Angelo, TX
French Drain Gravel guide
Tracy, CA
French Drain Gravel guide
FAQ for french drain gravel
What gravel works in a French drain?
Clean washed 3/4 to 1.5 inch stone with no fines. Bigger voids move more water.
How wide should the trench be?
12 to 18 inches wide is standard for residential runs. Big enough to set the pipe and surround with 4 inches of stone on each side.
Do I need a sock on the pipe?
On clay or silty soils, yes. The sock helps the fabric do its job longer.
Where should the French drain outlet go?
Daylight to a swale, a dry well, or a storm sewer if local code allows. Not against the foundation.
How long does a French drain last?
With clean stone and good fabric, 20 to 30 years. Stone with fines cuts that in half.