French Drain Cost
Estimated project cost
Typical national cost- National baseline
- $7,350
- Public data adjustment
- +3.1%
- Local labor adjustment
- +0.0%
- Planning contingency
- +0.0%
- Current estimate
- $7,575
Construction costs+6.5% YoYUpdated July 2026
How is this adjusted?
HomeCostTotals applies current national construction inputs to the project baseline, then applies the ZIP wage multiplier to labor only. Public economic data indicates cost movement; it does not represent an exact contractor price. View the Renovation Cost Index.
| Component | Dollars | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,922 | 25.4% |
| Labor | $4,603 | 60.8% |
| Permits | $250 | 3.3% |
| Disposal | $800 | 10.6% |
National labor multiplier: 1.000×. Enter a ZIP to match a metro or state wage factor.
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Calculation record
material = baseline material rate × quantity × index change × quality
labor = baseline labor rate × quantity × index change × ZIP wage multiplier
subtotal = material + labor + permit + disposal
Sources used for this estimate
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: May 2025 OEWSRetrieved 2026-08-14 · United States
- U.S. Census Bureau: Value of Construction Put in PlaceRetrieved 2026-08-14 · United States
- Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies: Remodeling FuturesRetrieved 2026-08-14 · United States
Every baseline number and its provenance
| Input | Published value | Source or derivation |
|---|---|---|
| Default quantity | 100 linear ft | hct-default-scenario-v1User-editable starting quantity selected for the static worked example. |
| Material base rate | $18.00 / linear ft | hct-legacy-baseline-v1Locked base-period material input. Current material = input × quantity × verified material-index ratio × selected quality factor. |
| Labor base rate | $45.00 / linear ft | hct-legacy-baseline-v1Locked base-period labor input. Current labor = input × quantity × verified labor-index ratio × regional wage multiplier × selected quality factor. |
| Permit allowance | $250 | hct-legacy-baseline-v1Locked national planning allowance added once; an applicable local fee schedule supersedes it. |
| Disposal base rate | $8.00 / linear ft | hct-legacy-baseline-v1Locked base-period removal and disposal allowance multiplied by project quantity. |
| Low range factor | 0.65× | hct-variance-model-v1Disclosed low planning factor applied to the calculated subtotal. |
| High range factor | 1.60× | hct-variance-model-v1Disclosed high planning factor applied to the calculated subtotal. |
The public datasets above support wage selection, index movement, and plausibility validation. They do not claim to publish each exact locked legacy baseline. Compare all public baseline records.
Index escalation tracks the direction of input costs, not a local market price. Actual quotes vary with labor availability, permit requirements, site conditions, and local competition. Read the full methodology.