Stop heavy rain from soaking the ground under your house. Get a free drainage and foundation check and a written price from a local crew, usually with a call back the same day.
We connect property owners in Tallahassee and nearby areas, including Midtown, Killearn, Betton Hills, SouthWood, Lafayette Park and Frenchtown, with one independent local foundation repair specialist.
What it costs
Typical published ranges for Tallahassee. The contractor's written estimate is the price, and the inspection is free.
Work
Typical range
Drainage and foundation check
Free
French drain, average total job
$2,800 to $6,500
French drain in a yard
$20 to $30per foot
French drain in a crawl space
$25 to $35per foot
French drain around a house
$50 to $80per foot
Exterior French drain, 100 feet
$3,500 to $4,000
Foundation repair if the house already moved, national
In Tallahassee, water is behind most foundation trouble. Rain pours off a roof, lands at the base of a wall, and soaks the ground in one spot again and again. That ground gets soft, settles or washes away, and the house follows it down.
Fixing the drainage is often the cheapest way to protect a foundation. It is also the step that keeps a new foundation repair from failing.
The contractor we connect you with will check your gutters, downspouts and the slope of the ground around your house, look for wet spots and washed-out soil, and give you a written price for what your lot needs.
What the crew can fix
Water that stands next to the house after a storm
Gutters that overflow or pull away from the roof
Downspouts that empty right at the base of the wall
Ground that slopes toward the house instead of away from it
Soil washed out from under the edge of the slab
Runoff from uphill on a sloped lot
A wet or muddy crawl space after heavy rain
Low spots in the yard that hold water for days
Why drainage matters so much in Tallahassee
A lot of rain, very fast. Tallahassee gets close to 60 inches of rain in a normal year, based on National Weather Service records. In 2014 the city got more than 68 inches. Much of it comes in short, heavy summer storms. The U.S. Geological Survey has written about the city's long history of floods from intense, brief storms, including one in 1976 with about 6 inches of rain, mostly in one hour.
Hills and clay. North of the Cody Escarpment, Tallahassee is rolling red hills. USDA soil surveys describe the main soils as sandy on top with sandy clay below. Runoff is faster on slopes, and some soils have deeper layers that drain slowly. So on a hilly lot, water both rushes toward low spots and sinks in slowly once it gets there.
Closed basins. Parts of Tallahassee drain into low areas with few outlets. After heavy storms in 2024, floodwater sat for months on parts of the Miccosukee Greenway, which a hydrologist described as a closed basin. Homes in low spots near basins and lakes need water moved away from them with extra care.
Low neighborhoods. Some older parts of town, like Frenchtown, grew on low-lying land. North of town, Bradfordville has rolling hills and ravines dotted with lakes and ponds. Both kinds of ground can send runoff toward a house.
Hurricanes. Tropical storms like Hermine in 2016 bring days of rain on top of already wet ground. Clogged gutters after a storm can send a whole roof of water to one corner of the house.
How drainage correction works
Gutters and downspouts. Clean, properly sized gutters and downspout extensions that carry water several feet from the house. Sometimes the extensions run into buried pipe that empties farther out in the yard.
Regrading. The crew reshapes the soil so it slopes away from the house. On a hilly lot this may mean a swale, which is a shallow ditch that steers water around the house.
French drains. A trench lined with fabric, filled with gravel and a perforated pipe. It collects water in the ground and carries it away. Useful along the uphill side of a house or where water sits along a wall.
Crawl space drainage. For homes with a crawl space, a drain and sump pump can move water out before it soaks the wood and the soil under the piers. A vapor barrier over the dirt helps too.
Paired with foundation repair. If the house has already moved, the crew may suggest piers or crawl space supports along with the drainage fix. See foundation repair and pier and beam repair.
What it costs
These are typical ranges from published cost guides by Fixr. They are not a quote. Gutter extensions and simple regrading usually cost far less than a French drain. Your written estimate will show exactly what is included. See the Tallahassee foundation repair cost guide.
Book your free drainage check
The next big summer storm will put your drainage to the test. Find out where the water goes before it costs you a foundation repair. Call (850) 988-3375 or send the short form. A local crew will call you back, usually the same day.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if drainage is hurting my foundation?
Look for water standing next to the house for more than a day after rain, soil washed away from the slab edge, gutters that overflow, downspouts that empty right at the wall, and a damp crawl space. Cracks that show up on the wettest side of the house are another clue.
How far should water drain away from my house?
A common rule is to have the ground fall away from the house for at least the first few feet and to carry downspout water several feet out. Your crew can tell you what your lot needs.
Is a French drain worth it?
It can be, if water sits along one side of the house or runs toward it from uphill. For many homes, gutter extensions and some regrading do most of the job for less money.
Will fixing drainage fix my foundation?
Not by itself if the house has already sunk. Drainage keeps the problem from getting worse and protects a new repair. Many jobs pair piers or crawl space supports with a drainage fix.
My yard floods but my house does not. Should I worry?
It is worth a look. Water that sits near the foundation, even if it never comes inside, keeps the soil soft. Over many storms that can lead to settling.
Do I need a permit for drainage work?
Simple gutter and downspout work usually does not need one. Bigger grading or drain work may, depending on where you live. The contractor can tell you what the City of Tallahassee or Leon County requires for your job.
Can a sump pump help a crawl space?
Yes, when water collects in a low crawl space after storms. A sump pump moves it out before it soaks the wood and the soil under the piers.