Installing drainage in the garden

Climate change is causing increasingly heavy rainfall. These heavy downpours also increase the risk of flooding. This may require measures to better protect your home against flooding. One such measure is to install drainage in your garden around your home.

What does installing drainage in your garden involve?

If there is often water in the garden, basement, or house, causing nuisance, this water can be drained away using drains in the garden. Drainage or dewatering is the removal of water from the soil, through and over the ground. After heavy rainfall, the water is quickly drained away through the drains, causing the groundwater level to drop. This prevents crawl spaces and the basement under your home from filling with water. When installing drainage, you place drainage pipes between 50 and 60 cm below ground level. Depending on the type of soil, a covering is placed around the pipes. This covering acts like a sponge, making it easier for water to flow into the pipe and keeping soil particles out. For sandy and peaty soils, use a drainage pipe with a coconut covering; for clay soils, use a polypropylene covering. First, place a 3 cm layer of shells, sand, or gravel in the trench. Then place the pipe. Fill the trench to 20 cm below ground level with shells, sand, or gravel. Fill the top 20 cm with soil.

Costs

A landscaper costs between €35 and €55 per hour on average. Drainage pipes cost between €80 and €170 per 50 m. You will also need material to fill in the trenches in which the drainage pipes are laid. Depending on the material, this costs between €80 and €165 per 1000 kg. There may be additional costs for replanting the garden.

Use of space

This measure is useful if (ground)water is entering your home or basement through the walls.

What do you need?

You can hire a landscaper to install drainage around your basement or home. If you have experience working in the garden yourself, you don't need a landscaper.

Tips

There are various types of drainage. Preventing flooding in your home requires different drainage than simply draining your garden. Carefully consider which type of drainage is suitable for your situation.