French drain price in Quebec — transparent 2026 guide

French drain cleaning — price range

The French drain price for a standard high-pressure cleaning sits between roughly $900 and $3,200 in Lanaudière. The range hinges mostly on four things: total length of drain to clear, the level of blockage the camera reveals, presence (or absence) of iron ochre, and how easy it is to reach the cleanout ports. A 30 m drain with moderate buildup that we can attack through two existing inspection ports lands at the low end. A 50 m drain saturated with ochre, with no ports, that first has to be opened from the surface to reach, easily passes $3,000.

Broken down by sub-service, the Quebec-wide market ranges are: a camera inspection on its own runs $300–$600 — or as little as $110–$220 if your inspection ports are already in place and properly positioned. A hydro-jet cleaning on its own, excluding the camera, runs $500–$1,500. The standard camera + hydro-jet bundle averages around $1,450, which is why our floor sits at $900 for shorter drains. The $3,200 ceiling is reached when the absence of inspection ports forces us to open the ground to reach the pipe, or when several successive passes are needed to break down calcified or biochemical deposits.

We systematically work with a camera inspection before and after the cleaning. Before, to objectively measure the drain's condition and confirm cleaning is the right intervention — a collapsed or crushed drain cannot be cleaned, it has to be replaced. After, to confirm the drain is clear along its full length and hand you a reference video for the years ahead. The cost of that documented camera inspection is included in most of our cleaning packages; we say so clearly in the estimate.

A word on the very low-priced packages floating around — $350, $450, $550 for a 'full cleaning.' Be careful. At those prices, the contractor runs a garden hose into the port and bills it as cleaning. Bacterial biofilm and ochre deposits do not come off under garden-hose pressure; you need an industrial-grade rotary high-pressure head, fed by a pump that delivers the right flow. Without it, the drain looks clear for two weeks and the problem comes back. Always ask to see the equipment and ask for camera-documented before-and-after work.

Repairing an existing French drain

Targeted repair of one drain section — as opposed to full replacement — covers cases where the camera reveals a localized issue: a section crushed by external load, a collapsed elbow, an unsealed coupling, root intrusion across a few metres only. In those situations, we excavate just the affected portion, replace the compromised metres, rebuild the gravel bed and geotextile in that one spot, and patch the surface finish. The French drain price for this kind of repair generally runs $2,500 to $8,500, depending on depth, length of the section and accessibility.

Why is $2,500 the floor for what sounds like a small job? Because excavation work doesn't see linear economies of scale: whether we dig ten feet or a hundred feet, the fixed mobilization costs barely move — trailering the excavator in, the qualified operator's day rate, liability insurance, occasionally a municipal permit. A basic service call typically starts at a $350 flat rate; the moment heavy equipment rolls onto the lot, the starting bill jumps to $1,000–$1,500 before a single shovelful of dirt. A targeted repair that exposes other damage explains the $8,500 ceiling: professional repair of a single crack (epoxy or polyurethane injection plus a local waterproofing membrane) runs $480 to $1,000 per crack. And if the job forces us to add a sump pump to redirect water inside, plan another $300 to $1,800 depending on plumbing complexity.

Three variables move the bill up. First, drain depth — a repair at 1.8 m under a paver deck costs more than a repair at 0.9 m in lawn. Second, the rest of the drain's condition — if the camera reveals other watch-zones, we will tell you honestly and weigh whether a targeted repair is still the right move, or whether a full replacement will be cheaper over the long run. Third, the seasonal context — an emergency winter repair, with frozen ground, takes more time and gear than a planned spring intervention.

When do we recommend replacement over repair? When more than two or three distinct zones are compromised on the same drain, when the drain is over 25 years old and the original materials are reaching end-of-life (clay drain pipe, old asphalt-based membrane), or when the cost-benefit shows that a targeted repair only delays a larger investment by a few years. Being straight with you on this — telling you when a repair is not worth doing — is part of the service.

Iron-ochre removal — what does it cost?

The cost of an iron-ochre treatment depends entirely on the severity of the deposit. Four levels of intervention, four very distinct French drain price ranges. Prevention level, on a still-healthy drain but a known at-risk lot: inspection-port installation and a yearly camera inspection, typically $1,500 to $3,500 upfront, then a few hundred dollars a year for monitoring. That is the best cost-benefit ratio on offer, period.

Early-treatment level, on a moderately ochre-loaded drain that the camera confirms is still functional: high-pressure cleaning with a specialized rotary head and targeted chemical sterilization. The French drain price at this level typically runs $2,200 to $4,500, depending on length and access. A second camera inspection at the end documents the result.

