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AI tools for French drain and yard drainage pros (2026)

Updated Oct 17, 2026 · Prices as of Oct 2026 · Some links may be affiliate links (disclosure)

Drainage work sells itself on the worst day of the year. The phone rings during a storm, when the backyard is a pond and water is creeping toward the basement. If you answer that day and send a clear plan within 24 hours, you get the job. If you call back next week, the yard is dry and the urgency is gone.

This guide covers French drains and the jobs around them: dry creek beds, rain barrels and rain chains. It replaces our separate guides for those three. Prices checked October 2026.

What to set up

Rain-day leads are the best leads

Set up a missed-call text in Quo that asks for exactly what you need: "Sorry I missed you, I'm probably on a job. Please text me a video of where the water is going right now. It helps me plan the fix." A 20-second video of water moving tells you more than a dry-day visit. Save these to the job in Jobber.

The quote, by job type

• French drains: linear feet of wet path, depth (surface swale vs. deeper drain near a footing), soil (clay is slow), access for a trencher, what's in the way (fences, walks, beds) and the outlet: daylight, dry well, pop-up emitter or storm tie-in.
• Dry creek beds: decorative accent vs. a real channel that carries water with fall, rock mix (river rock, cobble, boulders), fabric and base, optional underdrain and edging or plant pockets.
• Rain barrels: number of downspouts, a level raised stand, a diverter, overflow path, and local legal limits.
• Rain chains: length from gutter outlet to grade, chain or cup style (cups handle more water), material, a ground anchor so wind doesn't slap the siding, and where the water lands (basin, gravel or a drain).

Paste your site notes into ChatGPT and ask it to explain the plan to the homeowner in five sentences: where the water goes now, where it'll go after, and why. Customers say yes when they understand the fix.

Math to show the customer

• Runoff: 1 inch of rain on 1,000 sq ft of roof is about 623 gallons. If two downspouts dump that next to the foundation, that's the problem in one number.
• Slope: 1/8 inch per foot over an 80-foot run is 10 inches of fall. If the yard doesn't have it, you need a dry well or a pump, and the quote changes.
• Gravel: a trench 12 inches wide and 18 inches deep is 1.5 cubic feet per foot. For 80 feet, that's 120 cubic feet, or about 4.4 cubic yards before the pipe. Order a little extra.

Always call 811

Every trench means calling 811 first, a few business days ahead (the lead time depends on your state). Private lines like sprinklers, low-voltage lighting and gas to a grill aren't marked, so ask about them. Make "locate ticket number" a required field on drainage jobs in your field app.

Saved replies

• Plan summary: "Here's the plan: we'll catch water along the back fence and carry it 80 feet to the low corner by the street, with a pop-up outlet. Your quote is attached with two options."
• Rain barrel overflow: "One heads-up: a 1-inch rain sends about 310 gallons off this part of the roof, and the barrel holds 55, so the overflow hose goes to the bed, away from the foundation."
• Review ask after a storm: "That was a lot of rain last night. How did the yard hold up? If it stayed dry, a quick review would mean a lot."

What you'll pay

• Solo, part-time: Smith.ai free (25 calls/mo), Wave free, ChatGPT free. $0 a month.
• Full-time solo: Jobber Core ($29/mo annually) plus Quo Starter ($15/mo annually). About $44 a month.
• Crew: Housecall Pro Essentials ($149/mo annually) or Jobber Connect ($99/mo annually), plus NiceJob ($75/mo).

Catching storm calls is the whole return. One drain job at $4,000 that would have gone to voicemail covers years of the full-time stack.

Watch out for

• Leads arrive in bursts after storms, and dry spells are quiet. Plan cash flow around it.
• A drain that sends water toward a neighbor or the street can cause legal trouble. Check local rules.
• Basement leaks are often a foundation or grading problem, not just a yard problem. Refer out when it's beyond drainage.

Related: waterproofing, sump pump installers, gutter cleaning, landscapers.

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