Including landscape drainage in your project budget is crucial. If you don’t properly account for drainage in your design plans, you could face even higher costs due to damage caused by excess water.
These costs become especially noticeable when it comes to driveway drainage. Driveways being large and nonpermeable, are ideal places for water to gather. You may consider installing channel drains in the driveway to prevent runoff into your yard, garage, or other areas.
How much should you budget for driveway channel drains and other accompanying costs? Let’s take a look.
The Cost of Landscape Drainage
The cost of landscape drainage will vary based on a few factors. In general, larger projects cost more than smaller ones. High-quality materials also cost more.
You can generally expect to pay between USD $30 and $1,000 per linear foot of channel drain. However, more complex situations may cost up to $150 per linear foot.
Plastic and wood channels are amongst the cheapest options. However, these may not be strong enough to hold up to the vehicular traffic of a driveway. Steel channels tend to be around $100 per linear foot. Durable concrete channels usually cost more, but do hold up much better.
The cost of drainage will depend on the size of the project, the materials chosen, and a few other factors.
Precast drains are a good choice for many uses. They come premade in segments which makes them easy to install and transport. A small one tends to run about $85 per linear foot. However, a high-quality one with large sections may be up to $185 per linear foot.
If you need a speciality drain channel, it may cost more. For example, chemical trench drains need to be more durable and completely sealed in order to prevent contamination. They also tend to have a more intense installation process. Because of this, there is an increased cost.
If you can, it’s best to install a channel drain when you initially install the driveway or when completing other repairs or projects. In addition, doing so can help you save money on the installation. If your installer needs to cut into the existing driveway, the process will cost more than if they can install it into fresh ground.
Similarly, other conditions that can make installation more difficult will lead to hiring costs. These can include difficult soil types, removal of broken concrete, and repair of plants or other surrounding landscape elements.
Additional Sources of Costs
Channels aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Every landscape is different and, thus, has different needs. The channel will have to be a different width or a different depth depending on the situation.
Your installer can help determine which kind of channel will be the best fit for you. Once you choose, they will build a custom quote for you. However, you should keep in mind that any additional features or accessories will incur additional charges.
Pipe connections provide support at outlet and inlet spaces. This is because they need to be a certain depth below the surface but also be able to stand up to the pressure of the water around them.
End plates are another popular accessory. They close the ends of the channel off and ensure water-tightness. These do not typically cost much.
Sealant is usually made of urethane or polyester. Polyester is considered better quality and the better choice because it is waterproof and chemical resistant. Sealants are not very expensive, and you can usually get a discount for bulk purposes.
Trench drain frames help make installation easier and add a polished look to the final drain. These can be either premade or custom-made. While custom-made frames are more expensive, they usually fit more seamlessly into the overall design. Usually, the cost of frames is budgeted into the original quote. However, always double-check this, as different installers have different billing methods.
Finally, you want to budget for high-quality gratings. These are as important as the channel, as it is the place of contact and support for vehicles and pedestrians.
Plastic grates are some of the cheapest grating options. However, these may not fit the needs of your space. Durable reinforced stone gratings will hold up much better and compensate for additional costs. This is especially true in commercial and other high-traffic driveways.
Channel Drain Considerations
When choosing and installing channel drains, it’s important to consider a few factors to ensure the drains will work efficiently. A couple of the most important considerations include the placement, connections, slope of the drain and its surroundings.
Placement
Channel drains should usually be installed at the lowest part of the driveway. Where water tends to accumulate, making it a great place to collect water before diverting it.
Alternatively (or in addition), you could place the channel near the garage entrance if one is present. Preventing water from making its way into the garage and causing interior damage. Such placement is also suitable if the driveway has a negative slope and falls towards the garage entrance. You can run a drain parallel to the garage opening and along the edge of the driveway if possible and necessary.
A channel drain must be placed at the appropriate depth. If the channel is too shallow, water will flow backwards and not into the channel as it should.
Strategically placing trench drains is crucial to keeping driving surfaces dry.
Connections
Usually, channel drains connect to an underground drainage system. Most of the time, this empties into the municipality’s stormwater management system. Always check your local ordinances before connecting a drainage system to the municipality’s system. An extensive system of drains may also be interconnected along the way, which can better funnel large amounts of water over large areas.
Slope
Channel drainage needs to be slightly sloped to allow the water to drain away quickly. Some drains even have a built-in fall. These are particularly common in commercial drains used for heavier load capacities.
Most domestic channels should have a fall of 1 in 200, meaning for every 1 meter, the slope should change by 5 mm.
Other Placement Considerations
It’s generally not recommended to install a channel drain in a gravel driveway. Gravel is not as stable and would not hold the channel in place as well as it needs to. Additionally, gravel tends to be somewhat permeable and has fewer issues with flooding. If you need additional drainage for your gravel driveway, you may consider installing a French drain instead.
Installing a channel drain can be a bit of a hassle. After all, it will prevent you and others from using the surface. It can be particularly cumbersome in commercial applications.
How Can Jonite Help Your Channel Drain Project?
As mentioned earlier, trench grates are a crucial part of a channel drain. Therefore you must choose high-quality, durable gratings. Otherwise, the grates could break as people walk over them or as cars drive over them, potentially causing a costly accident for everyone involved.
Jonite is a drain grate supplier in Singapore that can provide you with the high-quality and durable gratings you are looking for. They also offer custom-designed and made drain gratings, which can be tooled to suit your specific needs.
Our premium reinforced stone gratings are durable and are easily cared for. They won’t break down to corrosion and are strong enough to carry your driveway traffic. We can even create heavy-duty gratings used in areas with heavier vehicular traffic.
These gratings will be built to your practical and aesthetic needs. Jonite trench grates look like stone, adding elegance to your driveway or other hardscaped areas. You’ll be able to choose how your gratings look, including the colour and slot design of the gratings. You can even order other coordinating gratings, such as tree grates, to create a seamless flow between all of your gratings.
With Jonite, you can customize your gratings fully, from the colour and slot design to the load capacity.
One of the best parts about going with Jonite for your drainage needs is the level of customization provided. During the customization process, you’ll have the opportunity to make modifications and sign off on the final design. Helping you control your costs while still meeting your design goals. Our design team will even determine the cost efficiency of your project to help you make well-informed budgetary decisions.
Take Advantage of Channel Drains for Your Driveway
The cost to install a channel drain in your driveway will depend on several factors, including the size of the project and the material used for the channel. But, leaving enough room in your budget for high-quality gratings is essential. Jonite, a leading drain grate supplier, can provide custom-built gratings, including trench and tree grates.
Get in touch with the design team at Jonite today.
