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Arizona licensed, bonded & insuredServing Arizona homeowners since 2005Peoria design showroomWritten, itemized project scopesProject-specific payment & warranty terms
A note on the numbers

This isn't a cost. It's an investment.

The figures on this page are real and we don't hide them — that's how AE operates. But we want to be honest about how to read them. Your Phoenix French drain installation isn't a line-item expense; it's an investment in your home's value, your family's daily experience, and a space you'll use for the next twenty to thirty years.

When you compare bids, compare what you're investing in — the spec, the crews, the warranty, the company that will still be standing in year ten — not just the price tag. The lowest bid is almost always the most expensive build over time.

Arizona licensed, bonded & insuredPeoria design showroomWritten, itemized scopesProject-specific termsHow we earn trust →
Phoenix

French drain installation in Phoenix, real fabric, clean rock, cleanouts, as-built drawings.

AE Outdoor Living installs French drains, catch basins, and full yard drainage systems across the entire Phoenix metro. Every drain uses 4" ADS perforated pipe wrapped in non-woven filter fabric with 3/4" clean drain rock — never quarter-minus fines, which silt drains inside 3 years.

The honest version: Half of the failed French drains AE re-does were built with quarter-minus (crushed rock with fines) instead of clean 3/4" drain rock. Quarter-minus is cheaper — and silts the perforated pipe solid inside 3–5 years, so the drain stops working right when you needed it. If a bidder quotes 'gravel' without specifying clean 3/4" drain rock and non-woven filter fabric, ask them to write those two specs on the proposal. Most won't.
01

What AE installs

  • 4" ADS perforated pipe French drains, fabric-wrapped burrito style.
  • NDS and Zurn surface channel drains at pool decks and patios.
  • Catch basins with sediment traps and grated tops.
  • Subsurface pipe runs to daylight or drywell termination.
  • Cleanout tees every 25 feet for annual flush access.
  • Full property drainage plans with as-built drawings.
02

Phoenix drainage install pricing

  • Basic 25-foot French drain: $1,800–$3,400.
  • 50-foot yard-perimeter drain to daylight: $3,200–$6,500.
  • Full property drainage with catch basins: $5,500–$14,500.
  • Drywell or dry-pit termination: add $850–$2,200.
  • Surface channel drain add-on: $65–$140 per linear foot.
03

The AE drainage spec

  • 4" ADS perforated pipe minimum — no 3" 'residential' pipe.
  • Non-woven filter fabric wrapped burrito-style around rock.
  • 3/4" clean drain rock only — never quarter-minus fines.
  • Cleanout tees at every 25 feet and at every direction change.
  • As-built drawing with pipe routes and outlet points stored in your portal.
04

French drain vs. channel drain — you probably need both

Channel drain (Zurn, NDS): grated linear drain at the top of a slab, catches sheet water on hardscape. French drain: subsurface perforated pipe, catches soil moisture and groundwater. Most Phoenix drainage projects use both — channel drain at the pool deck house-side to catch pool-splash and monsoon sheet flow, French drain along the foundation and low-lying yard areas. AE spec's the combination on every drainage proposal.

05

Why Phoenix homeowners choose AE

  • In-house drainage crew — no subcontracted trench digs.
  • Non-woven fabric and clean drain rock spec'd on every proposal.
  • Cleanout tees make annual flushing possible — no dig-ups.
  • 3-year workmanship warranty on flow and pipe integrity.
FAQ

Common questions.

Basic 25-foot French drain (perforated pipe, gravel, filter fabric): $1,800–$3,400. 50-foot yard-perimeter drain to daylight: $3,200–$6,500. Full-property drainage with catch basins, subsurface pipe, and daylight outlets: $5,500–$14,500. Drywell or dry-pit termination (no daylight option): add $850–$2,200. Every install includes 4" perforated ADS pipe, non-woven filter fabric, and 3/4" clean drain rock — never quarter-minus.

Four common triggers: monsoon standing water inside 24 hours of a storm, pool deck slab holding water at the house side, chronic wet spots along the foundation, and irrigation over-run pooling in low corners. Phoenix caliche soil doesn't percolate — surface water sits until it evaporates. A French drain gives that water somewhere to go, before it undermines slabs or foundations.

Surface/channel drain (Zurn, NDS): grated linear drain at the top of a slab, catches sheet water on hardscape. French drain: subsurface perforated pipe wrapped in fabric and gravel, catches soil moisture and groundwater from below. Most Phoenix drainage projects need both — channel drain at the pool deck house-side, French drain along the foundation and low yard areas. AE spec's them together.

Backyard French drains inside the property line typically don't require permit. Drains that daylight into the public street or right-of-way, or that tie into city storm systems, require civil permit and city coordination. AE (ROC #340966) confirms permit requirements per address before quoting. Every drain terminates legally — never trespass-daylighted onto a neighbor's yard.

Properly built (non-woven fabric wrap, 3/4" clean rock, 4" ADS perforated pipe, cleanout tees): 20–30 years. Cheap installs (no fabric, dirty gravel, quarter-minus fines mixed in): 3–7 years before the pipe silts up and the drain stops working. AE's spec — non-woven fabric burrito wrap, clean rock only, cleanouts every 25 feet — is why our drains last decades, not summers.

3-year workmanship warranty on drain flow and pipe integrity. AE cleanout tees at every 25 feet make routine flushing possible — annual pressure flush recommended before monsoon season. Every install includes an as-built drawing (pipe routes, cleanout locations, outlet points) stored in your Outdoor Guardian portal for resale and maintenance documentation.

Get your Phoenix drainage scoped and quoted.

Free monsoon walk-through, drainage plan, written proposal in 5 business days with catch basin and daylight options.

Start My Project Plan
Your home investment — protected

Why this is an investment, not a cost.

An AE backyard is engineered to add daily livability and long-term home value. We publish honest ranges and build to code with a licensed and bonded Arizona crew. AE provides project-specific workmanship and manufacturer-warranty information in the signed agreement. Website summaries are for planning only.

  • Licensed, bonded & insured in Arizona. ROC 340966 (R-62) · ROC 341002 (R-3) · ROC 347738 (KA-5) · ROC 211530 (CR-21). Most Arizona contracting work valued at $1,000 or more — or requiring a permit — must be performed by a properly licensed contractor, subject to statutory exemptions. Verify the legal entity, license status, and classification with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.
  • Real ranges, itemized scope. You see materials, finishes, equipment models, and a line-item budget before you sign — not a one-line "pool — $90,000."

Related drainage reading

Homeowner FAQ

More drainage questions?

Perforated pipe vs. solid pipe, drywell sizing, and cleanout maintenance in the Hardscape section of the Homeowner FAQ.

Related guides

Keep learning before you build.