An interior French drain, trade name interior drain tile, is the single most common permanent fix for a chronically wet Cortland basement. We cut a 12 to 14 inch wide trench through the slab along the perimeter of the basement, excavate 10 to 12 inches down to the footer, lay 4 inch perforated drain pipe in a filter sock on top of a clean washed stone bed, pitch the pipe toward a new sump pit, and pour fresh concrete over the top flush with the existing slab. Water that would otherwise push through the cove joint now runs under the slab and out through the sump discharge, and the hydrostatic pressure on the wall drops to effectively zero.
Trumbull County glacial till is what makes this scope necessary on so many homes here. The clay-heavy soils around Mosquito Creek Lake watershed hold water for days, so every basement built below the local water table is sitting in a wet backfill most of the year. On 1970s and 1980s block foundations around the Lakeshore Drive corridor and Bazetta Township, the cove-joint seepage pattern is almost universal, and the only real fix is a positive drainage path. Surface coatings like DryLok, hydraulic cement in the cove, or interior waterproof paint are all 6 to 18 month fixes at best and delaminate as soon as the next rainy spring loads up the backfill.
On new builds and homes being re-excavated for an addition, an exterior footer drain is the right scope. 4 inch perforated pipe wrapped in a filter sock, laid in clean stone at the footer elevation, graded to daylight or to a sump pit, and covered with dimple membrane against the wall. This is the belt-and-suspenders install that catches water before it ever touches the wall. It is the more expensive route, $10,000 to $25,000 on a retrofit because the whole yard has to be dug up, and it is overkill for most existing Cortland homes where the inside scope works just as well.
Yard drains are the third flavor of French drain and the most abused name in the industry. A real yard drain is a 4 inch solid pipe buried 12 to 24 inches down with a surface grate at a low spot in the yard, graded 1 inch per 10 feet toward daylight on a downslope lot. Cheap contractors install perforated pipe in a yard drain, which fills with silt in short order and stops working, or they daylight it into the neighbor's yard, which creates a lawsuit. We install solid pipe on yard drains, grate it to a proper low spot, and run the discharge to an approved location.
What we handle
Interior Perimeter Drain Tile
Full perimeter interior French drain cut into the basement slab, 4 inch perforated pipe in clean stone with filter sock, pitched to a new sump pit. The right fix for 90 percent of chronic wet-basement calls in Cortland.
Partial-Wall Interior Drain
Drain tile along one or two walls where the water only shows up in a corner, usually a 1980s rear-walkout or garage-side wall. Priced per linear foot of trench.
Exterior Footer Drain Installation
Full exterior dig to footer with 4 inch perforated pipe in clean stone, graded to daylight or sump pit, dimple membrane against the wall. The gold-standard install on a retrofit or new build.
Yard Drain and Surface-Water Capture
4 inch solid pipe yard drains with surface grates at low spots, graded 1 inch per 10 feet to an approved discharge point. Keeps standing water from loading the backfill near the foundation.
Emergency Drain Reroute After Backup
Same-day response when an existing French drain has silted up or the sump discharge is backing up into the basement. We camera the pipe, flush or re-pipe as needed, and get the water moving again.
Commercial and Multi-Family Drain Tile
Higher-capacity perimeter drain and dual-pump sump systems for commercial basements and multi-family buildings in Warren and Niles where code and insurance carriers require redundant pumping.
How the job goes
1. Phone Intake and Scope Call
You call, describe where the water shows up and whether you have an existing sump. We give you a price band per linear foot of trench, and an arrival window for the on-site inspection, usually same day before 2 PM.
2. On-Site Inspection and Layout
Owner or lead tech walks the basement, measures perimeter in linear feet, checks slab thickness and wall type, locates the best sump pit spot for discharge run. Full layout takes 45 to 75 minutes and ends with a written scope.
3. Written Quote and Schedule
You see a written quote with linear footage, stone volume, pipe brand, sump brand, and discharge length by end of day. Install usually gets scheduled inside 2 to 3 weeks of signed quote, weather permitting on exterior work.
4. Install and Flood Test
Crew sheets plastic over belongings, cuts and jackhammers the slab, excavates trench, lays stone and pipe with filter sock, sets the new sump pit, pours fresh concrete flush with existing slab, runs a full garden-hose flood test through the system before pack-out.
5. Photos, Warranty, First-Rain Check
Install photos emailed same day, written transferable warranty handed over, and a call back after the first heavy Cortland rain to confirm the system is running and the basement is dry.
What's included
- On-site layout and written perimeter footage measurement
- 4 inch perforated drain pipe with filter sock, no 3 inch flex pipe
- Clean washed stone bedding, not bank-run or dirty fill
- New cast-iron 1/3 HP sump pump in cut pit, not a dropped-in bucket
- Fresh concrete patch over trench, finished flush with existing slab
- Full garden-hose flood test before crew packs out
- Transferable written workmanship warranty
- First-heavy-rain follow-up call
What it costs
Full interior perimeter drain tile in a typical Cortland basement runs $4,500 to $12,000 installed, priced on linear footage of trench and whether a new sump pit has to be cut. Exterior footer drains on a retrofit run $10,000 to $25,000.
| Job | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| On-Site Inspection and Written Quote | Free | Standard residential homes in Cortland and the 8 towns we cover. Multi-family and commercial basements carry a small drive-and-diagnose fee that rolls into the job. |
| Interior Perimeter Drain Tile (Per Linear Foot) | $55 to $110 | Priced per linear foot of trench. Low end on a clean open basement, higher end when walls are finished and drywall has to come out first. |
| Full Perimeter Interior System (Typical Basement) | $4,500 to $12,000 | All-in for a 1,000 to 1,500 square foot Cortland basement including new sump pit, cast-iron pump, concrete patch, and flood test. |
| Exterior Footer Drain Retrofit | $10,000 to $25,000 | Full dig to footer with new pipe, stone, and dimple membrane. Moves hard on access, depth, and whether landscaping or a deck has to come out. |
| Yard Drain Installation (Per Drain) | $800 to $2,500 | 4 inch solid pipe yard drain with surface grate, graded to daylight or approved discharge. Priced per drain plus trench run to the discharge point. |
Ranges are typical for French Drain Installation jobs in Cortland and confirmed with an exact written quote before any work starts.