Diagnosis
How do I know if I need a French drain?
A French drain is the right system when water is moving through the ground rather than across it. The tell is ground that stays soft or springy without a rain event to explain it, often on a slope rather than in a hollow, frequently with a distinct upper edge where the seepage begins.
In more detail
If water pools on the surface after rain and drains away within a few hours, that is a surface-routing or grading condition, not a subsurface one — and a French drain addresses neither.
If the ground is level, correctly graded and still holds water with no obvious low point, the likely cause is compacted subsoil that will not accept water. Piping does not fix soil that cannot absorb; decompaction and amendment does.
If water appears against the foundation after prolonged rain and the ground slopes back toward the house, regrading is the correction, and it is usually both cheaper and more durable.
The genuine French drain condition — lateral subsurface flow along the top of the clay layer — is less common than the term's popularity suggests. Being told you need one without anyone establishing which condition you have is worth questioning.
Find the cause before you pay for a fix.
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