Drainage & irrigation in Houston

Yard drainage: common fixes and rough costs

Angi’s Houston drainage page lists these typical ranges:^[1]

• French drain: $20–$50 per linear ft, about $1,980–$6,910 total
• Catch basin: about $595–$1,980
• Surface drain: about $1,190–$4,930
• Swale: about $790–$2,960
• Dry well: about $990–$3,950

A Houston foundation and drainage company quotes French drains at $28–$60 per linear ft, a typical single yard run at $2,000–$4,500, and perimeter or pumped systems at $5,000–$9,000 or more.^[2]

Sprinkler systems: rough costs

A Houston irrigation company’s 2026 guide puts most in-ground systems at $3,000–$5,000 for 6–10 zones: about $3,000–$4,000 for smaller lots and $5,000 or more for large or complex lots.^[3]

These are rough planning ranges pulled from published Houston-area cost guides and contractor websites, not quotes and not HTX Backyard prices. Your price depends on size, materials, access and site conditions.

Houston drainage basics

• Where the water goes is the real question. Houston clay doesn’t absorb much, so a drain has to carry water to a legitimate outlet: the street, a ditch or a storm inlet. A pipe that just dumps into a gravel pit often fails. Ask every bidder exactly where the outlet is.^[2]
• Don’t push it onto a neighbor. Texas Water Code Sec. 11.086 bars diverting or impounding the natural flow of surface water in a way that damages someone else’s property.^[4] A good drainage plan solves your problem without creating theirs.
• Know your flood risk. Yard drainage handles everyday storms. It won’t protect a home from regional flooding. Check your address on FEMA’s flood map and the Harris County Flood Control District.
• Combine projects. If you’re adding a pool, patio or turf, plan drainage at the same time. It’s much cheaper than trenching through new hardscape later.

Irrigation: Texas licensing and backflow

• The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) licenses irrigators who design, install or repair systems for hire. Their bids and invoices should show a license number such as “LI0123456”, and a license holder must be on site during installation or repair.^[5]
• TCEQ says to ask for a copy of the irrigation design before work starts and the final “as-installed” plan afterwards.^[5]
• Irrigation water is treated as non-potable. A backflow prevention assembly, installed and tested by a licensed professional, keeps it from flowing back into your home’s drinking water.^[5]
• Cities with more than 20,000 people must have local irrigation ordinances, and watering-day restrictions may apply. Ask whether the system and schedule comply.^[5]

Questions to ask before you sign

• Where exactly will the water discharge, and is the outlet included in the price?
• How deep is the trench, and what pipe, fabric and stone are you using?
• For irrigation: what’s your TCEQ license number, and how many zones and heads are in the design?
• Is the backflow device, its testing and any permit included?
• Will you restore sod and beds after trenching?

How we make money: HTX Backyard is free for homeowners. Participating builders pay HTX Backyard a fee when we introduce them to a homeowner. We are a matching service, not a contractor, and we do not perform, supervise or guarantee any work.