Drainage Repair in Shreveport, LA: Clogged French Drains & Broken Drain Pipes
Looking for drainage repair near you? A French drain that used to work and now does not. A yard drain that fills and stays full. A wet patch that appeared along a buried pipe. A catch basin that has sunk or cracked. We repair drainage systems in Shreveport and Bossier City: camera down the line to find the problem, jet out what is clogged, dig up and replace what is broken, rebuild what has failed. Call (318) 216-6513, tell us what the drain is doing, and we will tell you what it is likely to be and what it costs to fix.
Why drains stop working in Shreveport
The French drain is full of clay. The most common failure here. A drain built without filter fabric lets the clay and silt work into the gravel, and within a few years the pipe is sitting in mud. Water cannot get into it. Jetting the pipe helps for a season; the real fix is rebuilding the drain with fabric.
The pipe is crushed or collapsed. Corrugated pipe under a driveway, a pipe with a tree root through it, or a joint that has separated as the clay shifted. The tell is a wet patch or a dip in the lawn along the line, or water coming up at the surface partway along.
The outlet is blocked. The drain was fine; the ditch it emptied into silted up, the outlet pipe got buried, or an animal or a landscaper blocked the end. The whole system backs up from the outlet. Often the cheapest fix on this page.
The catch basin has silted up, sunk or cracked. Basins collect everything the yard sends them. Once the box is half full of silt or the outlet behind it is choked, water sits on the grate instead of going through it.
The downspout line has separated underground. Roof water disappears into the pipe and reappears next to the foundation, because the pipe has come apart a few feet down.
How a drainage repair works
Camera first. We run a camera down the line from the nearest opening. It shows whether the pipe is clogged, crushed or separated, and exactly where, so we dig one hole in the right place instead of following the pipe across the lawn.
Jet out what is clogged. Roots, silt and debris are cleared with a jetter. The outlet is dug out and opened. If the pipe is sound, that is often the whole job.
Replace what is broken. A crushed or separated section is dug up and replaced with solid pipe, or with new perforated pipe and fabric if it is part of the drain itself.
Rebuild what has failed. A basin that has sunk or cracked is reset or replaced. A French drain packed with clay is rebuilt properly: fabric, clean gravel, pipe, a measured fall, a real outlet.
Test with water. We run water through the system and watch it come out the other end before the lawn goes back over the top.
Most repairs are a half day to a day. A drain that has to be rebuilt from scratch is one to two days.
What drainage repair costs in Shreveport
A camera inspection and jetting out a clogged line is usually $500 to $1,200. Digging up and replacing a collapsed section of pipe is $800 to $2,500, depending on how deep it is and what is on top of it, a lawn being cheaper than a driveway. Rebuilding a catch basin is $600 to $1,800. Clearing a blocked outlet is at the bottom of those ranges. A French drain that was never built right and has to be replaced is priced as a new French drain installation, $1,500 to $6,000. Every price on the site is on the Shreveport drainage cost page.
Prices on this page are estimates from previous work. We cannot quote an exact price. The actual cost can be lower or higher depending on the job. The person who knows is the professional who will do the work. You get a written quote after we see the house.
Repair it or replace it
Repair when the pipe is intact and the problem is a clog, a root, a blocked outlet or one broken section. Replace when the drain was built without fabric and the gravel is full of clay, when the pipe is corrugated and has collapsed in more than one place, or when the drain never had a working outlet in the first place. We tell you which after the camera has been down the line, and if it is a replacement we say so before any digging starts. A sump pump that has stopped is a different page: sump pump repair.
How to get started
Call (318) 216-6513 and describe it: what kind of drain, how long ago it stopped working, and what you can see on the surface. We book the visit, camera the line, and give you a written price to repair or replace before anything is dug. If you would rather write, use the contact page.
Related services
Drainage repair questions
Why is my French drain not draining?
Three usual reasons. The gravel and pipe have filled with clay and silt because the drain was built without filter fabric. The pipe has collapsed or been crushed, often corrugated pipe under a driveway or a tree root. Or the outlet is blocked or buried, so the drain fills and has nowhere to send the water. A camera down the line tells us which within the first hour.
How much does drainage repair cost in Shreveport?
A camera inspection and jetting out a clogged line is usually $500 to $1,200. Digging up and replacing a collapsed section of pipe is $800 to $2,500 depending on how deep it is and what is on top of it. Rebuilding a catch basin is $600 to $1,800. A French drain that was never built right and has to be replaced is priced as a new French drain. You get the price after we have seen the line.
Can a clogged French drain be cleaned out?
If the pipe is intact and the clog is roots, silt or a blocked outlet, yes: we jet it out and clear the outlet. If the gravel around the pipe is packed with clay because there was no fabric, cleaning the pipe only buys a season; the drain has to be rebuilt.
How do I know if my drain pipe is broken?
A wet patch or a sinkhole along the line where there was none before, water coming up at the surface halfway along the run, or a drain that worked for years and stopped after something heavy drove over it. A camera inspection confirms it and shows exactly where to dig.
Do you repair catch basins and yard drains?
Yes. Basins that have filled with silt, cracked, or sunk, grates that have broken, and the outlet pipes behind them. Also downspout drain lines that have clogged or separated underground.
Do you do drainage repair in Bossier City?
Yes. Shreveport, Bossier City, Haughton, Benton, Blanchard, Greenwood, Stonewall and Keithville. Call (318) 216-6513.
Drain stopped working? Call now.
(318) 216-6513. Camera inspection, written price, no obligation.