How much does catch basin installation cost in Irving?

As a national budgeting range, a yard catch basin with solid pipe to an outlet runs about $500 to $1,500 installed. A basin in open lawn draining a short distance to a pop-up emitter sits at the low end; one in concrete or run to the curb sits at the top. Rein Irving Drainage Company explains below what moves an Irving basin within that range.

What the price pays for

A catch basin is a grated box at a low point, with a small sump that holds back grit and an outlet pipe that carries water away. The parts list is short; the labor around them is not.

The line that most often goes missing from cheap bids is the grade around the grate. A basin set in a dip that water never reaches, or with turf growing over the grate, catches nothing.

Three Irving scenarios

These are illustrations of where a job falls within the national budgeting range, not quotes.

A low corner in Las Colinas clay

A USDA soil survey sample point in Las Colinas shows Ferris and Heiden clay that is about half clay particles and absorbs water very slowly, so rain stands on top. That is the textbook case for a basin. If the lawn keeps falling toward the street, a short run to a pop-up emitter keeps the job toward the lower end of the range.

A flat backyard with the street as the only outlet

On a flat lot, the basin cannot go deep, or the pipe would arrive below the curb. A long shallow run to a curb core adds trench, restoration and possibly a permit. In Coppell, a residential curb core for yard drains was issued as an engineering permit in 2022 with a $100 fee. For Irving, we confirm the rule per address. This job lands toward the top of the range or above it with concrete work.

A patio low corner

A basin set into existing concrete means sawcutting, a traffic or foot-rated grate, and patching the slab. Where water sheets across the whole patio, a channel drain may catch more for a similar price; see the channel drain cost guide.

What pushes a basin toward the high end

• Distance to the outlet. Each foot of trench adds digging, pipe and restoration.
• Depth. A deeper basin needs a deeper trench all the way out.
• Concrete. Cutting a walk or patio to pass the pipe or set the box.
• Grate rating. A grate that cars cross costs more than a lawn grate.
• No gravity outlet. If nothing lower exists, the basin feeds a sump, which is priced separately.
• Sand over clay. In central Irving, a sample point near Irving Boulevard shows about 15 inches of loamy fine sand over sandy clay loam. Water there often soaks in and perches on the clay, so a basin may be paired with a short French drain.

Lowering the cost per basin

Basins are cheapest as part of a line. Two or three basins and the buried downspouts near them can share one solid pipe and one outlet, so the long trench is dug once. Light regrading can sometimes steer two wet spots to a single basin instead of two. And keeping the grate clear after leaf drop costs nothing; the catch basin cleaning guide explains what to check.

What to look for in an estimate

A clear catch basin estimate states the basin and grate size, the pipe type and diameter, where the outlet is and what kind, how the grade around the grate will be shaped, and what restoration is included. If those are missing, ask before comparing totals. The French drain versus catch basin guide helps confirm a basin is the right fix, the drainage cost overview shows how basins combine with other work, and the cost tool gives a quick range. When you are ready, send photos of the low spot for a written estimate.

Questions people ask

Is the grate or the pipe the bigger part of a catch basin price?

The pipe, and more exactly the trench it sits in. A residential basin and grate are inexpensive parts; digging a trench with steady fall to the curb or a lower part of the lawn, and repairing what it crosses, is most of the labor.

Does a second catch basin double the cost?

Rarely. When a second basin joins the same solid line, it adds a box, a grate and a short branch, while the long trench and the outlet are already paid for.

Is one catch basin cheaper than a French drain for a single low spot?

Often, when the problem is a puddle on the surface and an outlet is close. If the ground stays soft with no standing water, a basin will not catch that water and a French drain is the right comparison.