How to Install a Drainage Pipe in Your Yard

A French drain improves the drainage in a yard. Water moves through the perforated, corrugated pipe, down a slope and typically empties into a sewer drain or a ditch. Although it requires only a series of simple steps to install a drainage pipe in your yard, the process can be quite labor intensive.

Dig a trench 6 inches wide by 24 inches deep, and slope it downhill. The drain should end at a drainage ditch or sewer opening.

Fill the bottom 3 inches of the trench with 1-inch gravel.

Slip the corrugated pipe into a drain pipe sleeve. This sleeve keeps dirt out of the pipe and prevent clogs in your French drain.

Lay the pipe onto the gravel in the bottom of the trench.

Cover the pipe with 8 inches of gravel.

Cover the gravel with 4 inches of coarse sand.

Spread topsoil over the sand to fill the trench completely.

Place sod over the topsoil to disguise the presence of the trench.

Install A Black Corrugated Drainage Pipe

Corrugated plastic drainage pipe (often known as a "french drain" or "weeping tile") is a flexible pipe perforated with small holes on one side that allow water to enter the pipe from the surrounding soil. The installation itself is very simple. If the area has a downward slope, follow it. The trench should be 24 inches deep and 6 inches wide. You can rent a laser level from a home improvement store to check the height and ensure that the slope is in place before you fill the trench in. If this isn't practical, you can simply bury the end of the pipe in an area close to a storm drain or with softer soil that will absorb more water. Pound the dirt at the bottom of the trench. Shovel in enough 1-inch diameter washed gravel to form a 2-inch thick layer along the whole length of the trench. Ensure that the holes in the pipe are facing downwards. Bury the pipe in more 1-inch gravel.