Are you wondering whether your French drain project needs a permit from the building department? Unfortunately, there's no clear-cut answer, since the regulations vary based on where you live.

People have suggested I use French drains; one said exterior ones, another interior. In this area, one company pretty much has a monopoly, and it’s backed up for months. Do French drains really ...

A French drain is the term for any gravel-and-tile or gravel-and-pipe-based system. It takes its name from Henry Flagg French, who chronicled its use in agriculture in the mid-19th century.