French drains and yard drainage in Richardson, TX
Richardson maintains 362 miles of underground storm drain across 12 drainage basins. But water standing in your yard is still yours to fix. Here's how.
How Richardson's drainage system works
As of a June 2022 Richardson Today article, Richardson's public drainage system covers 12 drainage basins, including Cottonwood Creek, and 362 miles of underground storm drain line. The city maintains that public system.
Two things stay with the homeowner:
- Your yard. Grading, downspouts and standing water on your lot are yours to handle.
- Creeks on or next to your lot. The city says that if a creek or waterway runs through or next to your property, you're responsible for maintaining it so it keeps draining.
Why Richardson yards hold water
Richardson is built on Blackland Prairie clay, which swells shut once it's wet. Water that can't run off the surface pools in flat or low areas. The city's own advice: keep the ground sloping away from the foundation, point gutters and downspouts away from the house, and let runoff pass through grass or gravel before it leaves the lot. How the clay works →
What it costs in Richardson
One DFW pricing service lists French drains at about $60 per foot installed, so a 60-foot run with one catch basin comes to about $3,800. A Dallas landscape firm puts a single problem spot at $2,000–$5,000. Prices vary, so get more than one quote. Where these numbers come from →
Before you dig or hire
- Ask the city before connecting to a curb, alley or inlet. Richardson's Development Services department can tell you what's allowed.
- Keep creeks and channels clear. Don't route a drain or dump fill in a way that blocks a creek or channel.
- Call 811 two business days before digging. It's free, but it won't mark private lines past your meter, like gas to a grill or power to a shed. What to watch for →
- Mind the neighbors. Texas law bars diverting surface water in a way that damages another property. More on the rules →
Getting quotes
Use the form below. We'll pass your request to an independent drainage contractor who works in Richardson, and they'll contact you to look at the yard. Free, no obligation.
City of Richardson contacts
Before any drain ties into a curb, alley, street inlet or creek, ask the city what it requires.
Sources
Get a free drainage quote
Tell us what's happening. We'll send it to one independent local drainage contractor who serves your city, and they'll contact you to set up a visit. Free, no obligation.