Compromised-drain level, where the camera reveals a severely clogged drain and cleaning alone is no longer enough. The solution is either exterior drain replacement or an interior sump-and-drain system (interior cuvelage). Five-figure investment either way, typically $18,000 to $35,000 for a full exterior replacement on a standard bungalow, and $14,000 to $28,000 for interior cuvelage, depending on wall length treated and finishing. On lots with known iron-ochre risk, the replacement uses materials built for the challenge: type-3 perforated drain (smooth rigid pipe with 3 mm slot apertures, designed to delay bacterial bridging), a clean crushed-stone bed at least 300 mm thick per the Bureau de normalisation du Québec (BNQ) standards, and an impermeable separation membrane wrapping the stone structure to isolate it from the surrounding soil.

Basement-already-taking-water level, where ochre has already caused recurring infiltration. The job combines several solutions — interior under-slab drain, properly sized sump pump, sealing membrane, sometimes temporary drying. Quoted after a visit, because no generic range is honest at that level of complexity. See our iron ochre page for the technical detail of each intervention level.

French drain inspection port — per-unit price

The inspection port, sometimes called a cleanout or drain access port, is the vertical pipe that goes from the drain up to the surface and lets us camera-inspect the drain or run a high-pressure hose through it. Without ports, every inspection or cleaning requires opening the ground above the drain — an $800 to $2,000 operation that has to repeat at every intervention. With four ports installed once, every future inspection is done in minutes.

The French drain price for installing an inspection port generally runs $450 to $1,200 per unit, depending on drain depth and ground access. We recommend installing one at each of the four foundation corners — it is the configuration that lets us camera every section of the drain without a blind spot. On very long perimeters (cottage, L-shaped house), a fifth port mid-run on one side is sometimes added. This job is typically done in one day for a standard home and does not require a big site disruption.

The economic argument is clean. Four inspection ports at roughly $2,500 to $4,000 total save you, on every future intervention, the cost of a ground opening — so several thousand dollars in compounded savings over the home's service life. For a new build, add them at construction. For an existing home without them, this is the highest-ROI preventive investment we recommend.

Factors that move the price up or down

Five variables explain most of the French drain price range we quote for your home. The first, and the most decisive, is the perimeter — the total length of wall to treat. A 30 m bungalow costs about two-thirds of what a 45 m cottage costs, all else equal. Roughly measure your perimeter before calling: length + width, times two. That alone gives you an order of magnitude.

The second variable is soil type. The clay of the Joliette or Lavaltrie plains is slower to excavate, heavier to move, and more likely to retain water in the trench — meaning more pumping. Sandy soil or light till works faster and costs less in labour. A high water table, common across many Lanaudière sectors, drives the bill up because the trench has to stay dry during the work.

The third variable is site access. A clear lot, where the shovel can swing freely and the gravel truck pulls up within a metre of the trench, is ideal. A narrow side yard between two houses, mature landscaping to protect, a wood deck or interlocking pavers to dismantle, an in-ground pool right beside the foundation — all of these add time, caution and cost. In some extreme cases, it is the difference between a standard hydraulic shovel and a narrow mini-excavator, which takes twice as long for the same volume.

The fourth variable is the age and condition of the existing drain. A drain under 10 years old in heavy clay but structurally sound mostly needs cleaning. A 30-year-old crumbling concrete drain needs full replacement. A thousand scenarios live between those two — and the camera inspection is what objectively decides. The fifth variable is the season. Spring and fall are peak seasons; some contractors offer better pricing in winter to keep crews busy (winter excavation through frozen ground uses more fuel but remains feasible).

The variables that pull the French drain cost down, on the other side, are symmetrical. A project bundled with a neighbour's site shares some fixed costs. An off-peak visit can earn you a discount based on availability. A drain that gets cleaned instead of replaced saves several times the cost of an excavation. And a homeowner who calls before the problem turns critical almost always gets a less expensive job than one who calls in emergency with a basement taking water.

Free quote — how we proceed

Our quote is free and no-pressure. Here is exactly how it goes when you call us at 514.909.1422 or fill out the online form. Step one, a short phone conversation to understand your situation — symptoms observed, approximate age of the home, sector, any interventions already tried. Five minutes, typically the same business day.

Step two, an on-site visit scheduled at your convenience. One of our technicians comes out, walks the foundation, inspects the basement, takes measurements, and if needed runs the camera through the drain via existing ports or the sump. The visit is free and commits you to nothing. If the camera inspection requires a deeper intervention — opening the ground to install a temporary port, for instance — the cost and benefit are explained to you before we touch anything.

Step three, a detailed written estimate. You receive a document that lists the proposed work, the materials used, the French drain price ranges that apply to your specific case, the estimated timeline and the warranties. When several scenarios are defensible — cleaning now and replacing in five years, for example, versus replacing immediately — we present both options with their implications. You take your time to decide, with no pressure. No work begins until you have signed the estimate and locked in an intervention date.